176 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [SEPTEMBER 
of disposing of its comparatively massive body and numerous 
nuclei in the ooplasm? Why do its nuclei later assume 2 
specialized form, resembling sperms (jig. 85)? 
In considering the positive side of the argument, in favor of 
a multinucleate fusion, no step is left to be filled by assumption. 
All of the stages were seen repeatedly and the correlations are 
perfect. The antheridial tube opens at the culmination of a 
period of gradual development which has been completely traced. 
After it has emptied its contents it immediately disappeats. 
The oosphere has likewise passed through a series of remarkable 
but perfectly graded conditions with all the steps of develop 
ment clearly shown. Coincident with the opening of the anthet- 
idial tube certain marked changes appear in the cytoplasm; the 
oospore wall is formed, the ooplasm immediately becomes much 
vacuolate where it was previously dense and uniformly constatl 
in character. The discharge from the antheridial tube introduc’ 
into the oospherea large number of nuclei clearly different inform | 
from those previously there. These sperm nuclei are seen in ay 
positions of exit from the tube, and finally become se distributed . 
as to indicate with certainty that they approach the female : 
nuclei. | 
At a stage positively older (judging by the development 
the primitive wall), the oosphere is found full of fusing paits . 
nuclei. That these are not nuclei dividing amitotically 15 PP" ;: 
by the number of nuclei in the oospore decreasin~ rather iv, : 
increasing, and also by the evidence presented through deta™ . 
study. 
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. 
[ Zo be concluded. | 
