154 GERM-CELL CYCLE IN ANIMALS 
found in my preparations, but in these the chromo- 
somes are widely separated and consequently easily 
counted. Apparently there are twelve double rods 
in each spindle (Fig. 46, H, I). 
Instead of continuing its activity and forming two 
daughter nuclei this spindle persists for a long time, 
undergoing a gradual contraction and condensation. 
Thus in the stage succeeding that just described the 
chromatin rods are close together and the entire 
spindle has decreased in diameter although not in 
length (Fig. 46, D). Spindles in this condition are not 
always parallel to the long axis of the egg but may be 
oblique or, more rarely, almost perpendicular to this 
axis. Hence several transverse sections were ob- 
tained, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 46, I. 
Here also is shown a closer proximity of the chromo- 
somes as compared with the cross section of the 
younger spindle represented in Fig. 46, H. The 
number of chromosomes also appears to be constant, 
namely, twelve. During succeeding stages the 
spindle continues to shorten and condense. That 
shown in Fig. 46, E still exhibits spaces between 
the rods and the presence of only a few spindle fibers. 
A further contraction is indicated in Fig. 46, F, 
where the chromosomes have become so closely 
crowded as to form an apparently solid body in 
the shape of a cross. This chromatin body still 
continues to contract as shown in Fig. 46, G, J, and K. 
At about this time vacuoles begin to appear within it 
(Fig. 46, K) and its shape becomes more or less irreg- 
ular, most often assuming a nearly spherical condi- 
