Colourful parrot feathers resist bacterial degradation

The brilliant red, orange and yellow colours of parrot feathers are the product of psittacofulvins, which are synthetic pigments known only from parrots. Recent evidence suggests that some pigments in bird feathers function not just as colour generators, but also preserve plumage integrity by increasing the resistance of feather keratin to bacterial degradation. We exposed a variety of colourful parrot feathers to feather-degrading Bacillus licheniformis and found that feathers with red psittacofulvins degraded at about the same rate as those with melanin and more slowly than white feathers, which lack pigments. Blue feathers, in which colour is based on the microstructural arrangement of keratin, air and melanin granules, and green feathers, which combine structural blue with yellow psittacofulvins, degraded at a rate similar to that of red and black feathers. These differences in resistance to bacterial degradation of differently coloured feathers suggest that colour patterns within the Psittaciformes may have evolved to resist bacterial degradation, in addition to their role in communication and camouflage.     

Molecular phylogeny and diversification of freshwater shrimps (Decapoda, Atyidae, Caridina) from ancient Lake Poso (Sulawesi, Indonesia)--the importance of being colourful

Ancient Lake Poso on the Indonesian island Sulawesi hosts a highly diverse endemic fauna, including a small species flock of atyid Caridina shrimps, which are characterized by conspicuous colour patterns. We used a mtDNA based molecular phylogeny to test the assumption of a monophyletic origin and intralacustrine radiation of the species flock and to assess the species specificity of some colour morphs. Our data reveal a rapid radiation of Caridina in the entire Poso drainage system, but provide no strong evidence for a monophyletic radiation of the lake species. Nevertheless each lacustrine species shows a varying degree of substrate or trophic specialization, usually considered a hallmark of adaptive radiation. Two distinct colour forms previously attributed to a single species, C. ensifera, lack distinguishing qualitative morphological characters, but are shown to be two different species. In contrast, morphologically rather distinct lake species lacking specific colour patterns may be hybridizing with riverine taxa. These results suggest that colour may play a similar role in species recognition and possibly speciation in ancient lake Caridina as hypothesized, e.g. for some African cichlids.     

苔草属复序苔草亚属十四种植物叶片的解剖学研究

选择中国复序苔草亚属6组4亚组的代表植物14种,进行了叶片解剖学研究,观察了其横切面 和表皮特征,证明上述特征在各类群之间存在差异,具有一定的系统学意义。这14种植物叶片的横切 面和表皮都具有一些原始的性状,表明复序苔草亚属中的植物可能在苔草属中是较原始的。在所观察 的植物中,Sect．Polystachyae植物叶片解剖学特征比较一致,说明此组的建立比较合理;而Sect．Indicae 组已有明显分化,尤其是Carex scaposa C．B．Clarke和C．densifimbriata Tang et S．Y．Liang 与其它植物明显不同,而且其外部形态特征在复序苔草亚属中也比较独特,因此赞成将它们及其近缘类群做为一个组而非亚组。     

Leaf Anatomy of Fourteen Species in Carex Subgenus Indocarex (Cyperaceae)

Among the subgenera of the genus Carex, the subgenus Indocarex has been seldom studied in any respects, Its systematic position and its subdivision are still disputable. Leaf anatomy of 14 species in the subgenus lndocarex from China was studied. The anatomical characters are proved to be systematically valuable. (1) Characters of lamina transverse section: All leaves of these 14 species are dorsiventral. The outline mostly V-shaped, occasionally flat or nearly flat, with adaxial lateral rib in each half of lamina and some of them flanged. The cells of adaxial surface larger than those of abaxial surface, and the epidermal cells over veins usually smaller than others. Air-cavities between vascular bundles are well developed, and bulliform cells also well developed in most taxa. The vascular bundles are collaterai, bundle sheaths double-layered, and the outer sheath parenchymatous and the inner sheath fibrous. (2) Characters of lamina epidermis: The shape of the cell on both surfaces is generally rectangular, and the anticlinal wall of epidermal cell sinuous; stomata is paracytic, elliptic to oblong, rarely sub-circular; prickles occur on adaxial surfaces of certain species; papillae are only obvious on abaxial surface of C. moupinensis Franch. The characters of transverse section and epidermis of leaf blades of these 14 species differ from each other to certain degree, and closely related species are similar in anatomical characters. The anatomical characters of lamina are of value for classification at specific and sectional level of the subgenus Indocarex. Despite of the variation of these characters among species, a certain num ber of characters appears to be shared by the members of the subgenus, and some of the common characters are primitive. In addition, some gross morphological characters are common and primitive also. Therefore, the subgenus Indocarex may be primitive in the genus Carex. The anatomical and morphological characters of C. scaposa C. B. Clakre and C. densifimbriata Tang et Wang ex S. Y. Liang are distinct. The two species and their allies should be treated as section instead of subsection. The three species in the sectionPolystachyae share some anatomical characters and comprise a coherent group.     

