158 J- Moore, 



the tail (Figs. 24, 25 h, 26, 27, 28), and on the external face of this 

 support a rind of degenerating protoplasm can be traced (Fig. 25j). 

 The other change consists in a rapid diminution of the chromatic 

 bodies, and a progressive re-chromatization of the elongating nucleus. 

 All traces of the chromatic bodies eventually disappear; and the 

 Intensely stained appearance of the pointed nucleus of the spermatozoa, 

 there is little doubt, results to a great extent from the re-incorporation 

 of the extra-nuclear chromatin. 



When the chromatic bodies begin to lessen, the surrounding parts 

 come much more readily to view. Between these vanishing structures, 

 the axial thread of the tail is seen to pass, as I have said, to its 

 insertion in the Cercosome (Fig. 24 c c). A little way along the thread, 

 and basally disposed with respect to the chromatic bodies, two other 

 structures are clearly visible, one on each side of the axial thread 

 (Fig. 25); and, in one or two fortunate preparations, I found a third 

 median body, which appeared as a simple monilation of the axial 

 thread between these (Fig. 25 e Z;). 



Ballowitz, in his elaborate analysis of the adult spermatozoon 

 (Archiv für Mikr. Anat. Bd. XXXYI. p. 225) represents structures in 

 the macerated spermatozoa of Lacerta agilis and Psammodi'omus, which 

 seem to correspond to one or other of these occurring in the rat, and 

 of them he says. ^) „In der Nähe dieses vorderen Endes des Haupt- 

 stückes ist nun an dem isolieilen Axenfaden des Verbindungsstückes 

 fast eines jeden Spermatosoms in den Deckglas-Trockenpräparaten von 

 Lacerta ein Knötchen sichtbar, welches scharf begrenzt und intensiv 

 fingiert erscheint und sich an ziemlich constanter Stelle befindet 

 (Figs. 89, 90/). Dasselbe ist nicht der Endknopf des Axenfadens; denn 

 der letztere tritt an dem vorderen Ende des Axenfadens stets sehr 

 deutlich als intensiv gefärbtes Knöpfchen hervor . . . Ueber die Be- 

 deutung dieses intermediären Knötchens, welches ich nur bei den ge- 

 nannten beiden Gattungen beobachtete, konnte ich keine Klarlieit 

 erlangen." 



That the lateral and median bodies in the young spermatozoa of 



') Loc. cit. p. 275. 



