ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 57 



Notes on Acinetaria.* — B. Collins describes Ephelota gemmipara 

 Herfcwig and Hypocoma acinetarum sp. n. The former has buds at once 

 tentaculate and ciliated, as Ishikawa observed in the case of E. biitsch- 

 liana. Multiplication occurs by transverse (never longitudinal) fission, 

 by multiple ovoid, tentaculate, non-ciliated buds, and by multiple ciliated 

 buds, which, as noted, sometimes show tentacles before their separation 

 from the parent. A full account of the structure of the animal is given, 

 but the results are mainly in agreement with those of R. Hertwig. It is 

 noted, however, that there is a horse-shoe of large cilia on the dorsal 

 surface of the embryo. The new species of Hypocoma lives on the 

 stalk of Ephelota and on Acineta compressa ; it has a secondarily acquired 

 asymmetry ; there is a single ventral tentacle and an interesting posterior 

 invagination ; the ciliation is in concentric ellipses. It seems that Hypo- 

 coma is not a primitive type — a possible starting-point for the Acine- 

 taria and derived from Uhilodon. It is rather a highly specialised 

 terminal type, morphologically deformed. The affinities between Acine- 

 taria and Ciliata should probably be looked for in the direction of 

 the Peritricha, 



Trypanosomes of the Upper Niger. f— A. Laveran has sought ex- 

 perimentally to clear up the difficult question of the specific nature of 

 the agents in the Trypanosome diseases of this region. Two oxen in- 

 oculated with the virus of " Mai de la Zousfana " and " El Debab," and 

 quite cured, showed themselves completely refractory to Trypanosoma 

 soudanmse, whence it may be concluded that the Trypanosome of these 

 diseases is really T. soudanense. It is of interest to note that the 

 Trypanosome observed in horses and dromedaries in Algeria exists also 

 in the Upper Niger. It is possible that the centre of infection is this 

 latter region, and that transportation to Algeria is effected by the caravans 

 coming from Timbuctoo. 



Role of the Spleen in Trypanosomiasis.! — A. Laveran and 

 Thiroux have looked into this important subject. They find that the 

 Trypanosomes found in the spleen during life, or even after death, 

 have the same structure as those taken from the general circulation. 

 Extract of spleen has not, in vitro, trypanolytic properties, nor in animals 

 whose spleen is removed is trypanosomiasis sensibly modified. In 

 trypanosomiasis, as in malaria, the spleen, without doubt, contributes to 

 the freeing of the circulation from the debris of the hsematozoa follow- 

 ing trypanolytic crises, but this seems to be all that it can do. 



Trypanosome of Pontobdella inuricata.§— Muriel Robertson re- 

 cords her observations on a Trypanosome from the alimentary canal of 

 Pontobdella mvricata. She agrees with Brumpt that this is probably the 

 Trypanosoma rake of the skate. It is evidently of frequent occurrence 

 in Pontobdella, since of 60 specimens examined only one failed to yield 

 examples. A series of forms is described, and points in their minute 

 structure, e.g. the kinetonucleus, are discussed. The flagellum appears to 



* Arch. Zool. Exper.,vii. (1907) Notes et Revue, No. 4, pp. xciii.-ciii. (3 figs.). 

 t Comptes Rendus, cxlv. (1907) pp. 293-5. J Tom. cit., pp. 14-18. 



§ Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc, xvii. (1907) pp. 83-108 (4 pis.). 



