The Cutaneous dhuids of Couinion Toads. 339 



crowded togetlier. The nucleus was situated in that part of the cell 

 which was attached to the matrix. The cytoplasm of the cell was 

 very similar to the secretion in the gland lumen (Figs. 16, 52). 



Secretion. The secretion of the mature gland comes to the surface 

 of the skin in drops. It is white or creamy in color^ and has a strong 

 disagreeable odor, very similar to that of the so-called Jimson weed 

 (Datura). If the fresh secretion is placed on a slide and examined 

 with the microscope, it is seen to be a liquid densely crowded with 

 small globular bodies. The globules vary in size from 1 to 3 microns, 

 but all are not perfect spheres. When in motion, the globules flow 

 about in the liquid and the mount reminds one very much of a similar 

 preparation of fresh blood, with the corpuscles in motion. The 

 liquid in which the globules float is colorless. In consistency it 

 probably is much like the plasma, for it permits of as free movement 

 as in the case of the blood. 

 ' The secretion mass appears differently in different preparations 

 (Figs. 25-a, 42, 59-68). It seems probable, however, that the al- 

 veolar appearance in Fig. 64 may be due to the fixing agent. Judg- 

 ing from the fresh secretion, the conditions represented in Figs. 59, 

 61, 63, 6Y seem quite normal, except that it is hard to explain the 

 separation of the more granular from the comparatively homogeneous 

 or finely punctuated liquid. It is possible that in fully mature 

 glands the granules may have drawn closer together in the center 

 of the lumen, leaving near the outlet of the gland and about the 

 periphery a stratum of the liquid secretion. As evidence of this 

 there is often a change in the color and consistency of the secretion 

 during the continuance of the flow, which will be spoken of later. 



Both the fresh and the stained globules may show one or more 

 refractive bodies (Fig. 68). Large clusters of globules have been 

 seen in certain preparations (Fig. 61). They are spheres from 

 15 to 25 microns in diameter, the periphery of which are made up 

 of globules. The whole mass floats in the liquid and is filled with 

 the same. We have no way of knowing if this is a normal condition, 

 since such a cluster, if present in the secretion of the lumen, cannot 

 pass in toto through the mouth of the gland, and appear in the 

 freshly discharged secretion. 



