E antes . — The Morphology of A gathis australis. u 
unchanged until three or four divisions had taken place in the proembryo. 
More frequently the smaller nuclei are left outside, and the second male cell 
is entrapped at the entrance, disorganization occurring in these positions. 
No cases were found of division, mitotic or amitotic, among these nuclei. 
That the second male nucleus has potential fertilizing capacity is 
possible. A remarkable instance of its activity was observed. Both male 
cells entered an archegonium, the larger effecting fusion with the egg 
nucleus. The second broke its way laterally through a single layer of 
jacket cells into an unfertilized archegonium situated just below and beside 
the first entered egg-cell. Whether fertilization would have occurred is 
doubtful in view of the somewhat disorganized appearance of the nucleus 
on its arrival. A possible case of fertilization by both male cells is the 
above-mentioned instance of the development of proembryos by two eggs 
enclosed in a single archegonium. 
The male nucleus that is to accomplish fusion passes to the egg nucleus, 
which maintains its station. It takes position beside it, and the two while 
fusing are slowly and unevenly surrounded by the male cytoplasm. Thus 
a sort of loose kinoplasmic sheath is formed (PL III, Fig. 27). In the Conifers 
generally this investment of the fusion nucleus by male cytoplasm does not 
occur, although it is reported in the genera Torreya , Taxodium , and 
Juniperus. No preparations were secured showing clearly the male and 
female nuclei in process of fusion, but Figs. 25 and 26 show the condition 
just previous to this. The nuclei lie side by side ; the plane of section, 
however, is such that both cannot well be seen at once. Fig. 26 displays 
a median section of the male nucleus ; the dense nature of its contents is 
noticeable. The egg nucleus lies just below and to the left, as Fig. 26, 
a photograph of a section just below, discloses. Here a portion of the egg 
nucleus appears, somewhat flattened by the approach of the male, a small 
tangential section of which is discernible to the right. Sections still farther 
on show the remainder of the egg nucleus. 
The remarkably large size of the male nucleus is probably the most 
noteworthy feature of fertilization. Because of a frequently elliptical 
outline its actual size is difficult to judge, but it is approximately that of 
the egg nucleus, and possibly even surpasses it. Such a state is surely 
unusual. In the Conifers the male nucleus is in nearly all cases very much 
smaller than the female. But according to Lawson (5 and 6) in Cryptomeria 
the latter is nearly as large, and in Seqitoia sempervirens , Endl., ‘ at the 
time of their fusion the male and female nuclei are of equal size.’ Hence 
the unusual lack of contrast in size is not without parallel in the group. 
Further, Seward and Ford ( 10 ) show in Araucaria imbricata (Fig. 28, E 
and F) two large nuclei of approximately equal size in the archegonium, 
and these they consider to be the male and female nuclei. 
A sort of pseudo-fertilization occurs to some extent in ovules which 
