82 BOTANICAL GAZETTE | FEBRUARY 
Except in the size of the cells, no change was noticeable from 
early November to about January 1. 
In the resting stage the cytoplasm is closely netted in the vicin- 
ity of the nuclear membrane, but there is no indication of a felt-like 
mass of kinoplasm. The nuclear membrane is more clearly defined _ 
than during the prophase of division. The nucleolus is more 
or less spherical, usually with at least one slight projection in view, 
the latter seeming to unite the nucleolus with the general retic- 
ulum. With gentian violet in the Flemming combination, the 
nucleolus stains a homogeneous purple; but with hematoxylin 
minute vacuolate appearances are often noted. Two or three 
smaller bodies resembling nucleoli may be present, and they are 
usually attached to distant parts of the reticulum. 
At this time the reticulum is very slightly chromatic. It is 
loosely netted, with an indication of smaller knots at the anas- 
tomoses, and numerous small chromatin granules are scattered 
on the thread. In the reticulum stage, in fact, the nucleolus is 
the only nuclear structure which takes the chromatin stain freely, 
and very little indication of the safranin is retained after the use 
of the gentian violet. 
SYNAPSIS. 
Changes in the resting nucleus leading to the first evidence 
of a spirem and to the condition of synapsis have not been found 
abundantly. The threads of the reticulum become somewhat 
thicker, and the scattered granules upon it stain more deeply. 
Invariably these changes seem to precede that contracted condi- 
tion of the linin network, or early spirem, well known as syap- 
sis. Synapsis has been found abundantly at a definite period 
in the development of the pollen grains in these plants. In 
Symplocarpus there was no indication of this condition in mate 
rial collected before the latter part of December; but for more 
than a month afterward it was often found, along with other 
stages, either later or earlier. 
In both of these plants during the condition of synapsis the 
nucleolus becomes slightly wasted in appearance. The linin 