Keratinization and lipogenesis in epidermal derivatives of the zebrafinch, Taeniopygia guttata castanotis (Aves, Passeriformes, Ploecidae) during embryonic development

Little is known of the lipid content of beta-keratin-producing cells such as those of feathers, scutate scales, and beak. The sequence of epidermal layers in some apteria and in interfollicular epidermis in the zebrafinch embryo (Taeniopygia guttata castanotis) was studied. Also, the production of beta-keratin in natal down feathers and beak was ultrastructurally analyzed in embryos from 3-4 to 17-18 days postdeposition, before hatching. Two layers of periderm initially cover the embryo, but there are eventually 6-8 over the epidermis of the beak. In the beak and sheath cells of feathers, peridermal granules are numerous at 12-14 days postdeposition but they are less frequent in apteria. These granules swell and disappear during sheath or peridermal degeneration at 15-17 days postdeposition. A thin beta-keratin layer forms under the periderm among feather germs of pterylous areas but is discontinuous or disappears in apteria. In differentiating cells of barbs, barbules, and calamus cells of natal down, electron-dense beta-keratin filaments form bundles oriented along the main axis of these cells. Cells of the pulp epidermis and collar, at the base of the follicle, contain lipids and bundles of alpha-keratin filaments. Degenerating pulp cells show vacuolization and nuclear pycnosis. During beta-keratin packing, keratin bundles turn electron-pale, perhaps due to the addition of lipids to produce the final, homogenous beta-keratin matrix. In contrast to the situation in feathers, in the cells of beak beta-keratin packets are irregularly oriented. In both feather and beak epidermal cells the Golgi apparatus and smooth endoplasmic reticulum produce vesicles containing lipid-like material which is also found among forming beta-keratin. The contribution of lipids or lipoprotein to the initial aggregation of beta-keratin molecules is discussed.     

Thyroid medullary carcinoma of the Djungarian hamster Phodopus sungorus. Ultrastructural evidence for the production of normal and atypical intracellular granules

We have carried out an electron microscopic and immunocytochemical study of thyroid medullary carcinoma arising spontaneously in the Djungarian hamster, Phodopus sungorus. At the ultrastructural level the cytoplasm of tumor cells contained numerous round to slightly elongated, dense-cored secretory granules. The number of secretory granules differed from cell to cell in the tumor, being scanty in some cells but more or less abundant in most. Electron microscopic-immunocytochemistry demonstrated that all dense-cored secretory granules in all tumor cells exhibited calcitonin immunoreactivity. In approximately 10% of the tumor cells, unusual star-shaped secretory vesicles were also found in the cytoplasm. These vesicles contained a small, but well-defined, lucent core surrounded by a region of finely granular material of greater electron density. The outer contour of these unusual vesicles was stellate rather than smooth. They appeared to originate not from the Golgi complex, but from the rough endoplasmic reticulum. These atypical stellate vesicles did not show any calcitonin immunoreactivity. Furthermore, in a small number of tumor cells (approximately 1%) a third type of membrane enclosed structure was found. These were conspicuous rods 1-5 micron in length with tapering ends and a crystalline substructure. The presence of both normal and atypical secretory granules in some tumor cells suggests that carcinogenic transformation may interfere with the normal synthesis and assembly of secretory products by the cell.     

Carotenoids need structural colours to shine

The bright colours of feathers are among the most striking displays in nature and are frequently used as sexual signals. Feathers can be coloured by pigments or by ordered tissue, and these mechanisms have traditionally been treated as distinct modes of display. Here we show that some yellow plumage colour is created both by reflection of light from white structural tissue and absorption of light by carotenoids. Thus, structural components of feathers contribute substantially to yellow 'carotenoid' displays, but the effect of variation in structural components on variation in colour displays is, to our knowledge, unstudied. The presence of structural colour in some carotenoid-based colour displays will have to be considered in studies of colour signalling.     

