142 ILLINOIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



These polar bodies, according to the writer's observation, 

 are more frequently found during the last division of the 

 spermatogenous tissue, but even then seem to disappear dur- 

 ing the telophase. Miss Black agrees with the writer in be- 

 lieving that the blepharoplast originates as a sharply differen- 

 tiated cytoplasmic body in the androcyte in which it is to 

 function and not from a previously formed polar or centro- 

 some like body. 



Wilson, writing in 1911, describes three distinct structures, 

 originating from the nucleolus in the androcyte. One division 

 results in the separation from the nucleolus of bodies which 

 pass through the nuclear membrane into the cytoplasm, where 

 they are resolved first into rod-like structures and then built 

 into a more or less hollow spherical structure, termed a limos- 

 phere. The second division separates the nucleolus into two 

 parts, one of which forms an accessory body and the other be- 

 comes the blepharoplast. The function of the blepharoplast 

 has been described. The accessory body, doubtless similar to 

 the Nebenkorper of Ilkeno, and the limosphere perhaps be- 

 come part of the vesicle. 



It seems safe to make the following statements referring in 

 general to the liverworts and mosses : 



The slender, flexible, more or less coiled bi-cilate sperm rep- 

 resents the metamorphosed protoplast of the androcyte. 



In the androcyte two distinct parts are distinguishable, the 

 nucleus and the cytoplasm. 



In the sperm, besides the main body, or nuclear portion, 

 which stains densely and homogenously and certainly contains 

 the chromatin, there are present two cilia and a slender thread, 

 the blepharoplast connecting these with the main body. 



A more or less clearly defined vesicle, which contains re- 

 mains of the cytoplasm, disappears as the sperm approaches 

 maturity. 



During the last as well as the earlier divisions of the sperma- 

 togenous tissue polar bodies are often present. 



The facts recently brought to light leads the writer to 

 venture also the following statements : 



