329 
Centrospheres in Fungi. 
gives a somewhat similar account of the process in the pollen- 
mother-cells of Lilium Martagon , the same species which was 
investigated by Guignard, with a totally different result. 
Zimmermann 1 has also shown that, during karyokinesis, 
bodies appear in the protoplasm which correspond with 
nucleoli in their behaviour towards certain stains. He regards 
these bodies as arising directly through the breaking up of the 
nucleolus. Whether these are to be regarded as similar to 
those described by Moore and Farmer is doubtful. However, 
all these observations seem to show that in some cases, the 
centrospheres have a nucleolar origin 2 . But so far as the 
observation, already referred to, of Guignard and others on 
plant-cells are concerned, the centrospheres appear to have 
a perfectly independent origin apart from the nucleus. 
According to Guignard all centrospheres arise by the division 
of pre-existing centrospheres, and these always lie outside the 
nucleus. My own observations on A. galericulatus seem to 
me to support the nuclear and even nucleolar origin of the 
centrosphere. I have carefully examined nuclei in all parts 
of the Fungus, both hyphae and basidia, and I have been able 
to follow more or less completely the gradual building up of 
the large nucleus of the basidium, and have been also able 
to determine the stage at which the archoplasmic body appears. 
The nuclei of the hyphae are quite small and stain deep red 
(Fig. i). Each nucleus consists of a nuclear membrane 
enclosing a few granules or threads ; but no nucleolus is to be 
seen. And I have not been able, even with the most careful 
staining, to discover anything of the nature of an archoplasmic 
body in contact with the nucleus at this stage. They would 
not be easily overlooked unless they were very minute, as the 
protoplasm occurs in very small quantities in the hyphae and 
does not stain at all deeply. In fact it is quite easy to get 
1 Morph, und Physiologie d. Pflanzenzelle, Band II, Heft i. 
2 The subject has quite recently been re-investigated by J. E. Humphrey, who 
criticizes the statements of Zimmermann, Farmer, &c., and comes to the conclusion 
that nucleoli and centrosomes have no connexion with each other ; Ber. d. deutsch. 
bot. Gesellschaft, 1894, Heft 5: see also his note in the present number of the 
Annals. 