Epidermal micromorphology of the genus Festuca L. subgenus Festuca (Poaceae)

Qualitative and some quantitative micromorphological characters of leaf blades, lemmas and paleas were examined using scanning electron microscopy for 29 species of Festuca subgenus Festuca, including the first observations on members of sections Amphigenes, Dimorphae and Cataphyllophorae. The aim of this study was to survey these features in the subgenus Festuca, to assess their taxonomical value. The observed patterns are compared with current taxonomic proposals based on molecular studies. The characters show important taxonomic value, mainly of the abaxial lemma. Characters showing the greatest variation are shape of long cells, shape of the periclinal walls, thickness of anticlinal walls, presence of prickles and abundance of silica bodies. The principal characters of the leaf-blade surfaces include the type and shape of short cells. Two different surface patterns were observed on the lemma, one, long cells rectangular to elongated, with flat to slightly convex periclinal walls and thickened anticlinal walls, for the sections Amphigenes and Dimorphae, and another, long cells rectangular to square, with concave periclinal walls and unthickened anticlinal walls, for the remaining sections. This study confirms the taxonomic value of micromorphological characters in the subgenus Festuca, and that abaxial lemma surface appears to be the most useful.     

Contour feather moult of Ruffs Philomachus pugnax during northward migration, with notes on homology of nuptial plumages in scolopacid waders

Among the sandpiper family Scolopacidae, the Ruff Philomachus pugnax combines a large seasonal change in the appearance of the plumage with a very pronounced sexual plumage dimorphism. Studies on the east and south African wintering grounds of Ruffs indicate that before northward migration at least the males moult (part of) their basic (winter) plumage into a kind of alternative plumage. We studied the details of the subsequent moult into a final (supplemental) breeding plumage by quantifying the presence of three feather types—(1) winter (basic), (2) striped (alternate) and (3) breeding (supplemental)—in breast feather samples of 1441 Ruffs captured on staging areas in The Netherlands during northward migration in 1993-97. Ruffs arriving in March show a mix of winter and striped feathers. In April, the 'breeding feather' type appears in both male and female Ruffs, and partially takes the place of winter feathers as well as striped feathers in males, and winter feathers only in females. The presence of three plumages in Ruffs is thus confirmed for males, but also occurs in female Ruffs and in Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica. We suggest that striped feathers represent the 'original' alternative plumage feather type of the sandpiper family and that the showy feathers of the, in the European literature fortuitously appropriately named, 'supplementary plumage' represent an additional feather generation. Such colourful nuptial plumages could thus be derived characters that have evolved independently in several scolopacid genera, presumably under particularly strong sexual selection pressures.     

Size,plumage, moult and supposed hybrids of African Goshawks (Accipiter tachiro/toussenelii group) in DR Congo

Parapatric A. tachiro sparsimfasciatus and A. toussenelii canescens are in a size cline from large east African to small west African birds. While their plumage colour is different, the pattern of spotting (juvenile) and barring (adult) of the breast feathers is similar. No general hybridisation is found in the contact region in Kivu: the plumage of some aberrant individuals can be due to great age or to individual variation. One supposed hybrid was obtained far from the contact region. I consider them as paraspecies. Based on direct evidence and on annual moult I conclude that the breeding period is prolonged in both taxa in equatorial DR Congo, and that it is seasonal in tachiro sparsimfasciatus in southern DR Congo. In the latter population, the postjuvenile moult starts probably just before the age of one year but it lasts many months, leaving the juvenile upper tail coverts in place for one more year. Plumage characteristics are related to habitat. The female of the woodland sparsimfasciatus is cryptically coloured, with individual variation, possibly helpful for 'image avoidance'. The male is even more variable in colour, in part age related: a 'sepia' morph is described for the first adult plumage. Older birds are grey with reddish flanks, becoming darker with age. The adult evergreen forest canescens shows enforcement of colourful advertising plumage and loss of sexual plumage dimorphism. The first adult is advertised by the late moult of the barred juvenile flank feathers in both sexes. Its juvenile is peculiar; it lacks breast spots, suggesting image avoidance, but possibly also character displacement or mimicry.     

