OTHER RHYTHMS OF THE ORGANISATION 77 



see in phases 2 and 3 ; of these four remaining 

 chromosomes, two are expelled as we see in phase 4, 

 and it is at the moment when the half of a cell 

 acquires affinity for the spermatic cell that its state 

 of maturation is constituted. 



The male element, when it goes in search of a ripe 

 ovum or one commencing to ripen, obeys the same 

 affinity, or attraction, which must have according 

 rhythms, because harmony results from their union. 



In phase 1 of fig. 17, we see in Z the male 

 element at the moment of contact with the female 

 element. In phases 2, 3, and 4, we can follow as 

 far as the centre of the ovule, and there, counting 

 on an equal number of chromosomes to those that 

 remain in the ovule after its reduction, they wait 

 for the union with the female filaments, as we see 

 in phase 5. 



Phase 6 represents the moment in which the two 

 chromosomes, male and female, constitute one cell, 

 and where the four chromosomes unfold themselves 

 to the formation of eight nucleal elements, which is 

 the number of the filaments corresponding to this 

 complete cell; so that, in virtue of equitable division, 

 the new cell will have four male chromosomes and 

 four female chromosomes, and the hooks of both 

 sexes unite themselves faithfully at both ends. 



From this moment the same mitotic phases which 

 we saw succeed each other in fig. 16 are those 



