The Origin and Development of the Apothecium etc. 
391 
side or end of the latter (Fig. 23, PI. XXXI). In one case a trichogyne 
was found with two free spermatia attached to it. Xot infrequently 
an ascogone bears a branched trichogyne — the branching occurring 
in the penultimate or antepenultimate cell (Figs. 32, 34, PI. XXXII). In 
Figure 26, a trichogyne is seen to bear a branch very near its tip. This 
is the only case I have found in which the branch is so near the end. 
After the fusion of trichogyne and spermatium the walls separating them 
bec-ome dissolved and the greater part of the contents of the spermatium 
passes into the trichogyne. There is never anything resembling a nucleus 
left in the spermatium. I have noted that the terminal cell of the tri- 
chogyne contains very little cytoplasm. After fusing with a spermatium 
the cytoplasm of the latter sometimes appears slightly coarser or more 
granulär and more like that of the trichogyne and suggests that some 
of the cytoplasm of the trichogyne has passed into the spermatium (Fig. 54, 
PI. XXXV). Most frequently the spermatium which has fused with a 
trichogyne is entirely without any content (Fig. 15, PI. XXXII). The wall 
of the spermatium may retain its shape for some time judging by the 
number of empty spermatium walls I have found. Likewise the terminal 
cell of the trichogyne is slow to show signs of degeneration. Late stages 
show the cell wall of the terminal cell collapsed at intervals. I have not 
found the spermatium nucleus just passing through the opening and 
into the trichogyne, but sinee there is no other opening and the sperma- 
tium wall is empty after fusion it must follow that the nucleus of the 
spermatium migrates into the trichogyne. The disappearance of this 
nucleus could be accounted for in no other way unless it be supposed 
that immediate disintegration follows the cell fusion. However, I know 
of no case elsewhcre comparable to such a condition, nor are there any 
traces of disintegrating substances to be found later inside the wall of 
the spermatium. The latter is empty and remains so. 
After the trichogyne has fused with a spermatium, the nucleus 
of the terminal cell of the former may be found near the middle of the 
cell or somewhat nearer the distal end (Fig. 54, PI. XXXV). In a few 
cases, after fusion of the cells a small globular bodv about the size of one 
of the globular bodies I have described in a spermatium, bu't containing 
more stainable material, was found in the terminal cell of the trichogyne. 
Such a body (Fig. 54, PI. XXXV) might be taken for a spermatium 
nucleus the chromatin content of which is increasing. I have not suc- 
ceeded in tracing the trichogynes shown in Figure 54 to the ascogones. 
In the sexual apparatus shown in Figure 36, PI. XXXIII, the sperma- 
tium wall is empty and nothing appears in the terminal cell of the tricho- 
