1899] DEVELOPMENT OF THE MICROSPORANGIUM 337 
dificult to understand just what the author had in mind. It 
| ems probable, however, that the condition found by him was 
the same as that described above for Convallaria. He was able 
- to demonstrate the appearance of the same phenomenon also in 
animals, especially in Triton, thus emphasizing the fact that the 
sleps in the maturation of the sexual gametes is to a certain 
‘fxtent similar in both plants and animals. 
During the past few years synapsis has been described by 
sveral authors, most of whom now consider it to bea natural 
condition of the cell, although it seems probable that the phe- 
_fomenon described is not the same in all cases. 
Farmer found a contracted condition of the chromatin thread 
Wthe spore-mother-cells of the Hepaticae, but the figures do 
lot show as great a contraction as is found in Convallaria. He 
Mites that the nuclei at this stage are difficult to fix, often show- 
|S signs of fragmentation, and that there is usually a chro- 
matic change in the cell. 
Convallaria has so far shown no case similar to that described 
- by Miss Sargant*™™ for Lilium, in which two rows of dots were 
found on the thread before synapsis. A double row in the for- 
| oy Plant is found only very late in the history of the spirem ; 
aaa does the nuclear membrane disappear or even become 
F “distinct during Synapsis. Otherwise the description and figures 
quite Similar to Convallaria. In some preparations an extru- 
oa of granules from the contracted mass was found, but was 
ore 2 fragmentation of the nucleolus rather than 
ie Separation of portions of the chromatin. 
€ Conflicting results obtained are probably due, in part at 
eed ys 
these A ea have been referred to ya . eee 
. rmal condition, and to this the term synap 
: te ye formation and nuclear division in the Hepaticae. Annals of Botany 
a The 
Bick . t n 
Wi g50 _ of the sexual nuclei in Liliwm Martagon. Annals of Botany 
» Oa 
*ryokinetische Probleme. Pringsh. Jahrb. £. wiss. bot. 28: 158. 1895- 
