1899] THE COMPOUND OOSPHERE OF ALBUGO BLITI 171 
antheridial tube similar to those figured, both transverse and 
longitudinal, are not uncommon in the writer’s preparations, and 
many have been carefully studied. No antheridial tube was 
found which gave any evidence of the possibility of the dis- 
charge of but one functional sperm nucleus. 
When the sperm nuclei emerge from the tube their nucleoli 
are in the anterior ends, and later there appears prominently in 
the same region a substance that stains like chromatin. As the 
sperm nucleus approaches the female nucleus a faint linin net- 
work becomes visible fies. 73, 34; 35). When the sex nuclei 
first come in contact the male is the smaller, but later they 
become approximately equal in size. It seems probable that the 
female nucleus actually decreases slightly in size during this 
equalization. The nuclei do not immediately fuse, though both 
“¢ apparently in resting condition. All stages of fusion can be 
easily observed. The sexual nuclei are pressed together, the 
‘perm nucleus first assuming a spherical form, the bounding 
membrane disappears at the point of contact, and there results one 
dumb-bell-shaped nucleus (figs. 37, 38). As the coalescence 
becomes more complete the fusion nucleus takes ona spherical 
form, and presents the structure of a resting nucleus. No 
etal regarding the fate of the linin network were obtained, 
mica to the extreme minuteness of these structures and the 
ae difficulty in Staining them in a manner adequate to 
‘iakeama (Aes. 35-40). Fusion must be a process of dasa 
the — as fr Vela the advance made in other structures of 
pene : ing es = yecmimation, 
Pairing of a ew of an entire section of an oospore during the 
lumber of e Sexual nuclei is shown in fig. 88. A count of the 
a0 average ‘glee all of the sections of such an oosper gives 
Sperm nucle; avout 100. There seems to be a slight excess of 
ing the ac. ccasional small unpaired nuclei are found dur- 
antheridium ee: there are also several nuclei left in the 
Pore in a er and in the base of the tube. Sections of the 
antheridial ee the nuclei are fusing present no trace of the 
€ inside of its wall, although it is easily traced 
