166 The Chromosomes of Funaria Hygrometrica. 
H E facts of mitosis have been studied, to a greater or less 
1 extent, in almost all the great groups of the vegetable 
kingdom. The mosses, however, form a notable exception to.this 
statement. This neglect is probably due, partly to the small size of 
the nuclei in these plants, and partly to the technical difficulties 
which have to be surmounted. 
When we recollect the interesting results which the study of 
the cytology of the neighbouring group of liverworts has yielded in 
the hands of Prof. J. B. Farmer it appears all the more desirable 
that an effort should be made to trace the processes of mitosis in 
the Musci even in the face of the difficulties which are presented. 
In the present note I wish to call attention to a rough but 
simple method by which the distribution and number of the 
chromosomes in the dividing cells can be studied with the greatest 
ease. Whilst examining the behaviour of the spore-mother-cell 
wall of Funaria hygrometrica toward different reagents I teased 
out a preparation of spore mother-cells into a physiological salt 
solution in which the living and unaltered cell could be studied. It 
could be obscurely seen that the nuclei of the mother-cells were 
undergoing mitotic division and with care it was even possible, dimly 
to make out the chromosomes. I now ran a little 1% solution of 
KOH containing a trace of Congo-red under the cover glass. 
Immediately the chromosomes, which before could only be indis¬ 
tinctly seen, stood out with remarkable clearness. By this means 
it was possible not only to follow their distribution but also to 
ascertain their number with absolute certainty. 
The centre of the dividing spore mother-cell is seen to be 
occupied by four, comparatively long, rod-shaped chromosomes. 
By the division of these bodies eight daughter-chromosomes are 
formed and these separate from one another in two groups so that 
four daughter-chromosomes travel to each pole. Whether these 
immediately split again to form the chromosomes of the special 
mother-cells or whether the daughter-nuclei are first reconstructed, 
was not followed in these preparations. The appearance of both 
mother and daughter-chromosomes, which have been subjected to 
this treatment, is coarsely and irregularly granular. An ex¬ 
amination of properly fixed capsules of Funaria by means of the 
more approved methods of microtechnique is in progress and I hope 
before long to describe some of the cytological features in the 
development of the spores of this plant in greater detail. 
RUDOLF BEER. 
