120 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [AUGUST 
as kinoplasm than as metaplasm, but as the former word is over- 
worked I shall follow Chamberlain (’99) and speak of it as linin: 
from which it does not seem to differ. It is at first entirely dis- 
tinct from the reticulum, and is only very slightly stained in 
Flemming’s triple. The nucleolus increases in size and the linin 
granules become more abundant as the nucleus develops. The 
reticulum still remains perfectly distinct from the granular sub- 
stance and stains a bright red in safranin. The nucleolus is 
of quite a different character from the nucleolus of the central 
cell previously described. It becomes larger and larger until, 
at the time of fertilization, it is very conspicuous (jig. 700). 
When deeply stained, it seems to be entirely homogeneous, but 
on washing out a fine alveolar structure is to be seen. This does 
not in the least recall the irregular compound nucleolus of the 
central cell, and from the entirely different behavior of these 
two nucleoli during cell division it is evident they are of a differ- 
ent nature. The large nucleolus of the egg nucleus may be 
called the plastin nucleolus, while that of the central cell is a 
chromatin nucleolus. The plastin nucleolus of the egg nucleus 
seems to loose its stain more easily at one time than at another, 
as it is frequently found almost colorless. This loss of staining 
quality may be due to fluctuations in the amount of plastin 
material inclosed in its honey-comb-like structure during the 
active stages of development. This seems more probable, as it 
is often found when unstained in a collapsed condition, a distinct 
but thin shell being always present. 
At the time of fertilization the female nucleus may vary con- 
siderably in its structure. Sometimes the linin material remains 
finely granular up to the time of fertilization. In such cases it 
is easily distinguishable from the chromatin reticulum, which on 
account of the huge size of the nucleus is now relatively scarce. 
The large plastin nucleolus is always present and is not connected 
in any way with the reticulum. This is another character which 
distinguishes it from the chromatin nucleoli already described. 
It is more frequently the case that the linin substance of the 
nucleolus, before the entrance of the male nucleus; has become 
grouped into an abundant reticulum, upon which granules of 
