306 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [OCTOBER 
continues down the same side of the sac near to the region of the 
egg nucleus or crosses over the synergid and extends down the other 
side (figs. 37, 38). After this has occurred it is difficult to find 
both of the synergid nuclei. Doubtless one of them soon becomes 
disorganized, due to the effect of the presence of the pollen tube. 
SMITH (40) describes the pollen tube of Eriocaulon as either passing 
through a synergid or between the two without destroying them. 
In J. Sultani the tube nucleus was usually visible in the embryo 
sac, but it was often difficult to discover the sperms, due to their 
small size and also to the presence of many small densely staining 
bodies which often suggested parts of nuclei but were possibly food 
particles. The sperms are coiled or spiral in outline as they 
approach the egg and polar nuclei. In fig. 38 the two sperms are 
both near the egg nucleus, one is directly over the latter and the 
other is at its side, still in the dense strand of cytoplasm which 
marks the path of the pollen tube contents, and doubtless is on its 
way to the two polar nuclei. No sperm cytoplasm is visible and 
the nucleus is a spiral body made up of dark and light areas, the 
former of which are doubtless masses of chromatin. The char- 
acter of the sperm shown in fig. 39 differs somewhat from those 
in the preceding figure. Here a sperm nucleus is situated one at 
either side of the egg nucleus; the one at the right is coiled tightly 
and shows no distinction between chromatic and clear areas, but 
stains a clear light blue. It was doubtless on its way through the 
cytoplasm at the side of the egg to the endosperm nucleus lying 
directly below the egg. 
No stages in the actual fusion of the egg and sperm were seen. 
The fertilized egg differs so slightly from the unfertilized one that 
it is difficult to decide in a given case whether or not fertilization 
has occurred. In general, however, the fertilized egg increases 
slightly in size and its limiting membrane is more conspicuous than 
it is in earlier stages (fig. 40). Figs. 38 and 40 have the same mag- 
nification and the increase in size is evident. 
It seems probable that the polar nuclei unite at an early stage 
in the fusion of the sexual nuclei. The nuclear membranes of the 
two polars break down where they come in contact and one of the 
nucleoli passes over into the other nucleus (figs. 41, 42)- Both 
