114 The Botanical Gazette. [Mareb, 
Above it are the cells of the procarpic branch and on the left 
are three auxiliary cells, two at the side and one somewhat 
behind the others. The figure is especially interesting be- 
cause it is evident that the vegetative branch, 2, is directly 
continued from the two auxiliary cells at the side. 
Figs. 9 and 10 do not give a correct idea of the great in- 
crease in size of the auxiliary cells and the cells of the pro- 
carp at this stage of development, for the magnification is 
much less than in figs. 6 and 7. 
The writer has never observed any evidence that the cells 
of the procarpic branch ever fuse with each other or with the 
thallus cell which bears them. After the withering of the 
trichogyne the cells increase in size and the strands of pro 
toplasm connecting them become much wider, but the cell 
outlines remain quite distinct and the nuclei entirely separate 
There is no union of nuclei into one large fusion nucleus 
The thallus cell bearing the procarpic branch continues in its 
multinucleate condition. Each cell of the procarpic branch 
contains one nucleus which may afterwards fragment into 
several. 
The auxiliary cells always contain in the beginning a nut 
ber of nuclei and in the writer’s preparations nothing w% 
ever observed that would indicate a later union into om 
fusion nucleus; they always remain multinucleate. 
However, some very interesting cytoplasmic disturbance 
take place. The thallus cell bearing the procarpic br 
sends out many protoplasmic processes that unite with th 
auxiliary cells directly adjoining it, sometimes two or thie — 
processes with the same cell. In a like manner the auxiliaff 
cells unite with one another and with the vegetative cells 
around them. This cytoplasmic activity occurs while the 
cystocarp is developing, but the position and number of the 
nuclei in the cells are apparently not affected by the forma 
tion of this net-work of fused cells. Fig. 11 illustrates # | 
instance where the thallus cell, ¢, is connected by two strands 
of protoplasm with the auxiliary cell, a, and a similar cond! 
tion is shown on the left hand side of fig. 13. In fig. 13° 
reader will also observe how general is the cytoplasmic ee 
should also be noted that the cytoplasmic fusion processes . | 
smaller than the nuclei in the cells directly concerned wi 
the development of the cystocarp. 
