"298 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



is then discussed, and illustrated with maps. The systematic survey 

 follows, and we must at least notice the excellence of the numerous 

 illustrations. 



Excretory Organs of Amphioxus.* — E. S. Goodrich finds that the 

 Fadenzellen described by Boveri round the funnels of the excretory 

 tubules of Amphioxus, are in reality typical solenocytes, such as Goodrich 

 has described in the Glyceridas, Phyllodocidte, Alciopidaa, and Neph- 

 thyidae. Hitherto these excretory cells have been known only at the 

 inner end of nephridia which end blindly, having no direct communica- 

 tion with the coelom, and this is true of the excretory organ of an adult 

 Amphioxus. It is more or less branched, and the branches bear in- 

 numerable solenocytes with narrow thread-like tubes of remarkable 

 length. At the distal end of each tube is situated the cell-body and 

 nucleus, and inside it vibrates a flagellum which passes into the lumen 

 of the excretory canal. It may be concluded that, in their function, 

 segmental arrangement, and detailed histological structure, the excretory 

 organs of Amphioxus are essentially identical with the nephridia of 

 certain Polychset worms. 



Monstrosity in a Trout.f — Prof. E. Yung describes a malformation 

 in the head of a rainbow trout (Salmo iridens), which, unlike most 

 monstrous tfouts, lived a considerable time — 22 months, feeding solely 

 on Tubifex. It had one eye, situated on the left, and it invariably 

 moved in circles around an imaginary axis on its left side. The man- 

 dible was prolonged, the upper jaw greatly reduced. Great abnormalities 

 were found in the brain ; the first and third vesicles had been arrested 

 in development and had thereafter suffered degeneration of the nervous 

 tissue to the right side ; the second vesicle was confluent with the third 

 and was also very degenerate. 



Questions of Nomenclature.! — Dr. C. W. Stiles discusses certain 

 questions of nomenclature as applied to parasites and with special refer- 

 ence to the work of Looss. We cannot do more than quote the headings 

 of a few sections : — The law of priority, at what date should the law of 

 priority become operative ? the rule of homonyms, is there any disgrace 

 connected with synonyms ? method of proposing a new genus or species, 

 are patronymic names to be censured ? 



Occurrence of Compounds of Phosphorus in Invertebrates.§ — 

 Jean Gautrelet finds that in Crustaceans and Molluscs — many examples 

 — the blood and the shell both contain phosphorus in mineral and in 

 organic compounds. In the crustacean carapace the amount of mineral 

 phosphatic compounds was found to be much less than previous investi- 

 gators had computed. 



Biological Theory of Vision.||— Georges Bohn refers underthis title 

 to his speculations in regard to the origin of pigment and the role of 

 pigment in vision. Arguing against Pizon, he maintains that the light- 

 waves are translated into intra-molecular movements and that the luminous 



* Proc. Roy. Boo., lxix. (1902) pp. 350-1. 



t Rev. Suisse Zool., ix. (1901) pp. 307-13 (3 fi> s .) 



X Zool. Jahrb., xv. (1901) pp. 157-208. 



§ Comptes Rendus, exxxiv. (1902) pp. 186-8. || Tom. cit,, pp. 184-6. 



