McAllister—Cytology and Embryology. 641 
this condition of aggregation which is the visible evidence of 
synapsis and we can not at present give it any more definite 
characterization. Between these two stages the spirem becomes 
expanded uniformly throughout the nuclear cavity and is per¬ 
haps here more uniformly distributed than in any other stage of 
its existence. As contrasted with the compact massing of the 
whole spirem in synapsis, the second contraction which follows 
the expanded stage of the spirem is only a partial aggregation 
of the spirem in the center of the nucleus with loops extending 
into the open regions of the nuclear cavity. 
There is no evidence in Smilacina that the second contraction 
stage has any such significance as has been ascribed to it by 
Farmer and Moore. It is not a “true synapsis” according to the 
usage of Farmer and Moore since there is no lateral approxima¬ 
tion of chromosomes which have been arranged in pairs end to 
end in the spirem. 
Evidences of a connection of the nuclear contents with an 
external cytoplasmic center are common in animal cells and in 
the lower plants. The work of A. and K. E. Schreiner (89, 
90) on Mvxine and Tomopteris and that of Harper (39) on the 
mildews may be cited as typical cases. The work of Marquette 
(53,54) on Marsilia and Isoetes further suggests that in forms 
lacking a eentrosome there may still be a polar organization and 
the possibility exists that in those forms lacking centers and 
without any visible polar organization there may still be a con¬ 
nection of the nuclear contents with the cytoplasm. 
In Smilacina there are evidences of such a connection in the 
form of fine fibers extending from the spirem to the periphery 
of the nucleus. It must be said however that these connections 
are not as conspicuous as those which have been figured for var¬ 
ious other species by Allen (1), Farmer and Moore (23), Mot- 
tier (66), Overton (74) and others. 
The orientation of the spirem during the second contraction 
stage suggests strongly that certain regions of the spirem are 
attached to the periphery of the nucleus while parts unattached 
tend to be drawn into the center giving the familiar central ag¬ 
gregation characteristic of the phase. On this assumption the 
