On Pallavicinia decipiens , Mitten. 45 
violet fibrils standing out sharply on a brownish-coloured 
ground. 
No importance can be attached however to results in 
counting chromosomes, whenever they are as small as is the 
case in the present instance, unless they can be seen grouped 
at the equatorial plane, and can be regarded from the poles of 
the spindle. A study of a profile-view may be very mislead- 
ing, since owing to the minuteness of the bodies, and their 
closely-aggregated condition, it is extremely difficult to avoid 
overlooking some of them, or to be in any way certain of the 
correctness of the results obtained. Seen from the poles, in 
favourable preparations, the chromosomes are seen to be in 
the form of loops, and to be four in number (PI. VII, Fig. 37#). 
The loops split longitudinally in the usual manner, and often 
in the diaster-stage it becomes a matter of difficulty to feel 
sure of the actual numbers, even when seen from the pole of 
the spindle. As the two sets of loops are now moving along 
the direction of the line of vision, it is obvious that they will 
present their ends to the observer, and thus each individual 
loop will appear as two dots (PI. VII, Fig. 37). As the number 
of the chromosomes has become doubled, previously to 
moving apart from the equatorial plane, it is clear that at this 
stage there will be sixteen dots visible at the equator, but that 
they will not be in the same focus. It only requires a little 
care however to understand the facts as they thus appear. 
Beyond the number of the chromosomes, the nuclei do not 
present any especially interesting features, but in the particu- 
lar just mentioned they acquire considerable interest when 
compared with the nuclei of the sporophyte. 
The Sporophyte . — After fertilization, the oospore grows into 
a somewhat pear-shaped body within the rapidly enlarging 
venter of its archegonium, and it soon divides transversely 
into three cells (PL VI, Fig. 15). The lowest cell under- 
goes very little further division, and contributes in but a slight 
manner to the structure of the embryo. The middle cell 
rapidly divides, both transversely and longitudinally, and 
forms both the stalk and the chief part of the anchor-like 
