HERMES' OBSERVATIONS. 



657 



The observations of Dr. Otto Hermes, director of the Berlin Aquarium, who has recently dis- 

 covered the true nature of the organ of Syrski in tiie Conger, are extremely interesting : 



"Since Syrski, in 1874, found the organs in Anguilla vulgaris which are called by his name, 

 and which, by him and most zoologists, were taken for the male reproductive organs it is only 



FIG. 9. A. Ripe male reproductive organs of a 



('nitijrr Eel thirty inches in length, 



A natural size, 

 a. Int. ^t:ii,-l raiuil. 

 d', uppur, d", middUi, d'", lower portion 



nl' tb- liver, which has lictu thrown 



to one side. 

 /. Air-bladder. 

 a. Gall.M.idd.-r. 

 A. An:il :r]K-itine. 



ii, i 2 , Cj. u. Folds of the left Bpennary. 

 Jti, k-2, k-3, A'4, A.-5. Folda uf the right sper- 



niiirv. 



I. S.'ininal poach. 

 m. Urinary bladder. 

 p. Skinny covering of the spermary. 

 S. Spermatozoa. 



FIG. 10. C. Undeveloped reproductive organ of a female 

 Conger Eel thirty -Jour incites long, 4 nat- 

 ural t<ize. 



a. StoiiKicli. 



b. <'ci'c;il .ijtpciulage. 

 r. i-plri-n. 



d. I.n . i 



e. Jci^Iit ovary. 

 e'. Lrl <v;uy' 



f. Air.liladdcr. 

 './. <;..ll-H. t (MtT. 



,il apntiirr. 

 m. U in:iry Madder. 

 p. Eii'l i-l" li't't ovary. 



necessary that a ripe male Eel should be found in order to settle forever the question of the sexes 

 of the Eel. Up to this time all efforts have failed to reach the desired result. The histiological 

 investigations of the Syrskian organs pursued by S. Freud render it more probable that these were 

 young roes; yet there remained all the time a doubt, since the spermatozoa had not been actually 

 42 F 