Isoenzyme diversity and phylogenetic relationships among the American beans of the genus Vigna Savi (Fabaceae)

Electrophoretic variation of 13 isoenzyme systems encoded by 25 gene loci has been studied among the 12 American bean species of the genus Vigna, subgenera Sigmoidotropis and Lasiospron, in comparison with the two pantropical species Vigna luteola and V. vexillata of the subgenera Vigna and Plectrotropis, respectively. Of the 202 electromorphs (putative allozymes) discovered, 106 were phylogenetically informative, i.e. shared by at least two taxa, and 96 were taxon-specific. Parsimony, neighbour-joining and UPGMA analyses of the isozyme data as unordered presence–absence characters revealed the division of the American Vigna species into six clades which mostly correspond to the grouping of species into subgenera and sections in the traditional morphology-based systems, except in the placement of species V. gentryi and V. caracalla. The type species of the section Caracallae, V. caracalla, appears on the cladogram as basally paraphyletic in the subgenus Sigmoidotropis, but apart from the V. linearis group of the same section which forms a separate subclade. Vigna gentryi is not linked to other species of the section Sigmoidotropis, but appears in a distant subclade as a sister species to V. adenantha s. l. of the section Leptospron. The subgenus Lasiospron is sister to the pantropical V. vexillata of the African subgenus Plectrotropis.     

Cell junctions during morphogenesis of feathers: general ultrastructure with emphasis on adherens junctions

Alibardi, L. 2011. Cell junctions during morphogenesis of feathers: general ultrastructure with emphasis on adherens junctions. —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 92 : 89–100. The present ultrastructural and immunocytochemical study analyzes the cell junctions joining barb/barbule cells versus cell junctions connecting supportive cells in forming feathers. Differently from the epidermis or the sheath, desmosomes are not the prevalent junctions among feather cells. Numerous adherens junctions, some gap junctions and fewer tight junctions are present among differentiating barb/barbule cells during early stages of their differentiation. Adherens junctions are frequent also among differentiating supportive cells and show weak immunolabeling for both N‐cadherin and neural‐cell adhesion molecule (N‐CAM). Differentiating barb and barbule cells do not show labeled junctions for N‐cadherin and N‐CAM. The labeling occurs at patches in the cytoplasm of supportive cells but is more frequently seen in the external cytoplasm and along the extra‐cellular space (glycocalix) covering the plasma membrane of supportive cells. Labeling for N‐cadherin is also found in medium‐dense 0.1‐ to 0.3‐μm granules present in supportive cells and sometimes is associated with coarse filaments or periderm granules. The study indicates that adherens junctions form most of the transitional connections among supportive cells before their degeneration. Keratinizing barb and barbule cells loose the labeling for adherens junctions (N‐CAM and N‐chaderin) while their adhesion is strengthened by the incorporation of cell junctions in the corneous mass forming the barbules.     

Sexual character intensity and its relationship to breeding timing, fecundity and mate choice in the great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo lucidus

Reproductive success and the intensity of five separate seasonal sexual characters, expressed similarly in both sexes and likely to be dependent on age and/or individual condition, were documented at a colony of great cormorants at Lake Naivasha, Kenya (00°46' S, 36°22' E) in 1996. The characters assessed were head filoplumes, thigh patch feathers, colour of cheek, neck and upper breast plumage, colour of gular skin, and colour of suborbital skin. More intensely developed sexual characters at the time of pair formation were associated with significantly earlier breeding. Pairs that bred earlier fledged significantly more chicks than those breeding later. However, correlations between the number of chicks fledged and the intensity of the parents' sexual characters at pair formation were generally weak and not significant. An exception was the colour of the cheek, foreneck and upper breast plumage: males (but not females) with the darkest plumage in these areas fledged significantly more chicks than others. Correlations between paired male and female sexual character intensity were weak, and significant only in the case of suborbital skin colour. Other factors may have been more important than these characters in influencing mate selection.     

