Keene■—Studies in Zygospore Formation. 
1209 
late. The nuclear disorganizations do not appear to be re¬ 
stricted to any particular region but occur throughout the 
whole zygospore. Some of the nuclei in each group appar¬ 
ently undergo disintegration. This disorganization appears 
to be restricted to the smaller nuclei or presumably to those 
which have failed to fuse. During the process of nuclear dis¬ 
organization the red-staining nucleolus enlarges, stains unevenly 
and appears as if being dissolved. The margin takes the stain 
but the central portion stains faintly and may even appear 
brownish. As disorganization proceeds, and it does so on a 
large scale, the resulting masses appear to run together or 
coalesce forming irregular or knotted masses. Plate II, fig¬ 
ure 126 and Plate III, figures 146, 14c illustrate the various 
stages in the appearance of this substance. The same sub¬ 
stance was evident in the zygospores of Sporodinia , but both its 
origin and fate were not interpreted. Here, however, there 
seems to be little, if any, doubt on these points. As this sub¬ 
stance increases in volume it becomes concentrated into one or 
more central masses. It is without special structure. While 
it is alveolar in part, it as of a homogeneous texture and in no 
way resembles living cytoplasm. The oil that is contained 
within the zygospore sometimes appears as small droplets in 
this;;substance but does not mix with it. When fresh zygospores 
■•'Ite. are^rushed, gas bubbles may be seen to escape and disappear. 
itMeif. of these conditions may explain the alveolar nature of 
%tliis mass. 
~s. When .'fresh mature zygospores are crushed, the substance in 
:• - Bi^^fe ]fe^udes as a semi-transparent amorphous mass. It is 
nffinM# In water. The oil which is pressed out with it is 
honey-colored and rounds up into distinct globules which react 
typically to; Sudan III and osmic acid. The oil is soluble in 
xytolr and chloroform. The amorphous material, however, is 
pot. Affected by Ahese reagents. The alcohol in the Sudan III 
^ _?^ftiay-cag| e a s®§fht precipitation but the mass is not stained. 
;.Whcjp h^pfrite' iJlhhol is added, there remains a semi-trans- 
pai’Orit substance r v'^lhlfeh becomes brownish upon standing. 
AV'^l^ee the stained sections indicated that this substance might 
have its origin in the disorganizing nuclei, an attempt was 
made to test it for proteins. Because of the small amount of 
material that was available, only rather crude microscopical 
