3I)\ Griffith on the Ovidum of Santalum album. 61 



within the body of the ovulum. At the period of their greatest activity they 

 are more mobile when contained in the tubes than when they are made to 

 escape into the fluid medium surrounding them. No change, excepting in 

 size, occurs in the ovula up to the period of the application of the male influ- 

 ence to the stigmata. The tubes remain in apposition to the placenta, and 

 continue to be simple, membranous, elongated, closed sacs. There is, per- 

 haps, a tendency in many of the molecules to become aggregated in the 

 dilated apices of the tubes. 



Shortly after the period above alluded to exceedingly fine filaments are 

 visible in the canal existing in the centre of the style, down which they pass 

 to the apex of the placenta and become firmly applied to the extreme points 

 of the tubes, more than one being generally found in apposition with each 

 tube. From a solitary entrance I imagine them to terminate in dilated cul de 

 sacs, or rather, to use the French term, in a pâté d'oie ; I must remark, how- 

 ever, that in most cases they liave appeared blended with the substance of the 

 tubes, although in no case do they appear to perforate the membrane. At 

 this time the molecules will be ahnost invariably found to have lost their 

 motion and to have become densely aggregated into a grumous, opakc, central 

 body, reaching from the apex of the tube to the apex of the ovuhim. This is, 

 however, frequently interrupted, but I believe that this is to be attributed to 

 pressure during the operation of separating fhe ovula from the placenta. The 

 tubes now adhere to the placenta, especially throughout the upper two thirds 

 of their length ; and on separating them, portions of the cellular tissue of the 

 placenta to which they were applied become detached, and are visible adhering 

 to the membrane of the tubes. Owing to this adhesion the tube itself appears 

 to be occasionally cellular. A vesicle, generally of a globular form, and fre- 

 quently appearing to contain mobile granules or molecules, is now visible in, 

 and occupying the chief part of the apex of the tube. I have not been able to 

 trace any continuity between this vesicle and the filaments stated to descend 

 through the style to the tubes. The lower margin of this vesicle is in appo- 

 sition with the upper portion of the grumous, opake, centrai mass, which I 

 have described above as resulting from an aggregation of the molecules. The 

 part of the tube adjoining the apex of the nucleus is now visibly enlarged. 

 In addition to the molecules which it contains a small central cell is apparent, 



