Anaforitij of Axi.stndian Aiaphibni. 239 



been {rradually separated off i'rdui tho kidney tubules. In the 

 Fishes ivnd in the Urodeles and Coecilidae, the niide reproductive 

 ducts are very closely connected with the anterior sexual part 

 of the kidne^'. In Bufo and Kuna esculenta, they are closely 

 connected with the Malpif^hian b:)dies of the urinary tubules 

 of the kidney ; in Riwia fusca the connection is less close, being 

 only with the cullecting' tubules. The severance increases in 

 Bonil)inator and DiscoglossuSs till in Alytes the male ducts 

 open (|uite independently of the kidney, into the ureter : i.e., a 

 portion of the mesonephric duct separates off as a duct for the 

 testis, and at the level of the wider end of the kidney this 

 joins the remnant of the original mesoiieplirie duct which 

 functions as a kidney duct. 



The question of the relationships in Rana has been a much 

 vexed one from the time of Bidder's work in 1846, but as most 

 of it has arisen through the confusion of the two species R. 

 esculenta and R. fusca, its results may be sunnncd up as 

 above. Nussbaum's work ['97, p. 425.], and that of Beissner 

 ['9S. p. 168.] practically settle the main connections as j^iven 

 above for those two species, the only variation between the two 

 being that Xussbaum has only found the loncitudinal Bidder's 

 canal in K. esculenta, while Beissner describes it in R. fusca also. 



Gfiwral Slnictitre and Relationships of Ducts. 

 The testes lie ventrally to the anterior portion of the kid- 

 ney, being kept in position In- the mesorchium, the fold of 

 peritoneum which encloses them entirely, except for one part 

 of their inner surfaces where the blood-vessels and ducts enter 

 or leave them. [See PI. XX., tig. l.| In shape and size, they 

 vary greatly in diffex'ent individuals and at different times of 

 the year — and as most of my material was siiirit-preserved, 

 except Hyla aurea, Crinia signifera and Limnodynastes dorsalis, 

 due allowance has to be made for distortion by pressure of other 

 organs. 



I I \ MDAK. 



Ifyla auiea. [PI. XX., fig. I]. 



When fully developed, the testes are long, whitish cylindrical 

 bodies, each end being rounded. They average 10 or 11 mm. in 



