‘ Heterotypical Reduction ’ in Somatic Cells 785 
large nucleus, although figures showing the actual process of such division were 
not observed in Galtonia. In some cases one of the three cells of the group 
is considerably smaller than the others, and contains, instead of a nucleus, 
a mass of disintegrated chromatin. The most striking feature, however, 
of the roots fixed at this period is the presence of certain cells of relatively 
enormous size. These are scattered throughout the breadth of the root-tip, 
in periblem and plerome, but are more numerous at a distance from, than 
they are near to, the growing point. They have clear-cut walls, even 
cytoplasm, and sharply stained nuclei. Some of them contain a single 
large nucleus at rest or in spireme, and often elongated in shape ; others 
have two nuclei of a normal appearance, lying well apart in the cytoplasm, 
and with no intervening cell-plate or fibrillar structures (PL LXVII, Fig. 17) ; 
and others show two nuclei, one of which is well stained and either at rest or in 
spireme, while the other has taken the stain diffusely, is granular, and con¬ 
tains a nucleolus broken up into numerous small bodies (Figs. 12 and 13). 
Such of these cells as are in division contain either two separate equato¬ 
rial plates, diasters, or telophases, often set obliquely to each other (Figs. 
18-20), or one large division figure (Figs. 15 and 16). On counting the 
chromosomes of some of the figures with a camera lucida, it was found that 
they contained roughly, and in some cases exactly, twice the normal so¬ 
matic number, i. e. thirty-two instead of sixteen on the equatorial plate, 
and fifty-seven or more in diaster. Here and there is to be seen a row of 
three cells in telophase, of which the central is considerably larger than the 
two outer ones. These have evidently arisen, as may be seen from the 
intermediate figure (Fig. 21), through fusion of the inner contiguous polar 
masses of two diasters occurring in one cell. Finally, many of the 
abnormally large cells, in particular those situated far back towards the 
permanent tissue, show complete fragmentation and degeneration of their 
nuclear contents ; instead of a definite nucleus, they contain a number of 
small, round, feebly staining bodies, each with one or more minute nucleoli 
(Fig. 14). 
In some of the roots fixed at this period the number of the binuclear 
or tetraploid cells is considerably less than at the fixation made after 
twenty-two hours’ subsequent growth over water. 
Summary of the Results obtained with the Roots of 
Hyacinthus candicans. 
It is apparent from the above description that, as shown by Nemec, 
the immediate result of the action of the chloral hydrate upon these roots is 
a disappearance of the achromatic fibres and an arrest of the cell-plate 
formation. Consequently the split chromosomes on the equatorial plate 
fail to pass to the poles, fuse together again, and go into rest as one irregular 
