610 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. 



SO anomalous would be the origin alleged, tlie statement lias been 

 regarded with skepticism. Prof. Anton Dolirn lias recently studied 

 the subject, and he thinks "the question is solved" by him, but in a 

 way different from what either Balfour or Scott supposed. " The hy- 

 pophysis arises rather as an independent depression of the ectoderm 

 between the depressions for the nose and the mouth. Its connection 

 with the nasal depression is only secondary, and is caused by the strong 

 and early development of the upper lip. It has no connection with the 

 mouth depression, because the upper lip develops between the mouth 

 depression and the hypophysis." {Nature, ISTov. 23, 1882.) 



CLASS OF SELACHIANS. 



General. 



Ilasse (C). Das natiirliche System der Elasmobranchier auf Grnndlage des Baues 

 und der Entwicklung ihrer Wirbelsiiule. Unter Mitwirkung der Herren G. Bom, 

 H. Straeser und Ph. Stcihr. Besonderer Theil. 2.-3. Lief. Mit28Taf. Jena, G. 

 Fischer, 1882 (4to). 



Koster (W.) and C. K. Hofiman. Rapport over eene Verhandeling van den Heer Dr. 

 J. W. Van Wijhe, getiteld: " Ueber die Mesodermsegmente nnd die Entwick- 

 lung der Nerven des Selachierkopfes." Vers!, en Mededeel. K. Akad. Amster- 

 dam, 18. D. pp. 71-85. 



Eaioe. 



DuBois Reymond (E.). On a new principle affecting the systematic distribution of 



the family of the Torpedinidce. Nature, v. 26, p. 492. 

 Weyl (Th.). Die Saulenzahl im elektrischen Organ von Torpedo ocidata. Centralbl. 



f. d. med. Wiss., 1882, No. 16. 



Electric organ of the Torpedos. 



The number of columns in the battery of the Torpedo fishes is of 

 specific value, according to Prof. Du Bois Keymond. The eastern Ameri- 

 can species [Torpedo oecidentalis) has a very large number, and by this 

 character has been claimed as a British fish. Professor Babuchin, of 

 Moscow, has demonstrated that the electric organs are developed by the 

 metamorphosis of striated muscle, and that the columns do not increase 

 in number with age, but by the growth of the individual columns. 



CLASS OP FISHES PROPER. 



Osseous system. 



Grassi (B.). Beitrago zur niihereu Keuntniss der Entwicklung der Wirbelsaule der 

 Toleostier. (Auszug.) Morphol. Jahrb., 8. Bd., pp. 457-473. 



Kostler (M.). Ueber Knochenverdickuugen am Skelette von Knochenfischen. Mit 1 

 Taf. Zeitschr, f. wiss. Zool., 37. Bd., pp. 429-456. 



Rautenfeld (E. von). Morphologische Untersuchuugen iiber das Skelet der hinteren 

 Gliedmassenvon Ganoiden und Teleosticrn. Mit 2 Taf., u. 13 in den Text gedruck- 

 ten Figuren. Inaug. Diss. Dorpat, 1882. (8vo., 47 pp., M. 150.) 



Stohr (Phil.) Zur Entwicklungsgeschichte der Kopfskelets der Teleostier. Mitl 

 Taf. Festschr. z Feier d. 300. jiihr. Bestehens d. Jul. Max. Universitiit Wiiri- 

 burg, 1882. 



