230 B. MELLAND. 



points : (1) Schafer describes in a transverse section of the fibre a 

 bright ground substance with a number of minute specks or dots ; no 

 appearance of a network. (2) He considers that there is typically a 

 double transverse row of dots in the middle of each bright stripe. 



Concerning the appearance on transverse section we must not forget 

 that Sch'afer's conclusions were drawn from the living fibre in optical 

 transverse section. Probably he saw all that it is possible to see of 

 the transverse network in the living fibre, namely, the thickenings or 

 dots at the nodal points, the fine network, seen so plainly in a 

 transverse view when stained with gold, not being visible in the fresh 

 fibre examined in this way. 



Is there a single or a double row of dots in the middle of the bright 

 stripe ? In the fresh fibre sometimes a single, sometimes a double, 

 row of dots is seen, the two appearances often alternating with a 

 higher or a lower focus. The same variation is seen in alcohol and 

 some other preparations. 



In the gold preparations, when the fine granular disc or transverse 

 network is seen perfectly edgeways and in focus, it appears invariably 

 made up of a single transverse line of dots. 



When the transverse network is not seen perfectly edgeways, 

 through not lying in a plane quite at right angles to the longitudinal 

 axis, but slightly obliquely or in perspective, it may appear as a 

 double row of dots or as a granular or dotted band crossing the disc 

 transversely. 



In a perspective view of the fibre (figs. 3, 6, and 17), not only the 

 dots (nodal points of the network) at the near side of the fibre are 

 seen, but at the same time those deeper down or at the far side. 

 Hence the appearance of two or more rows of dots crossing the fibre. 

 When, by raising the focus, the nearer edge of one of these obliquely- 

 arranged discs is alone focussed it is seen to consist of a single row of 

 dots. 



It was noticed a few moments ago, when speaking of transposition 

 of the bands, that at the upper focus (diag. 6, u) the coalesced bright 

 dots form a bright band bordered at each side by a dark crenated 

 line. Each dark line is not unlike a row of dots. Schafer 1 seems to 

 have figured muscle at this upper focus, and hence describes two lines 

 of dots traversing the light disc where it borders on the dim disc. 



1 'Quain's Anatomy,' vol. ii, 9th edition, fig. 119. 



