Abstract
In the early cleavage stages of Ascaris the homologous chromosomes are of unequal length. Measurements show that these homologues fall into two sharply defined groups suggesting their biparental origin. The shorter are considered to have come from the male.As the age of the embryo increases, these differences between the chromosome mates tend to become less, and it is suggested that at some later period in the history of the animal this difference will entirely disappear in response to the effect of continued existence in a common environment. The length of the chromosomes is very slightly shortened during the early cleavage divisions, while the area of the equatorial cross‐section of the cells becomes enormously reduced.