114 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
Cholodkovsky (’94) likewise found a large cell in the blind end of 
the testis follicle of Laphira, which he took to be the spermatogone 
from which all the contents of the follicle originate. He saw radial 
processes proceeding from this cell in which numerous nuclei were 
imbedded. It contained, not a single nucleus, but several, which he 
took to be the result of mitotic division. He found the same cell in 
various Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, and Neuroptera. 
Spiehardt (’86) found in the testis of Liparis dispar a giant cell 
with scattered nuclear substance. This nuclear substance, derived 
from the nucleus, was thought to generate new nuclei at the periphery. 
Erlanger (’96) came to the conclusion from his own observations 
that the cell divides amitotically; but he regards it as a supporting cell. 
Toyama (’94) found the same cell in the silk worm and 1 other 
Lepidoptera, both in the testis and (as he thought) also in the ovary. 
He found, in studying the early stages that originally both the ovary 
and the testis have but one lumen. This finally becomes indented 
and in each compartment thus formed, there is a cell which acquires 
a connection with the rest of the germ cells. He concluded that it 
has nothing to do with the formation of germ cells, and that it is pri¬ 
marily a supporting cell. In this Cholodkovsky did not agree. 
Vom Rath (’93) basing his opinion onVerson’s description, con¬ 
sidered the cell a degenerating sex cell. Somewhat earlier, both he 
and Ziegler considered it as a supporting cell whose nucleus mul¬ 
tiplies amitotically. They regarded the small peripheral nuclei not 
as daughter cells of the large cell, but as sister cells of the sperma¬ 
togones. 
Finally La Yalette St. George (’97) gives his opinion, from his study 
of the silk worm, Bombyx mori, that in the testis as in the ovary, these 
cells have nothing to do with the multiplication of spermatogonia or 
of oogonia. According to him, they serve as supporting cells. They 
are not mother cells, but sister cells of the primordial germ cells. 
He says: “Wenn ich mich liber die herkunft diese zelle aussern soli, 
so kann ich nichts anders annehmen als dass sie als eine umgewan- 
delte spermatogonie aufzufassen sei.” It does not appear, however, 
from his plates that he had studied the matter very carefully. Even 
if they were supporting cells, their absence in some cases would be as 
difficult to explain as if they were primary spermatogones. I have 
shown that in Papilio, the cell in the ovary resembling the grand¬ 
mother stem cell, is the growing egg. 
Ellensburg, Washington. 
