(84) 



time, when it is entirely free from the poliinodiiim, whereas in other 

 cases the division only occurs when the somewhat tapering and 

 curved tip of the ascogonium lies alongside the pollinodium. 



The posterior cell of the divided ascogonium, the final ascogonium, 

 increases in size and is surrounded by a number of hyphae, having 

 their origin under the ascogonium. The number of nuclei of the asco- 

 gonium increases at this stage ; they lie spread in the foamy protoplasm. 



Round a number of pairs of nuclei protoplasm accumulates so that 

 free cells arise, having two nuclei each. The remaining protoplasm 

 with the nuclei that have formed no cells, appears chiefly as a 

 wall-layer. The nuclei of the free cells are bigger than those in the 

 remaining protoplasm. Tlie optic section of the free cells is often 

 elliptic, sometimes also slightly bent in the middle of the major 

 axis. The nucleus of the free cells consists of a grain which stains 

 very strongly and which in some cases is surrounded by a zone of 

 a lighter tint than the dense protoplasm of the cell. 



Sometimes one finds in one cell more than two nuclei, mostly 

 three, two of which are then bigger than tlie third. 



From the examination of a number of preparations of various 

 stages, I infer that the two nuclei of the free cells fuse, thus giving 

 rise to one nucleus which is bigger than its components. 



The development now proceeds fairly quickly, as a result of which 

 one finds the uninucleate stage of the free cells pretty rarely in 

 comparison with the binucleate. The development of all cells in an 

 ascogonium is by no means simultaneous. 



In a following stage the cell has ^rown and its protoplasm is less 

 dense. It now contains a great number of very small nuclei. Next, 

 some parts in the cell differentiate which apparently have no nuclei 

 and consist of a homogeneous substance. These spots occupy the 

 greater part of the cell-space and the small nuclei, which I would 

 call chromatine grains, are pushed back into the layers of protoplasm 

 between the unnucleate parts. 



After this one sees one nucleus in the middle of the homogeneous, 

 elliptic spots, which themselves are divided into a central part with 

 the nucleus and a margin, having a lighter tint. This stage represents 

 the first occurrence of spores in the free cells, mostly numbering 

 from 6 to 8. 



Between the spores one finds what Ikeno calls the "Wabenwande" ^j, 

 chokeful of chromatine grains, which can be distinctly seen separately. 



These chromatine grains, now, soon disappear, while the nucleus 

 of the spore divides, so that we find spores with 2, 4 and 8 nuclei. 



1) Ikens 1. c. p, 265. 



