1897 ] THE LIFE HISTORY OF SALIX 157 
pointed ends of the synergids and sometimes the entire egg 
apparatus are thrust through the wall of the macrospore (figs. 
28, 30, 39, and others). 
The oosphere is sometimes spherical, but more frequently 
elongated and tapering slightly toward the micropylar end, 
which almost invariably contains a large vacuole. The nucleus 
is at the opposite end in a dense mass of protoplasm. In rare 
cases the oosphere is scarcely organized into a definite shape 
(fig. 25). 
The synergids have their nuclei, which sometimes divide 
(fg. 27), and most of their protoplasm in the micropylar half, 
while the other half of the cell is almost entirely occupied by a 
large vacuole. The tips of the synergids frequently become 
covered by a strong wall which persists long after all other 
traces of the synergids have disappeared. These caps display 
considerable variation. There may be only a faint trace of strie 
(fig. 30), or the stria may be more prominent (fig. 27). Fre- 
quently the caps are so strongly developed that they give the 
Synergids a decidedly beaked appearance (jigs. 28, 29, 76 and 
39), the beaks being cyanophilous, thus contrasting sharply with 
the prevailing erythrophilous structures of the macrospore. 
Schacht (2) described such caps or “filiform apparatus” in 
Santalum album, but misinterpreted their relation to the syner- 
gids. Strasburger (18) some time afterward examined Santalum 
and mistook the cap for the entire synergid and the lower part 
of the synergid for an oosphere, thus getting a macrospore with 
two oospheres. He afterwards discovered his mistake and gave 
an excellent description of Santalum. Strasburger says that the 
_ aps contain minute pores through which there oozes an album i- 
noid substance which may attract the pollen tube. My prepara- 
tions (figs. 36 and 39) support this view. In every instance in 
which beaks and pollen tubes were found, the poilen tube entered 
between the beaks. The beaks undoubtedly serve to enlarge 
the micropyle, thus facilitating the entrance of the tube. Asa 
tule, the farther the egg apparatus is thrust beyond the nucellus 
- : the more. ey are aes beaks: developed. ote fanetion of 
