636 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



— the anterior one corresponding exactly to the glandula infundibuli of 

 Urodela, the posterior one being a new structure altogether. Boeke's 

 view that the infundibulum is to be regarded as a sensory organ finds 

 fresh support in Bochenek's demonstration of the nerve-strand above 

 mentioned. 



Structure and Function of Thymus in Teleosteans.* — T. Prymak 

 has studied this in Gobio fiuviatilis, Carassins auratus, Corvina nigra, 

 and Stromateus fiatola. He supports Beard's conclusion that the thymus 

 is the first and original source of the leucocytes. In every case he 

 found that leucocytes passed in large numbers from the thymus, through 

 the thin epithelial layer, into the branchial cavity. Quantities of leuco- 

 cytes were likewise found on the gills or in their immediate vicinity. 

 It seems plausible to conclude, with Beard, that the emigrant leucocytes 

 act as phagocytes, dealing with the numerous micro-organisms about the 

 gills. 



The degeneration of the thymus is characterised by the appearance 

 of empty spaces vacated by the leucocytes, which have passed, into the 

 blood-vessels or migrated from the thymus, or changed into red blood- 

 corpuscles which by-and-by break up into finely granular substance. 

 Another characteristic is the appearance of concentric (Hassal's) cor- 

 puscles. These are not due to remains of epithelial cells, but arise, 

 according to the author, from obliterated blood-vessels. 



Supra-renal Bodies of Plagiostomes.t — E. Grynfeltt has examined 

 these bodies in twenty-four species, and finds the same general structure 

 throughout. They consist of an epithelial mass of chromaffine cells 

 surrounded by a delicate capsule, and traversed solely by capillaries 

 and terminal nerve-fibres. The nerve-fibres penetrate into the paren- 

 chyma among the chromaffine cells, in contact with which they end freely. 



Inter-renal Body of Plagiostomes4 — E. Grynfeltt communicates 

 some details in regard to this puzzling- body. It is typically a paired 

 organ. Its structure is that of a blood-gland, consisting of flexuous 

 cellular strands, anastomosing in a kind of network with voluminous 

 capillaries in the meshes. The cellular strands are enveloped in a 

 delicate membrane ; they are usually solid, but have internal spaces in 

 Hyliobatis. The cells of the inter-renal body are remarkable for their 

 abundant content of fat. 



Plasmic Appearance of Metaphosphate of Calcium.§ — A. L. 

 Merrera gives descriptions and photomicrographs of the cell-like 

 appearances obtainable from enmlsions of metaphosphate of lime in 

 salt water. He suggests that living matter may have metaphosphate of 

 lime as its foundation. 



c. General. 



Classification. || — J. Stanley Gardiner criticises adversely Bernard's 

 proposal to classify by localities. The specimens of a collection are to 

 be divided into the forms for each locality, and each form is to be 

 termed X. loc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, &c. in accordance with the number of forms 

 in that locality. 



* Anat. Anzeig, xxi. (1902) pp. 164-77 (2 figs.). 



t Coniptes Eendus, cxxxv. (1902) pp. 373-4. % Tom. cit., pp. 439-41. 



§ Mem. Soc. Cient. Antonio Alzate, xvii. (1902) pp. 201-13 (S figs.;. 

 || Proc. Cambridge Phil. Soc, xi. (1902) pp. 123-7. 



