' 



300 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Gall-forming Copepod in an Anemone.* — M. Caullery and F. 

 Mesnil give an account of Staurosoma parasiticum Will, which forms 

 galls in the mesenteries of Anemonia sulcata Penn. It does not seem 

 to have been studied since it was detected and described by Will in 

 1844. The female, with the male fixed to it, is quite enclosed in the 

 gall which contains a nutritive fluid. The eggs develop within the 

 gall on to the nauplius stage. It seems that the parasitism begins 

 during or soon after that stage. The systematic position of Staurosoma 

 among Copepods must be a very isolated one. 



Australian Phyllopods.| — 0. A. Sayce has aimed at presenting a 

 complete catalogue of the Australian Phyllopods. He has re-described 

 and figured more amply those which seemed to need it, and has given 

 sufficient descriptive detail for a fairly accurate identification of the 

 various forms. Six new species are described, and it has been found 

 necessary to institute two new genera, — Parartemia, which differs from 

 Artemia in the shape of the prehensile antennas of the male, and of 

 the ovisac of the female, and in some other features ; and Branchinella, 

 which is closely allied to Branchipus. 



Annulata. 



Typical Chloragogen of OligochaBta.J — D. Rosa has made an 

 elaborate study of the typical chloragogen in Tubifex, Fredericia, Lum- 

 iricus, Allolobophora, &c. It is a modified peritoneum ; its elements 

 are never derived from lymphocytes and never give origin to lympho- 

 cytes ; the bases of the chloragocytes- always adhere to the walls of 

 vessels, strictly to the matrix of their internal cuticle. 



In lower Oligochaets the chloragocytes have contiguous basal plates 

 forming a continuous investment. The subjacent muscle-fibres are 

 variously altered in relation to the development of the chloragogen. 

 The transformation of peritoneum into chloragogen may occur on the 

 intestine, on the vessels entering the dorsal vessel, on the dorsal vessel, 

 on the initial tract of the vessels leaving the dorsal vessel. 



The function of chloragogen is essentially excretory, but it may 

 also accumulate reserves, especially fat-globules. The excretory sub- 

 stances are represented by yellow chloragosomes, semi-liquid globules, 

 formed in the cells out of materials received from the intestinal blood- 

 vessels. The excretory materials accumulate slowly in the chloragocytes, 

 and their rupture into the ccelom is more or less accidental, not 

 essential. 



Atlantic Palolo.§ — A. G. Mayer gives an account of the Atlantic 

 Palolo (Eunice fucata Ehlers). It is found at the Dry Tortugas, Florida, 

 and lives within disintegrating coral rock or coquina from below low- 

 tide level to a depth of at least six fathoms. Its breeding habits are 

 closely similar to those of the well-known Pacific Palolo-worm, Eunice 

 viridis. 



* Comptes Rendus, cxxxiv. (1902) pp. 1314-7. 



t Proc. R. Soc. Victoria, xv. (1903) pp. 224-61 (10 pis.). 



% Mem. R. Accad. Sci. Torino, lii. (1903) pp. 119-44 (1 pi.). 



§ Science Bull. Brooklyn Museum, i. (1902) No. 3, pp. 93-103 (1 pi. aud 2 figs.). 



