CELL-FORMATION. 105 



become conglomerated with other mucilage-granules, so 

 as to produce a nucleus, and that around the nucleus is 

 formed a membrane, which retreats from the nucleus on 

 one side through the absorption of fluid. 



Now as to the mucilage-granules, which lie in the 

 effused fluid, I believe that they are derived, in great part, 

 from the destroyed endosperm-cells, and that they do not 

 at all contribute to the formation of the nuclei. In the 

 embryo-sac, where cell-formation is commencing, I often 

 find but little, often no granular contents ; these increase 

 with the fuller development of the endosperm-cells, and 

 with the cessation of cell-formation. This circumstance 

 already makes the origin of the nuclei from mucilage- 

 granules very improbable. 



Again, I was never able to observe a confluence or 

 conglomeration of mucilage-granules, and the production 

 of a nucleus therefrom. The solid portion of the cell- 

 contents certainly concreted into larger or smaller masses, 

 especially when water was added. Sometimes only a few 

 mucilage-granules, sometimes mucilage-granules and nu- 

 clei, sometimes large portions of the firm granular contents 

 became united ; a homogeneous mucilage was always the 

 connecting medium. This, however, does not happen 

 through any organic process, but because the mucilage 

 coagulates. The conglomerated masses do indeed ex- 

 hibit, like all coagulating mucilage, a definite outline, 

 and, when they are small, sometimes present a striking 

 resemblance to nuclei or young cells. But they are often 

 actually seen to be formed, in the same way that they 

 have been formed here, when the mucilage of any cell 

 flows out into water. 



Besides the mucilage-granules, we must likewise leave 

 out of consideration, in cell- formation, the clear vesicles., 

 which might easily be taken for nascent cells, but which 

 are found in almost all homogeneous and rather fluid 

 mucilage. They appear to me to be minute drops of 

 some watery fluid (water?), which have separated from 

 thicker, mucilaginous fluid of the cell. In most cases the 



