Rickett.—Fertilization of Sphaerocarpos . 251 
assembled in Table II. They were most numerous in Series C and D , and 
in Series C were found mostly in the earlier stages. 
Most of these cases show two male nuclei instead of one. In the 
earlier stages both male nuclei frequently appear normal, and the egg is in 
the condition that is usual for the phase in question. In several cases there 
are differences between the two male nuclei. In one instance one was less 
homogeneous than the other, although the time elapsed since flooding was 
short (4 hours). In one very early case (ij hours after flooding) no less 
than six male nuclei were observed in one egg, mostly of irregular shapes. 
In two other cases there were four; in one of these instances the shapes of 
the male nuclei were irregular ; in the other, two of them were close together 
within one clear space. 
Table II. 
Cases of Polyspermy. 
Series. 
Time after flooding. 
Hrs. Min. 
No. of 
cases . 
No. of 
male nuclei. 
A 
0 35 
1 
O 
C 
1 30 
1 
6 
C 
1 30 
1 
2 
C 
2 
1 
2 
c 
4 
2 
2 
c 
4 
1 
4 
c 
6 
1 
4 
c 
6 
1 
2 
c 
18 
2 
2 
A 
28 
1 
2 
c 
32 
1 
2 
B 
40 
1 
2 
A 
48 
1 
2 
D 
62 30 
1 
several 
C 
64 
1 
0 
O 
D 
65 30 
3 
several 
D 
67 30 
5 
>> 
D 
84 
1 
>> 
26 
In slightly later stages there is more frequently a difference between 
the male nuclei. The difference suggests sometimes that one is developing 
in the normal way, while the development of the other is arrested in the 
earliest phases. In one such case, found 18 hours after flooding, one male 
nucleus has the appearance normal for this time ; the other is long, narrow, 
and pointed at the ends, the form characteristic of Phase 1. In another 
case one male nucleus is distinctly smaller than the other. Sometimes, 
however, both of them, three in one case, appear quite normal. The 
presence of the additional male nuclei seems not thus far to have disturbed 
in any way the normal development of the female cell. 
In the later cases of polyspermy, most of which come from Series D, 
the female nucleus shows signs of degeneration. This is evident in a lump- 
