ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 351 



movement, but it at first stimulates and afterwards inhibits neuro- 

 muscular movements. Weak acids (H ion) at first depress and afterwards 

 permit recovery of ciliary movement, but they at first stimulate and 

 afterwards depress neuromuscular movement. The discovery of this 

 converse relation makes apparent the incompleteness of existing theories 

 of animal locomotion. 



Cutaneous Scent-glands of Ruminants.* — R. I. Pocock gives a 

 careful description of the various types of cutaneous scent-glands — pedal, 

 carpal, tarsal, metatarsal, pre-orbital, inguinal, and some others of less 

 common occurrence. He discusses the structure of the glands and the 

 systematic results to be derived from them. The interpretation of the 

 use of the glands in keeping the individuals of a species together is 

 corroborated. There is a good deal of evidence that the pre-orbital 

 gland has a sexual significance, at all events in part. That each scent 

 tells its own tale to other members of the species seems almost beyond 

 doubt. 



It is probable that all the pre-orbital glands arose from simple in- 

 tegumental thickenings, with enlarged sebaceous and sweat glands, and 

 the same may be said of many others. The inguinal glands are closely 

 connected with the mammary glands, and the secretion appears to be 

 actually derived from the mammary glands. 



Evidence is brought forward in support of the view that the glandular 

 pedal pockets are the remnants, specialized for the secretion of scented 

 material, of a primitive anterior interdigital cleft. The reduction or 

 disappearance of the interdigital clefts is interpreted in relation to 

 strengthening the feet, and the retention or loss of the pedal glands is 

 interpreted in an interesting way in relation to varieties of habit. 



Descent of Cattle.f — J. Cossar Ewart has investigated skulls of oxen 

 from the Roman Station at Newstead, Melrose. The examination lent 

 support neither to the descent of all European cattle from the Urus 

 (Bos primigenius) nor to the descent of all European, Indian, and African 

 breeds from the Asiatic Urus (B. nomadicus). 



The Celtic shorthorn (B. longifrons) is probably more intimately 

 related to the zebu of India (B. indicus) than to the European Urus. 



Long premaxillae are usually correlated with an occiput of the 

 B. primigenius type, while short premaxilla? are usually correlated with 

 an occiput of the B. acutifrons type. 



Polled black Galloway cattle and polled white " wild " Cadzow cattle 

 are intimately related to the Urus. Flat-polled Aberdeen-Angus cattle 

 probably include amongst their ancestors an ancient Oriental race now 

 represented by, amongst others, a Syrian breed with rudimentary horns. 

 Round-polled" cattle may belong to a still more ancient Oriental race 

 descended from B. acutifrons of the Punjab Sivaliks. 



Head of Kogia Breviceps4 — Ed. Danvis gives an account of the 

 structure of the head in this curious Odontocete, a specimen of which 

 was stranded near Roscoff in 1905. He calls attention to such features 



* Proc. Zool. Soc, 1910, pp. 840-986 (G2 figs.). 



t Zoological Soc. Rep. (Feb. 7, 1911). See Geol. Mag., viii. (1911) pp. 141-2. 



% Arch. Zool. Exper., vi. (1910) pp. 149-74 (4 pis. and 5 figs.). 



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