16 ; BOTANICAL GAZETTE [JULY r 
cases to remain distinct, and in the form of V- or U-shaped 
bands, or often they are horseshoe-shaped, and sometimes form 
rings. In some cases it appears as if the arms of adjacent 
chromosomes coming in contact had fused at the end, but in no 
case could I see that they were thus united around the nucleus 
to form a continuous spirem, as described by Mottier for 
Podophyllum. Sometimes it appeared as if two had united by . 
their ends to form a very large ring. In other cases the 
chromosomes may be permanently separated into two groups 
‘during this period. 
As the nuclear cavity is formed and the first spindle is dis- 
appearing, the free ends of the chromosomes sometimes bend 
inward partly over the truncate side of the cavity, and at other 
times the chromosomes do not occupy the regular position which 
they usually show when they have reached the poles. In these 
cases ends of the chromosomes may be fused here and there, but 
in all stages several free ends are to be seen, and the figures pre- 
sented by the nucleus are such as to lead one to believe that the 
chromosomes remain distinct through this phase. If the 
daughter nucleus is not elongated when first formed, it very soon 
begins to elongate in a plane parallel with the cell plates, so that 
it becomes nearly or quite twice as long as its diameter, and it is 
more or less inequilateral, the convex side being toward the — 
periphery of the primary mother cell, while the plane side faces — 
the cell plate. In Opening out in this way the chromosomes 
become more and more distinct. The elongation of the daughter a 
nucleus often takes place while the chromosomes are moving t0 
the poles (fig. aiy., Ei such cases the chromosomes are more 
easily followed, and the evidence is quite convincing in support 4 
of the view that the individuality of the chromosomes is pre — 
served from the anaphase of the first division through to the 
prophase of the second mitosis. From the V- and U-shaped forms — 
possessed by the chromosomes as they go to the poles, many 
of them change to horseshoe form, or some to complete rings — 
by the free ends converging while the arms part slightly at the — 
middle portion. In a number of cases the chromosomes divide 
Peas” aera ? 
