INTEGUMENTAL GLANDS OF CROCODILIA 585 



the center or lumen of the gland, lu, the nuclei become more 

 and more scattered and the cell walls less distinct, until the 

 cells are quite indistinguishable and appear as an irregular, 

 granular mass with an occasional nucleus, nu. 



Figure 1 1 represents a portion of the wall of the dorsal gland 

 of a 1-meter alligator, as seen under a magnification of 270 

 diameters. The glands, which are here about 3 mm, in diameter, 

 were dissected from the skin, and hence do not show the duct. 

 The structure is quite similar to that of the stink gland of the 

 turtle, Terrapene odorata, as figured by Dahlgren and Kepner 

 ('08). 



The capsule, cp, consists of a loose layer of elastic fibers, 

 ci, with numerous nuclei, surrounded by a muscular layer, 7n, of 

 varying thickness, which is made up of two more or less distinct 

 layers of involuntary fibers, running in different directions. 



In the gland proper is seen a great mass of irregular and spheri- 

 cal cells, while the intercellular spaces and lumen (if it may be 

 so called) are filled with the granular secretion. 



The peripheral cells, just beneath the capsule, form a narrow 

 but usually fairly distinct layer, the basilar cells, h, mentioned 

 in the preceding stage. The basilar cells are small and clear, 

 their large oval or spherical nuclei filling a large part of the 

 cells. It is probably by the division of these cells that the other 

 cells, with their contained secretion, are produced. There is 

 never more than one layer of basilar cells, and even in this 

 layer the cells are rather scattered, though always close to the 

 capsule. 



Next to the basal cells is a generally fairly distinct layer 

 of much larger cells, gs, gs', presumably those last formed by 

 division of the basal cells. In some regions this second layer 

 consists of swollen spherical cells, gs, with granular contents 

 and peripherally located nuclei ; in other places these cells are 

 distinctly columnar or cuboidal in shape, gs', due, possibly, 

 merely to crowding. In these cells may occasionally be seen 

 a spherical clear area, probably an oil droplet, od. 



The main body of the gland is made of a scattered mass of cells, 

 secretion, degenerate nuclei, etc. Some of these cells, o, seem 



