[en] The heavy Fm isotopes (²⁵⁸Fm and ²⁵⁹Fm) so far appear to be unique in exhibiting very symmetric mass distributions and anomolously high fragment total kinetic energies. This effect appears to be associated with the Z = 100 proton configuration of the fissioning nuclide which can fission symmetrically into two fragments having the Z = 50 closed-proton shell configuration; ²⁵⁶Cf which has the same number of neutrons but only 98 protons does not exhibit these fission properties. Furthermore, ²⁵⁹Md, also having 158 neutrons but with 101 protons, fissions symmetrically but with a normal total kinetic energy. However, the total kinetic-energy distribution is extremely broad, indicating a range of fragment shapes at scission from spherical to highly distorted. It is extremely important to check more nuclides with Z greater than 100 and N greater than or equal to 158 to check the relative importance of the fragement proton and neutron shells. New methods are needed for measurements of half lives of ms or less and for providing positive identification of the Z and A of the fissioning species. Recent experiments indicate that ²⁵⁹Fm is produced with a 10 to 15 nb cross section in bombardments of ²⁴⁸Cm with ¹⁸O and that therefore extreme caution must be exercised in making assignments. However, transfer or deep inelastic reactions of this kind would appear to offer a good possibility for making the heavier isotopes of Md or Lr for study by bombarding Bk or Es targets with ¹⁸O