BaJ.LETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 107 



fluid, wliich, under the microscope, with a power of 450 diameters, 

 showed a great uumber of spermatozoa, in the liveliest motion, and in. 

 which head and tail were evi- 

 dently visible. There could be 

 no doubt that I had found a sex- 

 ually mature male of Conger vul- 

 garis. Two fragments of the roe 

 were laid aside for further in- 

 vestigation, and the eel, which 

 was 28 inches long, was prepared 

 first in alcohol and then in Wick- 

 ersheimer fluid. 



In the paper before us Dr. 

 Jacoby presents a full anatomi- 

 cal description of the generative 

 organs of the conger as demon- 

 strated by himself and Dr. Rabl- 

 Eiickhard. It seems unneces- 

 sary to repeat this description 

 since the organs are very similar 

 to those in the common eel. By 

 the kindness of Dr. Hermes we 

 are permitted to reproduce the 

 drawings which accomjiany this 

 description. 



Compared with the descrip- 

 tion of the roe and the figure of 

 the organ found by Syrski and 

 by me, called ' lappen organ,' a 

 great similarity is noticed be- 

 tween them. It must be borne 

 in mint] that in this case we were 

 comparing the entirely undevel- 

 oped organs of the eel with the 

 fully ripe reproductive organs of 

 the Conger, so every doubt as to 

 the male nature of the Syrskian 

 organs ought to be thrown aside. 

 Also in the comparison of the size 

 of the male with that of the fe- 

 male the Conger shows the same 

 relations as the eel investigated 

 by Syrski, to wit : that the males 

 are smaller than the females. 



It is well known, as Yon Siebold remarks, that young eels, ascending 

 the rivers, develoi)ed into females and that the males remain in the sea 



Fig, 10.. 



■C TTndevelnped reproductive organ of a female 

 Conger -eel, 34 inches long, J natural size. 



a. Stomach. 



b. Cffical appendage. 



c. Spleen. 



d. Liver. 



e. Kight ovary. 

 e'. Left ovary". 

 /. Air-l>la(l(ler. 

 g. Gall-bladder. 

 h. Anal aperture. 

 m. I^rinary bladder. 

 p. End of left ovary. 



