244 SIDNEY I. KORNHAUSER 



immediately after the telophase of the second meitotic division 

 and bear a remarkable resemblance to the interkinetic spermato- 

 cytes, except that they are smaller and that their chromosomes 

 soon break up into granules. 



7. DISCUSSION 



The author believes the female diploid number of chromosomes 

 of Anisolabis to be twenty-six in both germ cells and soma 

 cells, as against twenty-four claimed by Randolph ('08) for both 

 sexes. The normal male diploid number is twenty-five although 

 somatic mitoses with twenty-four chromosomes are found. 



The union of the two x-chromosomes into a single body is 

 probably the explanation of this last phenomenon, and this 

 supposition is strengthened by the fact that, in the growth of 

 the spermatocytes and in the first spermatocyte division, these 

 two x-elements of the xxy-hexad are in close apposition, leading 

 to 'the assumption that the two parts are intimately related. 

 The x-complex may be considered either as having originated 

 from a single x-chromosome or as now being in the process of 

 the formation of a single x-chromosome out of two previously 

 distinct chromatic elements. 



Another view of the 24 chromosome somatic male cells is 

 possible: namely, that after a number of somatic divisions, the 

 y-element undergoes a dissolution. From the behavior of the 

 y-element in the growth of the spermatocytes, one may infer 

 that it is greatly different from the normal chromosomes; for, 

 not until the late strepsistene does it acquire a true chromatic 

 stain, when tested with alizarin + crystal violet or with methyl 

 green +acid fuchsin. Only after giving off the nucleolar spherule, 

 which takes the mitochondrial stains deeply, does its definite 

 chromatic nature appear. 



Our interest in the y-chromosome must be again kindled in 

 view of the recent type of inheritance described by Castle 

 ('21) linked with this exclusively paternal chromatic element. 

 We must try to determine whether the y-chromosome is a chromo- 

 some in a state of formation or whether it is merely a degenerate 

 x-chromosome . 



