On the Foetal Membranes 

 of Chelonia. 



(Contributions to the Embryology of Reptilia H-') 



by 



K. lYIitSukuri, Ph. D., Riéakuhakushi. 

 Professor of Zoolofry, Imperial University. 



With Plates I— X. 



Om- k'iio\vl('<luc ()(■ Hie I'd'tnl iiicirilii-;m('> <»f Kc))tili:i is conrrsycdly 

 slill very impovfoci. It is o'onenilly assimu'd that they rosoiiil)lt' 

 luoi'c or less closely tliosc of liirds. K;)IIikor is nlt<\oothci' silcMit, 

 I'.aliniir oivcs very ine:»ure information, on the siihjeet in thrii' respec- 

 tive treatises on Enil)ryoloo-y, wliilc llert\\iii- in liis Lelirluich treats 

 Reptilia thronglioiit as |)resentin,ii- the sanic appearan<'es as liinls on 

 this point, Ueeently Strahl (Xo. ô), llollnian (Xos. i] & 7). Kavn 

 (Xo. 0) ami IV'ivnvi (Xo. K!) have toin-lic«! on the siihjeet hut their 

 ohservations are eoniined mostly to the earlier stages. 



Whilst eollectiim- eml)ryos of Chelonia, I beenme aware of the 

 fai't that there are sonu- very notal)le ieatures presented hy the fœtal 

 )uem1)ranes of these animals which, so far as T am aware, liave 

 hitlua-to heeii entii'ely o\ crlookcil. These features a) )peared to me so 

 remai-kahle and interesting tiiar I thought it wortli while to inves- 



* I shall consider th«^ article on " the Ponnation of tlie Germinal Layers in Chelonia '' 

 by Mr. Ishilcawa atul uiyself, and iiuhlishe<l in tliis .Tournai Vo|. 1 and also in Quart. .Tnnr. of 

 Micro. Sei. Vol. 27 as the first of this series of C(.n(rilintion.« to llio Euil.ryoh)oy of Ifeptilia. 



