92 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
protoplasm that Harper noted in Lachnea though the dense portion 
is not sharply bounded off by concave surfaces, but streams out 
irregularly into the foamy protoplasm above and below. The nu¬ 
cleus occupies the middle of the dense cytoplasm, though this posi¬ 
tion is by no means a fixed one. It is perhaps the largest nucleus 
so far recorded for the Ascomycetes. It possesses a large nucleolus, 
and well defined and abundant chromatic threads. At this stage, 
with Flemming’s triple, the nucleolus stains a bright red, and the 
chromatin blue. 
The first spindle stage is characterized by a number of interesting 
features. Throughout karyokinesis the reaction of the chromatin 
towards the triple stain is changed, for now it dyes a bright red. 
The spindle is especially clear (pi. 9, fig. 41). It is comparatively 
broad at the middle and tapers at both ends to terminate in very 
small centrosomes. From these centrosomes there stream out fine 
rays which are exceedingly difficult of demonstration. Indeed, in 
figure 42 (pi. 9) in which the centrosomes lie in the plasma mem¬ 
brane of the ascus, the astral rays appear to be lacking. The long 
axis of the spindle may lie in any plane from the vertical to the 
transverse. The nuclear wall degenerates early, and may be gone 
before the equatorial-plate stage is reached. The nucleolus suffers 
a very apparent reduction in size during the construction of the 
spindle. The chromosomes are large, six or seven in number 
(judging from the number of daughter chromosomes, figure 41), 
and are horseshoe-shaped. At first the arms of the horseshoe are 
thick, but as they are pulled back towards the poles of the spindle, 
they become much more attenuated (pi. 9, fig. 43). During the 
anaphase stage the centrosomes are no longer to be seen. If pres¬ 
ent they are obscured by the masses of chromatin. The daughter 
nuclei are prominent and often contain two nucleoli. But in these 
as in all resting nuclei belonging to this plant, no centrosomes could 
be detected. 
The details of karyokinesis in Peziza rutilans, lately described by 
Guilliermond (:03a) bear a close resemblance to those I have just 
described for ISTeotiella. There are protochromosomes in both, and 
the chromosomes are U-shaped, especially in the anaphase stage, 
but twelve in number in Peziza rutilans. Guilliermond states that 
the nuclear wall disappears in the prophase stage, and that neither 
asters nor centrosomes exist. Because of the absence of astral rays. 
