226 



to the strong turgescence of thèse nucellus-cells only; in 

 older stages also the cells of the outer integument began 

 to increase their volume, evidently also by the increase of 

 the cell-sap only. 



Thèse strongly lengthened nucellus-cells at first caused us 

 to believe that more than (jne embryosac is formed, but an 

 accurate examination of the préparations finally gave us the 

 conviction that only one embryosac is found. Certainty on 

 this point will be obtained only by investigating the de- 

 velopment and for this purpose the collected material was 

 unsuitable, for also in the youngest ovules the embryosac 

 was already completely formed. Itis long-drawn, somewhat 

 in the shape of a dumb-bell, at the base extending near 

 the chalaza, at the top near the micropyle surrounded by 

 a single layer of nucellus-cells (fig. 1). 



Now it appeared that in the great majority of thèse 

 embryosacs nothing particular could be observed ; sometimcs 

 a little protoplasm or more or less disorganised and swollen 

 masses, but no egg-apparatus, no polar nuclei and no anti- 

 podal cells, so that presumably in nearly ail the ovules a dis- 

 organisation had already taken place before they were fixed. 



Only a few ovules presented more particularities and thèse 

 we shall describe hère, in the first iilace those where a 

 young embryo was found. 



In an ovule, collected on August 22, there is found at 

 the top of the embryosac and there filling this latter enti- 

 rely, a cellular body with eight normal looking nuclei, 

 making the impression of an embryo (fig. 3). The rest of 

 the embryosac is empty and only some disorganised masses 

 lie in it; of an endosperm nothing can be seen, no more 

 than of antipodals or embryosac-nucleus; concerning this 

 latter, however, the possibility must be granted that ithas 

 fallen from the préparation during the staining, although 

 we do not think this probable. 



In an ovule, collected on September 10, tbe top of the 



