LIFE-CYCLK OF " CYSTOBIA " IPREGULARIS (mINCH.). 55 



be met with in each cjst.^ I do not think these polygamous 

 copulie develop into anything ; I have never come across 

 monstrous or abnormally large sporocysts. 



I cannot be quite sure whether the larger mass with many 

 typical sporoblast nuclei seen in fig. 64a is an example of this 

 on a large scale/ or whether, on the other hand, it represents 

 a small portion of the cytoplasm of some lobe or other which 

 did not entirely segregate up, but remained in this compact 

 condition. The latter view seems to me more probable, for as 

 many as twelve nuclei may occur in one of these masses, of 

 which there are occasionally one or two in a cyst. While in 

 the former case that would imply a very comprehensive poly- 

 gamy, in the latter the cytoplasmic residue Avith all its nuclei 

 would represent actually only a very insignificant portion of 

 the entire sporulating cyst. However that may be, a later 

 stage where such a mass is degenerating is seen in h, drawn 

 from a spore-containing cyst. The nuclei have coalesced 

 together, the chromatin has become granular and stains up 

 densely, and the cytoplasm is also altered and full of 

 chromatoid matter. 



(9) Spoee-Formation and Systematic Position. 



(a) The spores. 



C. irregularis. — The zygote next commences to assume 

 the typical shape of the spore. While the basal end (where 

 the nucleus is situated) remains round and unaltered, the 

 other end, which is destined to form the funnel, becomes 

 elongated and then narrowed (fig. 59 a and 6). When it has 

 thus acquired the definite shape, the clear but firm exospore 

 or outer spore-membrane is laid down. The cytoplasm then 

 retracts itself somewhat temporarily, leaving the funnel free. 



About this time the first division of the zygote- or spore- 



^ Leger (loc. cit.) also figures exactly similar instances in Stylo- 

 r hynchus. 



^ Lesrer mentions such cases where five or six gametes have fused. 



