464 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE, {[VoL. VI. 
punctated, while Hieronymus maintains that it is of fibrillar structure 
and on it are arranged fine granules which contain the chlorophyll, the 
phycocyan being dissolved in the enchylema. Palla, on the other hand, 
defines, without further reference, the coloured peripheral layer as the 
chromatophore, which Nadson does not accept, but according to Fischer 
the chromatophore is an independent organ which is perforated to allow 
the passage of protoplasmic strands from the central body to the plasma 
zone outside the chromatophore. Fischer in his figures of stained 
preparations of Osezllaria Froehlichii illustrates such a radial disposition 
of protoplasmic strands from the central body but there is in them no 
indication of the existence of a chromatophore and the only evidence 
which he advances for believing that the latter exists is the result of the 
action of strong hydrofluoric acid on specimens of Osczllaria princeps, 
which dissolves out the central body, leaving a ring of material undis- 
solved corresponding in position to the coloured zone of thecell. I have 
tried the action of hydrofluoric acid on specimens of Oscdllaria 
Froehlichit and have not been successful in obtaining the results that 
Fischer obtained. Giving full importance, however, to his observations 
on this point one cannot but at the same time question whether the 
structure observed after the action of such a drastic reagent as strong 
hydrofluoric acid, is not simply an artifact. As he describes and 
illustrates it, it is a compact solid body without structure, and this is a 
suspicious fact, for,in his view, the protoplasmic strands which penetrate 
it are numerous. Observing also his illustrations of transsections of 
stained Oscillaria Froehlichit one must ask also how such an organ 
could be accommodated in the peripheral zone, the greater part of the 
space of which is taken up by the protoplasmic strands. 
There is, as I have already pointed out, no evidence for the existence 
of a specially organized chromatophore to be found in the living cell. 
When a cell of Osctllaria princeps in the living state is ruptured the 
substance of the peripheral zone is found to have a much more fluid 
character than that of the central body. This shows that, whatever the 
chromatophoric substance may be, it is not distinct from the substance 
of the peripheral zone, nor has it the physical character of a chromato- 
phore as found in the green Alge. 
Considering the fact that there is in the Cyanophycez no nucleus it is 
reasonable to believe that the other structures in the cell are as little 
differentiated, and therefore, one should not expect to find in these 
forms a highly organized chromatophore. This view is the most 
consistent, moreover, with all the observations which have been made on 
the Cyanophycee. 
