732 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXXIX. 



experiment. (3) Binucleate cells may continue their growth 

 with subsequent mitoses which when treated as before may give 

 daughter cells with three nuclei and one nucleus respectively or 

 with two each or indeed a cell containing four nuclei. Further- 

 more these nuclei may fuse with one another to give structures 

 with a greatly increased chromatin content. (4) In place of the 

 non-nucleated cells there may be formed chambers containing 

 cytoplasm and chromatophores, but without nuclei, which remain 

 in open communication with the nucleated companion protoplast 

 because the cell wall is not formed entirely across the mother- 

 cell. 



Gerassimow has made some extended observations on these 

 various types of cells, and presents his results in many elaborate 

 tables and diagrams. We can only give an outline of his con- 

 clusions, (i) Cells which come to contain unusually large 

 ■ nuclei through the suppression of mitosis or by the reuniting of 

 partially divided daughter nuclei increase proportionally in size 

 and their further cell division is postponed. The nuclei of such 

 cells have of course the peculiarity of an increased amount of 

 chromatin content. The large nuclei may later fragment into 

 two or more structures which separate and generally come to 

 lie at a distance from one another in the cytoplasm. The frag- 

 ments finally lose their powers of reproduction and exhibit 

 marked evidence of degeneration. (2) Cells which lack nuclei 

 may form starch in the usual manner in the presence of light 

 and exhibit for a short time a weaker general growth than nor- 

 mal nucleated cells. The power to develop a gelatinous sheath 

 also becomes markedly weakened. Finally there result a de- 

 crease in the volume of the cell, a fading of the chromatophore, 

 and conditions which lead to eventual death. (3) Chambers 

 which lack nuclei but are in protoplasmic union with nucleated 

 cells may be contrasted sharply with the non-nucleated cells. 

 They exhibit a much stronger growth for a longer time and with 

 a greater power to form starch, although not so marked as in 

 the nucleated cells, and the chromatophores retain their color. 

 There is also a conspicuous development of the gelatinous 

 sheath. 



Haberlandt, Klebs, Pfeffer, Strasburger, and others have dis- 



