Olive, Mitotic division of tlie nuclei of tlie Cyanophvceae. 
15 
portions, an outer colorecl part and an inner colorless pari, the 
latter constituting the so called „central body“. Granulär in- 
clusions may also frequently be seen, particularly in certain 
species of Oscillatoria , in which they are offen arranged on both 
sides of and parallel to the cross walls. Occasionally, granules 
of varying size may be observed, which appear to lie within 
the central portion (hg. 1). 
As will be seen from the fable on pages 2 and 3, the majority of 
writers maintain that the blue and green coloring matters are 
contained both together in rninute granules, or plastids, which 
occur in large numbers scattered through the peripheral portion 
of the cytoplasm. Fischer and a few others assert, on the 
other hand, that the color is diffused through the dense peri¬ 
pheral portion of the protoplasm. This hollow cylindrical or 
spherical part, he calls the chromatophore. The writer agrees 
perfectly with the Statements of Fischer in regard to the color- 
bearing portion. 
One can see, it is true, granules in the living cells; but all 
tlie granulations which I have ever seen have proved to be the 
colorless cell inclusions. In the thinnest and most favorablv 
stained sections, furthermore, both longitudinal' as well as cross, 
I have never been able to detect in the peripheral chromato¬ 
phore any granulation whatever. (See, e. g., figs. 8, 10, 16. 18. 
32). If rninute plastids were present, they should certainly be 
visible in the permanent preparations as well as in the hving. 
The absolute failure to find „cyanoplastids“ in tliin sections 
of any of the six genera studied does not, by the way, preclude 
the possibilitv that tlie Chlorophyll and phycocyanin may pos- 
sibly be in tlie form of rninute globules, which may disappear 
on treatment with certain reagents. But I have never beeil able 
to bring myself to see such colored globules, after many attempts 
under the most favorable conditions. 
In addition to the absence of plastids in stained preparations, 
the following observations still further strengthen Fischer's 
conclusions with reference to tlie peripheral chromatophore. If 
Oscillatoria Froehlichia , e. g., or any other large species, be 
placed in Chloroform water 1 ) for one or two days, the blue 
coloring matter is extracted, and may then be seen dissoived in 
tlie water. The Chlorophyll alone remains in the cells. A di- 
stinct granulation may now be seen, especially in the central 
portion, as shown in hg. 29. If light pressure be then applied 
to the cover glass, the cells of the hlament may frequently be 
broken apart and the isolated, flattened cells be turned on end. 
Fig. 28 represents such a disc-shaped cell, which consists of the 
somewhat shrunken protoplasm only, the wall liaving been torn 
off. The bright green color will be seen in this end view to 
r J Made according to II e g 1 e r' s directions by sbaking np a small 
qnantity of cliloroform in water, allowing it to settle, tlien decanting tlie 
water, wliicli is then nsed in the experiments. 
