818 
MR, W. GARDINER ON THE CONTINUITY OF THE 
whose genera] results in connexion with the mode of formation of the cell-wall had 
impressed him so strongly that the relations existing between the protoplasm and the 
cell-wall were of the most intimate kind, that he had devoted a special chapter in his 
work to the consideration of the probability of the perforation of the cell-wall by 
protoplasmic threads.In this chapter he distinctly states that although he had 
not himself been able to establish the existence of any general continuity between 
vegetable cells, yet that he had but little doubt that such a relation did actually occur. 
In a preliminary note published in the £ Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science’ 
for October, 1882 ,t I stated that I had succeeded in demonstrating that the continuity 
of the protoplasm of adjacent cells in the pelvinus of Mimosa pudica was maintained 
by protoplasmic filaments which passed through pits in the cell wall, and later on| 
I showed that the same occurs in Robinia and Amicia. 
Subsequent to the publication of my first results, and previous to the present 
communication, appeared a most important paper by Hussow.§ In this paper the 
author states that in the bast-parenchyma cells, and in the phloem medullary-ray 
cells of many of the Amentacese, e.g., Populus, Salix, Quercus, Betula, Corylus; in 
Fraxinus, Syringa, Olea, ^Fsculus , Acer; in the Abietinece, and further in Cucurbita 
pepo and Lappa tomentosa, a treatment of thin sections with Chlor. Zinc Iod. demon¬ 
strates that a communication between adjacent cells is established by means of pits, 
the pit membrane being perforated by fine protoplasmic threads. || 
In the following paper I propose to deal more fully than I have hitherto done with 
my researches upon pulvini; to treat of the methods I employed, and also to give an 
account of my investigations as to the structure of endosperm cells, which were 
undertaken with the view of controlling my results with pulvini. I think that these 
investigations will succeed in proving not only that perforation of the cell-wall by 
protoplasmic threads does actually take place, but also that such perforation is of very 
frequent occurrence. 
Methods. 
Preservation of material .—As it was a point of primary importance that the material 
for an investigation of this kind should be preserved with the least possible change, 
I instituted a number of experiments with the view of ascertaining which of the 
various reagents commonly in use was the most reliable and what precautions were 
necessary to insure the most successful result. 
* Loc. cit., ‘ Die Wegsamkeit der Zellhaiite,’ p. 246, et seq. 
f Gardiner, “ Open Communication between the Cells in the Pulvinus of Mimosa pudica.” 
X Proc. Roy. Soc., November 11, 1882. 
§ ‘Sitzber. d. Dorpater Nat Gesellsh.,’ 1882, p. 350. See Strasbukger’s remarks, ‘ Sitzb. d. Niedenrrh 
Ges.,’ December 4, 1882. I now find (Jan. 16th, 1884), that Russow’s paper was read at the January 
meeting of the Dorpat Society. 
|| With Fromman’s and Elsberg’s results I have already dealt. See ‘ Quart. Jour. Micr. Sci.,’ April, 
1883. Gardiner “ On some Recent Researches on the Continuity of the Protoplasm through the Walls 
of Vegetable C 11s.” 
