312 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [ NOVEMBER 
cultures grown from material from the two localities have 
retained their characteristic size through a cultivation of more 
than eighteen months in one case, and for over three years in 
the other. 
GENERAL STRUCTURE. 
In appearance Eremosphaera resembles a perfect gelatinous 
sphere with numerous minute chromatophores usually lining the 
wall. The arrangement of the chromataphores varies greatly, 
hardly any two specimens showing exactly the same pattern. 
Usually they are scattered about in an irregular fashion, some- 
times singly, sometimes in groups (fig. 7); or they may radiate 
from the center in a quite definite manner (fig. zo). That light 
has much to do with the arrangement of the color-bodies may be 
seen from fig. 4g. This specimen while kept in subdued light 
showed a cell of almost solid green hue, so thickly were the chro- 
mataphores lining the wall. After five minutes in bright sunlight, 
however, the condition shown in fig. ¢ was obtained, and in watch- 
ing the effect under the microscope the chromatophores could 
be seen sliding along the protoplasmic strands which radiated 
from the centrally placed nucleus. 
When the chromatophores are at the periphery of the sphere 
and are not too great in number, the nucleus is easily recognized 
without the aid of stains. The method recommended by Cho- 
dat (1) of clearing with chloral solution and staining with car- 
mine brings it out well, and also reveals one or more nucleoli 
(fig. 2). At times the nucleus and the protoplasmic mass sur- 
rounding it become quite granular, giving the appearance of 
some foreign body within the cell. The strands which radiate 
from the nucleus connect with the protoplasm lining the cell 
wall and form quite a complete network (fig. 5). 
The chromatophores are irregular both as to outline and as 
to size, varying from circular, through broadly elliptical, to nar- 
row fusiform (jig. 16). Occasionally they are angular, of a 
rhomboidal outline, a type especially common in the variety 
minor. The honeycomb appearance described by Chodat (1) 
