SUMMARY OF CUKUENT IIESEAECHES 



RELATING TO 



ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY 



(principally invertebrata and cryptogamia), 



MICROSCOPY, Etc.* 



ZOOLOCxY. 



VERTEBRATA. 



«• Embryolog-y.t 



Structure of Spermatozoa.* — Christiau Champy has observed in 

 the spermatids of Batrachians the developaient of an apparatus which 

 determines the torsion of the spermatozoon. The name axostyle or 

 spirostvle is proposed. It appears in the nucleus of the spermatids, 

 when they begin to elongate, as an axial rod extending from the acro- 

 some to the posterior central corpuscles. It twists upon itself, and 

 involves the nucleus and cytoplasm. The twisting is often very clear in 

 the spermatogenesis, but is effaced in the finished spermatozoa. The 

 axial filament remains demonstrable in the spermatozoa of Alytes^ 

 Bo77ihmafor, and some others. In the frog the spirostyle is visible for a 

 short time during spermatogenesis, but disappears later. In some 

 spermatozoa it is a " vestigial organ." 



In cock and pigeon there is a similar axial rod starting from the 

 acrosome, whose spiroid form has been known for long. A similar 

 structure occurs in some Eeptiles. It is slightly developed, vestigial and 

 transitory in Mammals. 



So-called Interstitial Cells of Chicken Testis. § — Alice M. Boring 

 finds no cells in the interstitial tissue in the young or old chicken testis 

 with the cell bodies differentiated from the connective tissue fibres. No 

 evidence has been found that differences in shape of the nuclei are 

 indicative of functional differences in the various cells of the interstitial 

 tissue. On the contrary, it appears that these differences in shape 



* The Society are not intended to be denoted by the editorial " we," and they 

 do not hold themselves responsible for the views of the authors of the papers 

 noted, nor for any claim to novelty or otherwise made by them. The object of 

 this part of the Journal is to present a summary of the papers as actually pub- 

 lished, and to describe and illustrate Instruments, Apparatus, etc., which are 

 either new or have not been previously described in this country. 



t This section includes not only papers relating to Embryology properly so 

 called, but also those dealing with Evolution, Development, Reproduction, and 

 allied subjects. 



: C.K Soc. Biol. Paris Ixxiv. (1913) pp. 663-4. 



§ Biol. Bull, xxiii. (1912) pp. 141-53), 9 figs. 



June 18th, 1913 u 



