ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 43 



families, dates back as far as the \Yasatch Eocene. It seemed probable 

 that the ear-ossicles, hitherto nndescribed, would throw interesting light 

 on the relationships of the genus. It was found that the incus and 

 stapes, while possessing marked characters, are not fundamentally 

 different from those of the Sciurida^. The malleus, on the other hand, 

 possesses the lamina and processus cephalicus so characteristic of the 

 Myomorpha, but, lacks the orbicular apophysis. The presence of tbe 

 cephalic process and lamina fits in with the view that Aplodontia, in spite 

 of some obvious specializations, is probably the most primitive living 

 Sciuromorph. 



Atrophy of Right Superior Vena cava on Sheep.* — Louis Calvet 

 calls attention to a case of the complete obliteration of the right 

 superior vena cava. A similar abnormality has been recorded in man. 

 The variation recorded is the only one which Calvet observed in about 

 3,000 hearts supplied to his students for dissection, but he notes that in 

 many cases they were supplied with the vessels a good deal cut. 



Role of Tins in Teleosts with Swim-bladder.f — L. Boutan ha& 

 experimented with Mugil capito, Lahrus bergylta, and Carassius auratus, 

 and finds that the fins (paired and unpaired) are not indispensable for 

 securing equilibrium. Even in fishes, with the centre of gravity very 

 high, and equilibrium in the normal position very unstable, balance is- 

 maintained by movements at the end of the trunk or of the opercula. 



Poison of MuraBna.l — W. Kopaczewski finds that a dose of 1-5 milli- 

 grammes of the poison of Mureena helena is fatal to a guinea-pig ; that 

 violent shocks are produced, but death is never instantaneous ; that the 

 poison is very stable in heat, retaining its virulence after 15 minutes' 

 warming at 75° C. ; that boiling destroys the toxicity ; that the strong 

 hemolytic power is conserved even after heating at 75° C. 



Serum of Mursena.§ — "W. Kopaczewski finds that when the toxic 

 serum of this eel {Mursena helena) has been rendered inactive, by 

 exposure to physical influences (such as heat, ultra-violet rays, and 

 prolonged preservation), there are profound changes in its ultra- 

 microscopic structure. The micellfe, separate from one another and 

 exhibiting a lively Brownian movement, form united groups and lose 

 their movement. By artificial alterations in the surface tension of the 

 serum subjected to the influence of destructive physical agents it is 

 possible to facilitate or retard the appearance of micellar agglomerations,, 

 and ipso facto facilitate or retard the disappearance of the toxicity. 



Toxicity of Serum of MuraBna.]] — W. Kopaczewski finds that the 

 serum of this fish lowers the surface tension of the serum of animals, 



* Bull. Soc. Zool. France, xli. (1917) pp. 81-5 (2 figs.), 

 t Comptes Eendus, clxv. (1917) pp. 801-3. 

 i Comptes Rendus. clxv. (1917) pp. 513-5. 

 § Comptes Rendus, clxv. (1917) pp. 725-7. 

 11 Comptes Rendus, clxv. (1917) pp. 803-6. 



