426 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



similar to those which obtain in the case of the intestinal epithelium. 

 The protoplasm of the cells does not remain passive in relation to the 

 surrounding medium, but actively regulates the absorption of fat 

 globules. Fat coloured with sudan was traced from the maternal 

 alimentary system to the foetal blood. 



Crystalloids in Amphioxus.*— H. Joseph finds in the epidermal 

 cells of Amphioxus peculiar " crystalloids " in the form of granules or 

 of rods which often fill the whole cell. 



Tentacle Apparatus of Dactyletra calcarata.t — L. Cohn has 

 made a detailed study of the tentacles in this anourous amphibian. They 

 occur one below each eye, are differently developed in different species, 

 and have been used accordingly in species diagnosis. When the tentacle 

 is extended an end opening may be seen with the unaided eye ; they are 

 tubular, and Cohn finds that their canal is continuous with a special 

 diverticulum of the nasal cavity. Their walls possess well developed 

 circular muscles, and it is suggested their function may be the ejection 

 of nasal secretion, but no definite conclusion can at present be stated. 



Cytological Changes in Kidney.J — F. Schmitter has investigated 

 a variety of structural appearances of pathological kidney tissue. He 

 finds that the kidney of the cat exhibits vesicles, foam-structure, im- 

 brication, brush borders, vacuoles and canals, under different conditions 

 of treatment by maceration in distilled water and salt solution of varying 

 strengths. 



Chromaffin Tissue in Birds.§ — W. Kose has investigated this 

 tissue in a number of birds, and gives a summary of his results on the 

 paraganglion caroticum, the paraganglion suprarenal, the chromaffin 

 tissue of the sympathetic, and paraganglia unconnected with the sym- 

 pathetic system. 



Elastic Tissue of Prostate. || — A. Cosentino gives a full account of 

 the distribution of this tissue in man and various mammals. On the 

 whole there is very little variation. In the cat and dog the prostate 

 surrounds the whole of the urethra, and the seminiferous ducts traverse 

 the whole as in man. There is a very intimate connection between the 

 prostate fibres and those of the urethra. In other animals the prostate 

 only touches the dorsal face of the urethra and most of the gland is 

 quite independent of the ejaculatory ducts and of the urethra. The 

 only point at which there is a certain similarity of distribution of the 

 elastic tissue in these two types is in the tract nearest to the verumon- 

 tanum. The periurethral elastic fibres in the latter group at the level 

 of the verumontanum debouch into the urethra, but in part it appears 

 they re-enter the elastic system of the prostate. This distribution 

 modifies the acinose structure. Numerous other details are given in the 

 paper. 



* Auat. Anzeig., xxv. (1904) Erg'anzungsheft, pp. 105-12 (8 figs.). 

 t Zeiischr. wiss. Zool., Ixxviii. (1905) pp. 620-44 (1 pi.). 

 X Anat. Anzeig., xxvi. (1905) pp. 347-51. 

 § Op. cit.. xxv. (1904) pp. 609-17. 

 || Op. cit, xxvi. (1905) pp. 293-317. 



