44 2 Ferguson . — The Development of the Egg and 
that has been observed in the ventral canal-cell of this species 
is that shown in Fig. 2 8. Occasionally this cell is somewhat 
enlarged and is furnished with a rather scanty amount of 
cytoplasm in which distinct chromosomes, or chromatic figures 
of various forms, are embedded (Figs. 83 and 84, PI. XXV). 
There seems to be a definite relation between the structure 
of the ventral canal-cell and the character of the upper part 
of the mitotic figure formed in the division of the central 
cell. This is clearly demonstrated on a comparison of 
Figs. 23-29. 
The separation of the canal-cell from the cytoplasm of 
the oosphere, as Strasburger (’ 72 ) and Blackman (’ 98 ) have 
described in Pinus , is, I believe, due to a shrinkage of the 
egg- protoplasm caused by imperfect fixation ; and it is pos- 
sible that a similar appearance in Cycas, Ikeno (’ 98 ), has a like 
origin. 
Maturation of the Egg. 
The egg-nucleus is no sooner formed than it begins to 
increase in size, becoming greatly enlarged even before the 
disappearance of the spindle-fibres (Figs. 27-31). As the 
nucleus moves toward the centre of the oosphere, threads of 
more or less delicacy extend, in a radial manner, from its 
wall into the surrounding cytoplasm. These fibres are not 
equally well defined in all preparations, but, whatever the 
degree of their prominence, they are invariably more strongly 
differentiated about the upper side of the nucleus, and may 
extend from the nucleus to the top of the egg (Figs. 32, 34, 
and 35). 
As already stated few, if any, vacuoles persist within the 
venter of the archegonium at the time of the division of the 
central cell. Following their disappearance there arise 
numerous spherical bodies, the so-called proteid vacuoles. 
Co-ordinate with the downward movement of the egg-nucleus 
these bodies assume a position about the periphery of the 
oosphere, more especially at its base (the organic apex of 
Strasburger), and sides (Figs. 11, 13, and 41). Under a low 
