ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. ol 



only inconsiderable differences in the hoemolytic function. He inclines 

 to say that the spleen is a relatively unimportant part of a vast haemato- 

 lytic system. 



Fibrinogenic Substance in Albumen of Bird's Egg.* — Armand 

 Gautier finds in white of egg evidence of the existence (1*5 p.c.) of a 

 soluble substance, analogous to the fibrinogen of the blood-plasm and 

 to the myosinogen of the muscle-fibre. Like these, under influences 

 favouring the activity of a specific ferment, it can be transformed into 

 an insoluble stuff (ovofibrin) which slight agitation (not necessary to its 

 formation) separates off in a membranous form. No doubt the same 

 phenomenon occurs elsewhere ; it only remains for the organising forces 

 of the cell to dispose this fibrillar material in accordance with the laws 

 which regulate the histological forms of the cell or the tissue. 



Autolytic Processes in Pickled Herring.f — S. Schmidt-Nielsen has 

 studied the fermentative processes which occur in the curing of herring. 

 He does not deny that the bacteria implicated may be of some practical 

 importance, but he thinks that he has definitely proved that the peculiar 

 ■"ripening" of the pickled herring is clue to autolytic processes, brought 

 .about by enzymes previously present in the living muscle. 



INVERTEBRATA. 



Adipogenic Function of Liver in Invertebrates .J — Mile. C. 

 Deflandre has studied the so-called " liver " of various Invertebrates — ■ 

 the snail, the mussel, the crayfish, the starfish, &c. — and finds that this 

 diverse organ has a marked adipogenic function. It is a depot for 

 nutritive reserves, chiefly fats, just as the liver in higher animals is a 

 storehouse for glycogen. The fats are accumulated in days of plenty, 

 and the stores are of use not only to the individual, but to the progeny, 

 for the genital elements get their share. 



Agglutinating and Cilio-phagocytic Organs. §— L. Cuenot seeks to 

 bring a number of puzzling organs into line. The " urns " of Sipwi- 

 culus differ but little from the " urns " of Synapta, and these lead on to 

 the cilio-phagocytic organs of Nereis, GUjcera, Nephthys, and Hirudinia, 

 which again are very like the nephridial filters of Rhynchelmis, ffenlea, 

 and BrancMobdella. All have the same function of removing from the 

 ■coelom granules of debris and degenerated cells ; and in all cases there 

 is a vibratile apparatus which takes an active part in collecting the 

 granules and suspended debris. He suggests that the cilio-phagocytic 

 organs of Polychasts and Hirudinea are derived from pre-existent 

 nephridial funnels, and that the filters of Oligochasts represent a differ- 

 entiation of nephridial epithelium with phagocytic capabilities. 



Mollusca. 

 a. Cephalopoda. 



Vascular System of Squid. || — L. W. Williams describes the vascular 

 system of Loligo pealii, — the general arrangement of the vessels ; the 



* Comptes Eendus, cxxxv. (1902) pp. 133-9. 

 t Biol. Centralbl., xxii. (1902) pp. 408-12. 

 J Comptes Rendus, cxxxv. (1902) pp. 807-9. 

 § Arch. Zool. Expe'r., x. (1902) pp. 79-97 (5 figs.). 

 || Amer. Nat., xxxvi. (1902) pp. 787-94 (5 figs.). 



