208 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [SEPTEMBER 
BRYOtES FOR STUDENTS, 
THE ‘“‘PROTEID VACUOLES”’ of gymnosperms have recently been rein- 
vestigated by Arnoldi. These structures were described by Hofmeister 
nearly fifty years ago as “ Keimblaschen” (germinal vesicles) and he makes 
the statement that the archegonium of the vascular cryptogams differs from 
that of the gymnosperms in having only one nucleus (Keimblaschen) while 
that of the gymnosperms has many. Schacht, who wrote at about the same 
time, regarded the structures as cell-sap vacuoles, while Strasburger, at @ 
' considerably later period, regarded them as proteid vacuoles. 
Goroschankin (1883), who made some study of their development, found 
that they differ from the sap vacuoles, and make their appearance before 
the cutting off of the ventral canal cell, disappearing during the formation of 
the embryo. 
The present writer, with the aid of modern technique, has attacked the 
old problem of the origin and development of the bodies and finds that they 
are genuine nuclei. The nuclei of the cells of the tapetal layer immediately 
Surrounding the oosphere put out amoeboid processes which penetrate the 
cell wall,and soon the whole nucleus passes through the opening and into the 
cytoplasm of the egg, where they become more or less modified so that while 
they bear a striking resemblance to nuclei they could not be positively ident 
fied as such except by trating them back to their origin. Nucle! were als? 
observed to pass from the next layer into the cells of the tapetal layer. ™ 
paper is only a preliminary one, but the stages figured are strong “— 
favor of the author's view. These bodies serve only for the nutrition of \ 
embryo and take no part morphologically in its development.— CHAS: 
CHAMBERLAIN, es 
usin tele 
ive dicotyle 
hesporium; 
e me; 
; , e func 
mother cell organizes a row of three, the lowest of which becomes th 
Honing megaspore ; the ante-fertilization development of the sac fertil 
'$ as usual; the antipodal cells are evanescent. After the ante 
Zation stage is reached the sac grows rapidly, especially in length, 
oadens below, remaining narrow at the top, thus appearing of the 
necked flask, with the primary endosperm nucleus lying at the = 
mains ip 
neck. At the first division of this nucleus one daughter nucleus . a 
3 ARNOLD : Beitra . i We 
Weeca 1, W.: Beitrige zur Morphologie der Gymnosperme - Abiet nee? 
FI mblaschen”’ oder ‘“ Hofmeister’s Kérperchen” in der eT 
Ora 87; 194-204. pi. 6, 7. 1900. 
*On the development of Sawrurus cernuus L. Bull. Tort. Bot o 
365-37 
\ Bl. 23. 1900, o 
