ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 365 



st/ncarpa and Chara aspera. The spermatozoid he regards as com- 

 posed of three parts — the spiral band, the paler terminal portion or 

 vesicle, and the cilia. 



A solution of pepsin does not dissolve the spiral band ; it becomes, 

 on the contrary, more distinct and strongly refractive, either retainin« 

 altogether its original form, or becoming more or less short and 

 thick ; the separate coils sometimes coalesce into a single homoge- 

 neous refractive lump. The cilia are almost completely dissolved, 

 while the posterior vesicle swells up, and finally again contracts, A 

 dilute solution of sodium chloride causes the spiral band to swell up 

 slowly, a peripheral denser part becoming differentiated from a central 

 less dense part; the latter finally dissolves entirely, the former only 

 being left in the form of a fine pellicle, which contracts and is coloured 

 brown by a solution of iodine in potassium iodide. The posterior 

 vesicle swells up, and then again contracts. The cilia do not 

 contract, and are affected only by concentrated hydrochloric acid. 

 The reactions with pepsin are also described in detail. 



The spermatozoids of Muscineae (Fegatella and Lunularia) agree in 

 their behaviour, in all important points, with those of the Characege. 

 Those of ferns and of Marsilea differ in some particulars. The spiral 

 bands of the spermatozoids of an Australian Marsilea were distin- 

 guished by their extraordinary resistance to solvents, as was also the 

 case with those of some ferns {Hemitelia capensis) ; while the cilia 

 agreed in their properties with those of the Characese. 



The author then compares the properties and reactions of the 

 spermatozoids of cryptogams with those of the spermatozoids of 

 animals, as investigated by Miescher, Schweiger-Seidel, Flemming, 

 and others, and finds that in many respects the properties of the cilia 

 and spiral bands of cryptogams agree respectively with those of the 

 tail and head of animal spermatozoids. A similar relationship is 

 found in the development of the different parts in spermatozoids 

 belonging to the two kingdoms. 



As regards the history of development of the spermatozoids of 

 Chara and Nitella, the nuclei of the young mother-cells are composed 

 of parts of various refrangibility, and each nucleus contains a 

 nucleolus. The peripheral layer of the nucleus subsequently becomes 

 denser, and the central part less dense. The nuclei at this time 

 approach the outer wall of the cell, the rest of the protoplasm col- 

 lecting at the opposite side. From the peripheral layer is formed the 

 spiral band of the spermatozoid. The author was unable to decide 

 whether the nucleolus takes any part in the formation of the sperma- 

 tozoid, or whether the cilia are formed out of the nucleus, or, as 

 Schmitz states, out of the cell-protoplasm. 



The author considers that both the course of development and 

 the chemical reactions indicate that in all probability the head 

 of animal and the spiral band of vegetable spermatozoids owe the 

 nuclei which they contain to the fact that they are formed from the 

 nucleus of the mother-cell; while, on the other hand, the tail of 

 animal and the cilia of vegetable spermatozoids are formed out of the 

 cell-protoplasm. 



