227 



embryosac is filled by a cell-mass of some 20 to 30 cells, 

 the walls of which are strongly swollen (fig. 4) ; the nuclei 

 are small and are in a state of disorganisation as well as 

 the rest of the protoplast. The whole makes the impression 

 of a more or less disorganised èmbryo. Further there is in 

 the embrosac a pretty large quantity of protoplasm in which 

 we could find no nuclei. 



Finally we found in an ovule, collected on August 22, 

 a still larger cellular body, reminding us of an embryo 

 (fig. 5). It consists of about 40 cells, the contents of which 

 are still more disorganised, with swollen cell-walls which 

 strongly absorb staining substances. Having regard to the 

 former two préparations we are of opinion that this also 

 must be looked upon as an embryo, the development of 

 which has alréady for some time been stopped and which 

 now is in progress of becoming disorganised. Also hère 

 nothing peculiar was further found in the embryosac. 



Of course we looked also for the présence of an egg- 

 apparatus, especially in the younger stages, but there is 

 only one préparation in which anything of this kind can 

 be detected (fig. 2). It is an ovule, collected on August 22, 

 where in the top of the embryosac three cells are found, 

 two shorter ones with distinct nuclei and a third which 

 is larger with disorganised cell-contents in which the nucleus 

 can still be discovered, however. We believe this to be 

 the egg, the others synergids. Hère also nothing else is 

 found in the embryosac besides protoplasm which stains 

 strongly. 



In 10 other ovules an endosperm was observed in varions 

 stages of development. It must be stated at once that in 

 none of thèse anything of the nature of an embryo is 

 seen. Although it may be objected that for some ovules 

 the séries of sections is not complète, yet this is certainly 

 not the case with the majority. Especially where the 

 micropyle is seen in the section, the embryo would be 



