184 I. IJIMA : HEXACTINELLIDA. I. 



noticed that tbe latter kind of cells were comparatively sparsely 

 present in places where the former occurred in abundance. 



An enveloping membrane around the large cells can not bo 

 made out. The cell-body (see fig. 45, x.) shows a dense, uniform, 

 generally fine but sometimes somewhat coarse-looking granulation, 

 in which single granules are not clearly definable nor particularly 

 refractive. The appearance of the cell is therefore quite different 

 from that of thesocytes. The protoplasm is moderately well 

 stained by borax-carmine or by acid-fuchsin ; Bleu-de-Lyon 

 colors it diffusely and faintly, indicating the absence of formed 

 yolk-particles. The well-stained nucleus is distinctly visible ; 

 it resembles exactly that of archisocytes or of tlie trabecular 

 syncytium both in size and in appearance, but differs strikingly 

 in the same respects from the nucleus of the large cells I have 

 described from Leucopsacus orlhodonis. In rare and exceptional 

 cases, two or three nuclei were observed lying together in the 

 same cell-body. As the latter were yet small and far from 

 having attained their full size, it was out of question to suspect 

 polar globules or the beginning of segmentation in those cases. 

 After the cell has reached a certain size, the nucleus assumes a 

 markedly eccentric or extremely superficial situation, — a fact, 

 which reminds one at once of F. F. Schulze's statements in 

 regard to the position of tlie nucleus in the egg of JE. asper- 

 gillum. In the present species, the nucleus does not under- 

 go an enlargement with the growth of the cell. In some cells 

 of the largest size, I have been unable to detect the presence 

 of the nucleus and that, under circumstances in which this could 

 not possibly have lain concealed in the granulation. The idea 

 suggested itself that its apparent absence might betoken impending 

 division, but no indication of a karyokinetic figure could be 



