It, SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Hamapoietic Function of Spleen in Embryo Bird. *— J. Jolly 

 finds in the embryo of the fowl convincing evidence of the formation 

 of both granular leucocytes and red blood corpuscles. In the embryos 

 of the duct the formation of granular leucocytes was also observed. 



Function of Bursa Fabricii.t— J. Jolly finds in the embryo chick 

 distinct evidence of the hsemapoietic function of this organ. During 

 the second half of incubation, it gives rise to lymphocytes in its follicles, 

 and also in its connective tissue to granular leucocytes and white blood 

 corpuscles. Thus, like the spleen, it has to some extent and for some 

 time, the same function as the osseous medulla. 



Notes on the Robber Frog.}— John K. Strecker, jun., discusses 

 LUhodyies latrans, a peculiar and little known Batrachian of Texas. It 

 is very terrestrial, and thoroughly nocturnal except at the breeding 

 season, which is very early in the year (February). It presents a rather 

 unusual appearance" for a frog, on account of its proportions and its 

 peculiar method of elevating the body. As a rule it retreats into holes 

 and fissures on the slightest alarm. Its voice is a short dog-like bark, 

 ending in a metallic ring. 



Heart of Lungless Urodela.§ — E. G. Dehaut has studied the state 

 of the heart in the species of Euproctus, which inhabit the mountains 

 of Corsica and Sardinia, and are entirely lungless. In other cases it 

 has been reported that lungless Urodela have a rudimentary left auricle, 

 or have the two auricles united by the disappearance of the auricular 

 septum. But in E. rusconii, at least, Dehaut finds that the two auricles, 

 which are situated to the left of the ventricle, are very distinct. 



Fossil Lepidosirenidae.|| — Ernst Stromer reports from the Lower 

 Oligocene of Egypt the occurrence of teeth belonging to Protopterus 

 off. sethiopicus Heckel, to Protopterus off. annectens Owen, to Lepidosiren 

 aff. paradom Natterer, and to Protopterus libycus sp. n., which helps to 

 link the two genera. He discusses the dentition of recent Lepido- 

 sirenidae, and the distribution and phylogeny of the Dipnoan stock. 



Colour-change in Fishes.^f — Karl von Frisch has made experiments 

 with trout and minnow as to the relation of the pigment-cells to the 

 nervous system. As Pouchet showed long ago, the sympathetic nervous 



tern is immediately concerned. The author has shown that the 

 nerve-fibres which control the pigment-cells pass out at a precise spot 

 from the spinal cord into the sympathetic, and pass with it forwards 

 and backwards. But he has gone further. He has succeeded in showing 

 that there is in the anterior end of the medulla a special centre whose 

 stimulus brings on a lighter colour — i.e. contraction of the chromato- 

 phores. 



* C.R. Soc. Biol., lxx. (1911) pp. 259-61. t Tom. cit., pp. 493-500. 



\ Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis, xix. (1910) pp. 73-82. 

 § C.R. Soc. Biol., lxx. (1911) pp. 271-2. 

 | Festschrift Richard Hertwig, ii. (1910) pp. 611-24 (1 p\). 

 f Op. cit., iii. (l'JIO) pp. 15-28 (2 pis. and 3 figs.). 



