1902.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 323 



is that it occurs with clearness only in the elongated cells, whose free 

 ends are unprotected by a layer of muscle. We mast conclude, 

 therefore, that what in the fii-st instance appeared to be so clear a 

 case of cellular individuality in absorption, turns out to be only an 

 artificial massing together of several of the cell constituents. 



To return to the albumose, we have seen that it accumulates on 

 the coelomic side of the cell. It may be in contact with the base- 

 ment membrane, and practically fill the whole cffilomic end. The 

 next subject to consider is its fate. It has long been known for 

 mammals that neither albumose nor peptone occurs in the circu- 

 lation ; in other words, the peptone is changed back to proteid 

 before it reaches the blood stream. We might expect that such 

 would be the case here also. The morphological support for this view 

 is positive, so far as it goes. In extracting and fixing intestines 

 some of the coelomic fluid is invariably found precipitated on the 

 outer surface ; and in studying whole intestines, I have had occasion 

 to precipitate large quantities of the coelomic fluid on the slide: 

 in no case have I seen albumose granules in the coagulum. 



In several intestines the coelomic end of the median cells Avas filled 

 with a precipitate which might be described as mottled in appear- 

 ance. There were no definite granules (Table I, Nos. 31 and 45), 

 nor could the formation be described as a coagulum. Inasmuch as 

 both these cases occur a considerable time after feeding, forty-two 

 and one hundred and twenty hours respectively, we may suppose that 

 the stage of the food represented is beyond albumose. Whether, 

 however, the mottled precipitate is an imperfect granule formation, 

 and this, instead of the small non- staining granules, represents the 

 true peptone, or represents an intermediate stage in the inverse 

 process toward albumen, I cannot say. In either case we would 

 have good evidence that the food undei'goes some change inside the 

 cell. The intracellular ferment or ferments (for the zymogen gran- 

 ules may be of a complex nature) may be concerned in this change, 

 in which case its association with albumose granules would l)e ex- 

 plained. 



VI. Function of the Typhlosole, 



We may pi'operly discuss here the function of the infolded groove 

 of cells which has been spoken of as typhlosole. The first mention 

 of this structure which I have found in the literature is by Brand 

 and Ratzeburg (28), where it is spoken of as a " furche "in which 