Comparing plumage colour measurements obtained directly from live birds and from collected feathers: the case of the great tit Parus major

Birds frequently display a colourful plumage which is important both in inter and intraespecific communication, and either in sexual and social contexts. In last years some methodologies have been developed to, analyse plumage coloration, but the use of the spectrometers has been particularly important for UV range. Measurement of plumage coloration with the spectrometer may be taken directly on the bird or, alternatively by collecting some feathers and measuring them later in the laboratory. However, few is known about the reliability of measures obtained from feathers and whether these are really representative of plumage coloration. We tested this assumption analysing measurements of carotenoids-based coloration components (lightness, chroma and hue) and lutein peak of the yellow breast of the great tit Parus major. We used two spectrometers (Ocean optics and Minolta) which calculate differently the colour components. Our results showed that direct measurement of bird was highly repeatable to determine lightness, chroma and hue for both spectrometers. Similar results we found for collected feathers procedure for both devices. Collected feathers provided high representative measurements of colour values with Minolta spectrometer. Lightness was highly repeatable when we used Ocean optic spectrometer, but chroma and hue were moderate. Lutein peak was also highly repeatable in all cases. The number of feathers used to measure plumage coloration in collected feathers procedure strongly influenced values of colour plumage variables. In general, values of lightness, chroma and hue stabilised when more than 10–15 feathers were used although we found slight differences between spectrometers. However, only four feathers were needed for lutein peak. Thus, our results stress the need to use a minimum number of feathers in measuring plumage coloration from collected feathers.     

Comparison of multiple-angle spectrometry of plumage versus individual feathers for the assessment of sexual dichromatism in the long-tailed finch ( Poephila acuticauda )

Reflectance spectrometry of avian plumage colour is a commonly used technique in ecological, behavioural and taxonomical studies. This method enables visualization of different characteristics in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. Different research groups currently active in this field use diverse set-ups to assess avian colouration and compare results – without taking methodological differences into consideration. In this reflectometric study, we show significant differences between colour assessment results obtained with three different incidence and observation angle geometries (45°/45°, 45°/90° and 90°/90°) used for the sexual colour characterization of the long-tailed finch (Poephila acuticauda) feather coat. Furthermore, we show that results obtained from measuring the plumage and individual feathers lead to different conclusions. Both plumage and individual feathers revealed sexual dichromatism but, occasionally, at different angle geometries. This study shows how some plumage characteristics may be overviewed if single unidirectional reflectance spectrometry is used.     

How Did Domestication Change the Hair Morphology in Sheep and Goats?

We analysed macro-and microscopic features of dorsal guard hairs in 21 specimens of wild and domestic sheep and goats. We integrated and extended the available data on hair morphology of wild species and provide a first comparative analysis of hair structure of domestic forms. Domestic sheep and goats, probably due to a convergence process under artificial selection, show similar medullary features to each other and different medullary structures from their relative wild relatives. Different breeds show a diverse alteration of the medullary structure probably correlated to the duration of the domestication process. Domestic sheep have a cuticular structure different from the relative wild ancestor, while domestic goats do not show clear differences in the cuticle from the related wild species. The strong artificial selection for wool production may have transformed the hair structure of the sheep, but not that of the goat. We described the effects of age on the microscopic structure of hair, which have not yet been investigated. The medullary structure and the cuticular pattern in domestic forms do not change with age, as seen in wild species, because juveniles characters are retained in adults due to domestication.     

Molecular and functional studies of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) NMDA receptor NR1 subunits

The Pin-tailed Manakin (Ilicura militaris) is a small, sexually dimorphic, frugivorous suboscine songbird (Pipridae; Passeriformes; Aves) endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. A variant individual of this species was recently described in which the red patches that characterise the male's Definitive plumage were replaced by orange-yellow ones. We show here that the pigments in the feathers of the colour variant are common dietary carotenoids (zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin), not carotenoids synthesised by birds, lending support to the suggestion that the individual is a colour mutant lacking the capability to transform yellow dietary pigments into the red pigments normally present in these feathers. By comparison, the yellow crown feathers of a close relative, the Golden-winged Manakin (Masius chrysopterus), contained predominantly endogenously produced epsilon-caroten-3'-ones. Surprisingly, the normal-coloured feathers of the male Pin-tailed Manakin owe their red hue to rhodoxanthin, an unusual carotenoid more commonly found in plants, rather than 4-keto-carotenoids typically found in red plumages and found lacking in previously characterised bird colour variants. The implication is that birds, like the tilapia fish, may be able to synthesise this unusual pigment endogenously from dietary precursors. A newly described carotenoid, 6-hydroxy-epsilon,epsilon-carotene-3,3'-dione, here named piprixanthin, present in the red feathers of the Pin-tailed Manakin, provides a plausible intermediate between epsilon,epsilon-carotene-3,3'-dione (canary-xanthophyll B), a bright yellow pigment found in this and other songbirds, and rhodoxanthin. It is apparent that pigeons (Columbidae, Columbiformes) also have the capability to produce rhodoxanthin, and a structurally related pigment, endogenously. The ability to synthesise rhodoxanthin might have arisen at least twice in birds.     

