ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 679 



H. Strahl * describes the semiplacenta diffusa incompleta of Tragulus 

 javanicus, and the simple and double discoidal placenta of American 

 monkeys. 



Foetal Membranes.f— A. J. Resink discusses the stages in the 

 development of the foetal membranes, distinguishing arch-embryonic, 

 arch-placentar, and neo-placentar stages, and attempting a phyletic 

 interpretation. But we cannot do more than record the subject of his 

 investigation. 



Development of Chromosomes in the Selachian Ovum.} — J. 

 Marechal describes the various stages in the development of the chromo- 

 somes in the ovum of Pristiurus, ScyUium, and other Selachians. He 

 discusses the resting stage, the interruption of the rest and the re- 

 constitution of the chromosomes, the synapsis, the dissolution of the 

 compact mass of synapsis threads, the thick coil (noyaux pachytenes), 

 the doubling of the chromosomes, and the growth period (strepsinema, 

 noyaux diplotenes). He suggests a hypothetical answer — the Verkle- 

 lungstheorie of von Winiwarter— to the two questions : (1) what is the 

 import of the anti-synaptic duplicity of the threads and the post-synaptic 

 doubling of the chromosomes of the thick coil ; and (2) how the 

 numerical reduction of chromosomes is effected. 



Spermatophores of Newts.§ — The late E. v. Zeller left a manu- 

 script memoir on the spermatophores of newts and their relation 

 to the cloacal gland. This has been edited by C. B. Klunzinger and 

 E. Jacob. The gelatinous spermatophores are vase-like, with an 

 adhesive stalk and a cup which bears the mass of spermatozoa. They 

 differ in details in the various species of Triton, and the author described 

 those of T. alpestris, T. cristatus, and T. tmiiatus-palmatus, T. viridescens, 

 T. torosus, and other species. The vase is composed of large gelatinous 

 spheres, closely apposed like a mosaic, each a peculiarly modified cell. It 

 is formed by the cloacal gland, and each of the numerous tubules of the 

 gland forms a gelatinous sphere. The stalk is fixed to the substratum 

 after expulsion from the cloaca, and almost simultaneously it is filled 

 with sperms. Sometimes as many as five are fixed and filled in rapid 

 succession. The author gave full details of the whole process, and of 

 the way in which the female secures the spermatophores. The nature 

 and function of the ventral and pelvic glands is also discussed. 



Corpuscle of Human Sperm-Cells.|| — Wederhake has investigated 

 the question of the " Eimerian " corpuscle, and finds that it does not 

 occur in every sperm head, but only in some. It is to be found con- 

 stantly in the spermatids which have a certain differentiation of the 

 nucleus. The corpuscle, on account of its position, structure, staining 

 ■capacity, and occurrence in a definite type of sperm cell, and also its 

 relation to the development of the nucleus of the sperm, is to be 

 regarded as a corpuscle sui generis. Analogy with Meves's observations 



* Anat. Anzeig., xxvi. (1905) pp. 425-30. 



t Tijdsclir. Nederland. Dierk. Yer., viii.(1904) pp. 159-201 (1 pi.). 



X Anat. Anzeig., xxv. (1904) pp. 383-98 (25 nVs.). 



| Zeitschr. wiss. Zool., Ixxix. (1905) pp. 171-221 (2 pis.). 



|| Anat. Anzeig., xxvii. (1905) pp. 326-33. 



