299 



SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES 



RELATING TO 



ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY 



(principally invertebrata and cryptogamia), 



MICEOSCOPY, Etc.* 



ZOOLOGY. 



VERTEBRATA. 



'J't Embryolog-y, Evolution, Heredity, Reproduction, 

 and Allied Subjects. 



Interstitial Cells in Ovary of Bats. — M. Athias {Arch. Biol., 1919, 

 30, 89-212, 1 pi.). Interstitial glandular tissue was found in all the 

 bats studied ; in Vespertilionid^ it forms the greater part of the ovarian 

 stroma ; in Rhinolophidae it is much less developed ; it occurs in the 

 ovaries of the foetus and the young animal, as well as in adults. During 

 pregnancy and lactation the interstitial tissue is at its maximum ; in 

 autumn it suffers considerable reduction ; towards the middle of winter 

 it begins to increase again. The tissue consists of masses of cells 

 separated by a connective reticulum, rich in blood vessels. In this 

 respect the architecture is like that of an endocrine gland. In 

 Yespertilionid^ the interstitial cells occupy the whole extent of the 

 cortical or parenchymatous zone of the ovary, but always leave a clear 

 band at the periphery below the germinative epitheliam. This more 

 or less narrow band includes the young oocytes and the primordial 

 follicles. The medullary zone, the importance of which varies a good 

 deal in different species, contains the same elements, isolated or in small 

 groups. In the Rhinolophidas the interstitial elements are situated 

 round about the atresic follicles, and there are also sometimes masses in 

 the inter-follicular spaces and in the vascular zone of the ovary. 

 The interstitial cells have glandular characters — abundant chondriome, 

 enclosures of lipoid substance, siderophilous protoplasm, and nuclei 

 marked by very distinct polychromaticity. The chondriome consists 

 of chondrioconts and mitochondria. The lipoid enclosures are certainly 

 the results of secretory processes. In young females the interstitial 



* The Society does not hold itself responsible for the views of the authors 

 of the papers abstracted. The object of this part of the Journal is to present 

 a summary of the papers as actually published, and to describe and illustrate 

 Instruments, Apparatus, etc., which are either new or have not been previously 

 described in this country. 



