ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MIOKOSCOPY, ETC. 453 



ova, the villous processes or flagella take part ; and they multiply 

 greatly at this stage, and the villous epithelium is transformed into a 

 flagellate epithelium. The dense plasma-zone around the nuclei of the 

 villi becomes much richer than usual in supporting-fibres. The outer 

 muscular layer of the vagina and uterus becomes unnecessary, as the 

 uterine contents are moved onwards by the flagella, and the muscle and 

 cnticular cells disappear, except in the seminal sacs and the vulvar 

 section of the vagina. There remains only the epithelial layer, the 

 basal membrane of which thickens. After the formation of the 

 spermatid sac on the utero-vaginal border, the female is ready for pair- 

 ing. The vaginal epithelium in the muscle-free region becomes 

 reticular substance, thus considerably enlarging the vaginal space. At 

 the time of pairing, the spermatids find the whole apparatus for forward- 

 ing them to the seminal sac in readiness. For the expulsion of the 

 spermatids from the spermatid vesicle there is no mechanism except the 

 flagella of the villous epithelium, for the walls of the vesicle are non- 

 muscular. Their further progress is secured in the same way. The 

 refractive corpuscles are liberated in the vagina and the spermatid sac. 

 The observer was able to detect the movement of the flagella of the 

 villous cells, and considers himself justified in assuming that in the 

 transport of spermatids to the seminal pockets they act as cilia. Morpho- 

 logical arguments in support of this conclusion are adduced from 

 the observations of Hamaun. Spermatozoa do undoubtedly occur in 

 the farrows of the uterine villous epithelium, but these, the author con- 

 siders, have simply been carried out from the seminal pockets with the 

 ova, and they degenerate. They have not been seen in the villous 

 epithelium of the vagina, and no positive proof of their movement from 

 the lower section of the uterus to the seminal pockets has so far been 

 given. Nor has the amoeboid movement of the mature spermatozoa, 

 the observer maintains, been sufficiently proved. In regard to the much 

 discussed question of the drops of secretion so often observed on the 

 villous epithelium of the uterus in Ascaris, Tretjakoff inclines to the 

 opinion that these are connected with the motor activity of the proto- 

 plasm. He notes that the cells of the uterus regulate and control the 

 formation of the vacuoles and vesicles. The alveolar layer of the villous 

 processes is also of the nature of a secretion, but in that case the vesicles 

 remain as an integral part of the structure of the processes or flagella. 



Platyhelminth.es. 



Studies on Fistulicola plicatus.* — E. Rudin has made a histo- 

 logical study of this tapeworm from the rectum of a sword-fish. It 

 seems that the sword-fish is infected by pleroceroids, and that the young 

 tapeworms fasten themselves first to the mucous membrane of the intes- 

 tine. They force their way into the wall, and the scolex is surrounded 

 by a cyst due to the host. The part immediately after the scolex 

 retains its original thickness ; it is the " neck " which traverses the 

 intestinal wall. Gradually, the scolex within the cyst suffers degenera- 

 tion. In some cases the cyst may project into the body-cavity. The 



* Rev. Suisse Zool., xxii. (1914) No. 11, pp. 321-63 (2 pis. and 10 figs.). 



