158 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [march 



neck admits free access of water. The dome 



seems 



disappear at the time of the disorganization of the ventral canal 

 cell, so that the protoplast of the egg cell is exposed at the neck side to 



retains its irrcsnj 



shape 



fine fibrillar structure 



dense around the nucleus and vacuolate toward the periphery of the 

 cell. The upper part of the nucleus becomes depressed, so that its 

 concave side is directed toward the neck, and it presents a crescent 

 form in the side view {figs. 48, 4g). The chromatin material within 

 the nucleus becomes transformed comnletelv into a svstem of anasto- 



6 c.xx^ manLimig 



small 



teristic of the resting condition, 

 are present. 



more 



sperms 



face of the exposed protoplast of the egg cell at the so-called receptive 

 spot {fig. 50). Normally one of these sperms penetrates the cytoplasm 

 of the egg. The cnoplasmic laver which surrounds the esrfir nucleus 



time 



sperm 



sperm 



coil becomes shortened and the penetration of the sperm 

 nucleus begins from the anterior region, followed gradual] 

 posterior region {fig. 51) . 



During the penetration of the sperm the chromatin reticulum 



the egg nucleus persists as it was before, but a peculiar irregularity 



ibse 



intrud 



sperm, which in penetrating has presumably caused a mo^ment 

 the contents of the egg nucleus. After the sperm has complet* 

 penetrated into the egg nucleus, this disturbance of the homoffenc 



ifigs 



gement of the chromatin reticulum is still obse 

 sperm within the egg nucleus maintains its \xu 



ol:Ken-ed 



surrounding the body of the sperm within the egg nucleus, and this 

 seems to be a transient stage preceding the'disintegration of the body 



