MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOÖLOGY. 135 
the right are still united to each other by strands at the corners. Very 
similar tripartite divisions were found by Overlach (85, Plate XI. Figs. 
35 and 41) in the epithelium of the cervix uteri. In two other cases, 
I have found one of the daughter nuclei in a late stage of division 
(Figs. 31, 32) itself elongating and undergoing constriction, It will 
be noticed that the constricted daughter nucleus is considerably larger 
than its mate. 
I have found but two cells with more than three nuclei, and these both 
contained four. This condition is brought about by the division of both 
nuclei of a binucleate cell. On a priori grounds, one would reason that 
quadrinucleate cells would be nearly as abundant as those with three 
nuclei, for, apparently, it must often happen that a pair of daughter 
nuclei, arising as they do by a symmetrical and accurate constriction, 
are ready to divide at almost the same moment. Yet there are doubt- 
less influences which operate to prevent the division of one of the 
nuclei. Although it is of course impossible to generalize on the char- 
acteristics of quadrinucleate cells, it may be of interest to mention the 
peculiarities of the two found. They are both large cells, of nearly 
equal width at the ends, and the breadth of both exceeds half the 
length. In one, both pairs of nuclei lie transversely, showing that the 
second divisional plane was at right angles to the first. In the other, 
represented in Figure 33, the lower pair of nuclei lie in the longitudinal 
axis, the upper pair almost transversely. One of the quadrinucleate 
cells is considerably larger than any cell near it, while the other (Fig. 
33) though by no means small, is of much less dimensions than the im- 
menso bi- and uninucleate cells around it. I am unable to assign any 
reason for the multinuclear condition of this cell. One fact, however, 
is worthy of note. The united volume of its four nuclei does not 
exceed the bulk of the single nucleus of a neighboring cell. One can- 
not, of course, ascertain what the size of the primitive nucleus of the 
multinucleate cell was, but it is very improbable that it exceeded in 
volume the nucleus of the uninucleate cell in question, for the latter 
cell is considerably the larger of the two, and throughout this serosa the 
sizo of the nuclei bears a direct ratio to the size of the cells. 
As regards the influence or influences impelling nuclei to divide 
independently of the division of the cell, nothing very definite can be 
stated. It is certain that the absolute or relative size of the cell has little 
or no influence upon the division of the nucleus. There are cells of all 
sizes, from the largest to the very smallest. (Fig. 3), which are binucle- 
ate; and it is usual to find, side by side with bi- or multinucleate cells, 
