81 



in the cytoilasm of the cjore. Several hours after the 

 spore is shed, tlie m^cleus divides "by mitosis. During this 

 time tliere is no noticeahle change of sha,pe in the sj ore . 



Opportunity lias not occurred for tlie examination of 

 a large series of dividing nuclei in tlie sp'orelings, but 

 in the cases exai.ained, tlie mitoses v;ere of the type usual 

 in vegetative nuclei. In the dividing nuclei of sporelings 

 from tetraspores, about 6 or 7 cliromosomes appear on the 

 equatorial pla.te (fig. 155a) . In the sporelings from car- 

 pospores, the nizmber of cliromosomes is e.lways greater tiian 

 this, but appears to be less than the nvunber that might be 

 expected (14) . The small size of the nuclei in the spore- 

 lings renders exact counting of the chromosomes very dif- 

 ficult, but it ma^'- be stated with certaint3' that as many as 

 9 chromosomes appear on each spindle in the mitoses of the 

 nuclei of the sporelings from carpospores (fig. 155b) ; and 

 this is believed to be sufficient evidence for regarding 

 these nuclei as •©# diploid in chsjr'acter . 



The daughter nuclei vvi tlidrav/s to opposite sides of 

 the spore . :<gig. 154), and divide again to form 4 n\iclei, 

 v;hich in turn divide to form 8 (fig. 156), tlien 16 (fig. 

 157). The increase in the number of nuclei is not accom- 

 panied by a corresponding increase in the size of the 

 spore; the size of the nuclei becomes less v/ith each sue- 