Plumage colour and feather structure of the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)

The rufous colouring on the feathers of the under parts of adult bearded vultures Gypaetus barbatus , studied by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis and X-ray diffraction analysis, is caused by an external deposit of iron oxide in the ferrihydrite state. Unstained feathers, e.g. in captive birds, are pure white. The feathers of young birds have similar coatings of iron oxide to those of adults, but because the feathers are pigmented pale to dark brown (dependent on age), the rusty colour is partly or totally obscured. The intensity of the colour in adult birds varies between individuals and within individuals with time; the more worn the feathers the more iron oxide they can hold. After heavy rainfall up to 30% of adult birds can become appreciably paler. Birds take about 6 days (range–9 days) to regain normal colouring. Iron oxide accumulates mainly in the axes of shafts and barbs, barbs and barbules and barbules and hamuli, and forms blob-like deposits at the ends of barbs and barbules on the outer layers of feathers. Iron oxide is probably acquired passively when bearded vultures come into contact with deposits in caves and on ledges on cliffs. The colour is then spread by preening. Iron oxide imparts camouflage to adult birds, but also reduces wear on the outer layer of feathers, makes feathers more rigid and probably helps control ectoparasites.     

Veronica: Chemical characters for the support of phylogenetic relationships based on nuclear ribosomal and plastid DNA sequence data

Molecular phylogenetic analyses have revealed many relationships in Veronica (Plantaginaceae) never anticipated before. However, phytochemical characters show good congruence with DNA-based analyses. We have analysed a combined data set of 49 species and subspecies derived from the nuclear ribosomal ITS-region (18 new sequences) and the plastid trnL-F region (12 new sequences) of Veronica emphasizing subgenera Chamaedrys and Pocilla and separate analyses of subgenera Pentasepalae (ITS only) and Pseudolysimachium. Results for subgenus Chamaedrys show that European and Asian perennial species are monophyletic sister groups with the annual species consecutive sisters to them. All species of Veronica that contain cornoside are found in this subgenus, although some species seem to have secondarily lost the ability to produce this compound. Subgenera Pocilla and Pentasepalae are well supported sister groups characterized by the occurrence of 8-hydroxyflavones. The traditional subsection Biloba of subgenus Pocilla is biphyletic with Veronica intercedens being clearly separate from the rest of the group. This result is mirrored by the unusual phytochemical arsenal of V. intercedens, which is the only species in the genus analysed to date to contain melittoside and globularifolin. Subgenus Pentasepalae appears to be a clade of diverse lineages from southwestern Asia and a single European clade. Species shown to have 6-hydroxyflavones do not form a monophyletic group. Subgenus Pseudolysimachium seems to have originated in Eastern Asia. 6-Hydroxyflavones acylated with phenolic acids are common in this subgenus but may have originated only later in the evolution of the group. Possible chemotaxonomic markers for other groups are discussed.     

Fine structure of the bone marrow of the chicken and pigeon

The structure of bone marrow from chickens and pigeons was studied with light and electron microscopy. Erythropoiesis occurs in the lumen of the medullary sinuses. Immature erythroid cells appear to adhere to the sinus wall and may thus be prevented from entering the peripheral circulation. The wall of the medullary sinuses is formed by elongated lining cells, lacking a basement membrane, which are continous except at sites where blood cells are passing through them. When viewed with the electron microscope, developing heterophil myelocytes, which occur only in the extravascular spaces, possess two populations of granules; one type is globular in content, the other is fibrillar in content. The globular type predominates during all stages of development and appears to be the specific granule. Specific granules originate from material which is formed in the Golgi complex, pinches off, and accumulates in expanded vesicles. The origin of the material in the fibrillar granules was not determined. Like the globular granules of heterophil leucocytes, granules of eosinophil leucocytes arise from material which is formed in the Golgi complex.