74 
H. E. Jordan 
Regaud, on the other hand, believes that only a portion of the spermato- 
cyte mitochondria contribute to the formation of the spiral filament. 
Primarily, he derives the mitochondria from an intermitochondrial cyto- 
plasm, “protoplasme commun”, and denies for them a nuclear origin. 
In the cat, Leplat (1910) describes the formation of the spiral fila- 
ment, or its analogue, by a Superposition of discs whicli ultimately fuse 
to form a homogeneous mitochondrial sheath. Here also the Aebenkern, 
“hyaline sphere”, becomes an acrosome and the idiozome apparently 
disappears. 
In macaque, Moreaux (1909) also derives the spiral filament from 
the mitochondria. 
In the mouse, von Lenhossek (1898) describes a “Sphäre” (Neben- 
kern?, with centrosome) forming the acrosome; and a disappearing 
Nebenher n. A second degenerating structure is illustrated in the cyto- 
plasm. It seems probable that the second body has separated from the 
“Sphäre” and represents the idiozome; while the so-called “Aebenkern” 
represents a “chromatoid body”. 
For the guinea-pig, Duesberg describes very similar appearances. 
The mitochondria form a sheath for the middle-piece. There is here no 
spiral filament as in cat, rat and mouse. The mitochondria are supposed 
to blend with a homogeneous substratum (which stains like mitochondria 
in Benda’s stain), a condition similar to wliat he described earher (1907) 
in Rana fusca. 
Benda (1903) demonstrated chondi'iosomes in many classes of verte- 
brates. In the guinea-pig he traced these bodies into a spiral filament, 
but described the latter as separated from the axial filament by a “Schwanz- 
manschette”. He has rccently (according to Duesberg) admitted the 
degeneration of the “manchette”, as described by Duesberg. The latter 
Claims that the spiral filament (mitochondrial sheath) directly surrounds 
the axial filament. 
The Aebenkern (here first interpreted by Duesberg on the basis 
of its staining reaction as a mitochondrial mass) becomes an acrosome 
and the idiozome disappears with the “cytoplasmic vesicle” togetlier 
with a large mass of “tingierbare Körner” (mitochondria?) and fat 
particles. 
Retzius denies the existence of a spiral filament in primates, in- 
cluding man, where it was earlier described by Benda (1897) and Meves 
(1899). ■ 
The spiral filament of marsupials is composed of independent granules 
according to Retzius (1904). This is not the case in opossum, where 
