DENDEOCOMETES PARADOXUS. 341 



of whole mount preparations such as Plate studied^ with the 

 thinnest sections of the meganncleus. My opinion is that 

 the substance in the meshes of the chromatin is quite homo- 

 geneous. The periphery of the meganucleus is not in my 

 opinion surrounded by a definite membrana limitans, notwith- 

 standing Plate's statement that ''ein Kernmembranist deutlich 

 erkennbar." 



When the meganucleus is spherical or oval in shape and 

 situated at the centre of the body, or in other words, when 

 it is at rest, no definite membrana limitans can be seen (PI. 18 

 fig. 10) ; but in the elongated and dividing meganuclei the 

 chromatin network nt the periphery is so arranged that a 

 limiting membrane seems to surround the whole nucleus- 

 The limiting membrane is not a definite and peculiar struc- 

 ture of the nucleus, but a temporary arrangement of the 

 substance of the chroraatin-bearing network at the periphery 

 during the nuclear movements. 



During gemmation the meganucleus undergoes a simple con- 

 striction, and is divided into two parts, one of which is retained 

 by the jiarent, and the other by the young bud (PI. 18, fig. 14)- 

 There is no reason to believe that these two parts are exactly 

 equal in size. In many preparations the part retained by 

 the bud is apparently smaller than that retained by the 

 parent, but, as T have no means of measuring the capacity 

 of these bodies, I cannot make an^'- positive statement on 

 the subject. There is, however, no arrangement of the 

 chromatin in rods or bars during this division which would 

 suggest equivalent chromatin division. Nor have I been 

 able to find after very careful search anything of the nature 

 of anterior fibres, centrosomes, asters, or other charac- 

 teristic features of karyokinesis. There can be no doubt 

 whatever that when the maganucleus divides the process 

 is purely amitotic. 



The Fusion of the Meganuclei during Conjuga- 



ion. — Whatever difficulties there may be in finding an 



explanation of the fact, there can be no doubt that the 



meganuclei do, during .conjugation, meet and become 



VOL. 45, PART 3. — NEW SERIKS. A A 



