296 ANNUAL KECOED OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



Eastern Asia and in part from Central America, and thus 

 gives a very interesting chapter in archaeology. 



EXPLORATIONS AROUND THE NORTH CAPE. 



Verkrlizen, who has been prosecuting zoological explora- 

 tions in Northern Scandinavia, has lately returned to Frank- 

 fort, after an absence of three months spent in the Var- 

 sanger and other fiords, and around the North Cape. Not- 

 withstanding the stormy weather, which interfered very 

 greatly with his work, he succeeded in obtaining a very 

 fine series of mollusks, of which some forms are remarkable 

 for their size, compared with their representatives in more 

 southern localities. He also obtained some good specimens 

 of the winter clothing, etc., used by the Samoiedese and Finns, 

 made from the skins of the reindeer. 13 A, January 22,78. 



EMBRYOLOGICAL DATA FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF 



VERTEBRATES. 



Kowalevsky was the first to show that the neural and ali- 

 mentary canals communicate in the larval Ascidians, and 

 also in the sharks and skates, as well as in the bony fishes, 

 and in the lancelet {Amjjhioxus). It has also been observed 

 in Amj^hibians by Goette, and by Kowalevsky, Owsjanni- 

 kow, and Wagner in the sturgeon [Acipe^iser), and has been 

 observed by Balfour in the sharks and skates. The latter 

 embryologist states that " this communication between the 

 neural and alimentary canals, w^hich is coupled, as will be 

 seen in the sequel, with the atrophy of a posterior segment 

 of the alimentary canal, is a feature of great interest, which 

 ought to throw considerable light upon the meaning of the 

 neural canal. So far as we know, no suggestion as to the 

 origin of it has yet been made." 



The reptiles, birds, and mammals have usually been dis- 

 tinguished from other vertebrates by the possession of a 

 well-developed allantois and amnion. Mr. Balfour thinks 

 that " we may further say that the lower vertebrates, 

 Pisces and Amphibia, are to be distinguished from the three 

 above-mentioned groups of higher vertebrates by the posi- 

 tive embryonic character that their neural and alimentary 

 canals at first communicate posteriorly. The presence or ab- 

 sence of this arrangement depends on the difierent positions 



