1899J LINNE'S TYPE SPECIMEN OF FISHES 397 



inscribed by Dr. Alexander Garden, who sent the specimens to Linne. 

 Of these 168 skins about 40 are "types," and nearly all these came 

 from Dr. Garden, and all of them are American. 



Dr. Giinther has given a careful description of each skin, the marks 

 or writing upon it or upon the label or sheet of paper, and has added 

 comments of his own on previous identifications, and other points of 

 interest. Altogether a very excellent and valuable Presidential 

 Address. 



The Molluscan " Liver" So-Called. 



To the student of the comparative physiology of the Invertebrates the 

 word " liver " is a red rag. It has been applied to many different kinds 

 of organs, and with its vertebrate connotation it has fitted none of them 

 well. For a time, indeed, it seemed as if the recognised way of deal- 

 ing with a puzzling organ was to " call it a liver and have clone with 

 it." But we have at least got beyond the stage of hypocrisy, if not of 

 ignorance, and we speak of " the so-called liver." So at least do 

 Messrs. Biedermann and Moritz in a recent study of the organ in 

 question in Molluscs (Pflihgcrs Archiv f. Physiologic, lxxv. 1899, pp. 

 1-86), and it seems for the time a convenient device, — for the 

 attempts to introduce such terms as " hepatopancreas," " poly-enzymatic 

 gland," "mid-gut gland," "gastric gland," and the like have not been 

 very successful. Do what we will, the " liver " is always with us, or 

 with our students at least, and therefore it seems better to give it a 

 slow death in the shackles of " so-called." But let us attend to the 

 last news in regard to the function of this organ in the snail. 



The so-called " liver " of snails contains three kinds of cells,- — (a) 

 secretory cells, whose secretion digests starch and cellulose in the 

 stomach, (b) absorptive cells, and (c) lime cells. The two last accumulate 

 stores of glycogen, fat, and perhaps some albuminoid substance. The 

 lime-cells have especially to do with the storage of fat and calcium 

 phosphate. The fresh secretion has no appreciable digestive effect on 

 albuminoids. There is no absorption in the intestine, which is lined 

 by ciliated and glandular epithelium ; its fluid contents pass into the 

 recesses of the so-called " liver " and back again. This appears to be 

 the gist of the research, and it means another step out of obscurity. 



Phylogenetic Senescence. 



Those who know Professor E. Wiedersheim and his works will agree 

 witli us when we say that he cannot be blamed, as human anatomists 

 often are, for undue preoccupation with the static aspects of man's 

 body. In his essay on retrogression and in his book on the evidence 



27 NAT. SC. VOL. XV. NO. 94. 



