141 
only occur with the Lacertilians and with these far from generally, 
often only with tbe male and, besides, always in a very limited 
number. Elsewhere among Reptiles, organs in some degree compa- 
rable with femoral organs are only found with crocodiles, where, 
according to VoerLrzkow’s description *), they lie between the scales 
of the back. 
But, though it would be difficult to assume the direct origin of 
the hairs from femoral organs, the question might still be raised, 
whether there might not be a connection between them, in so far that 
they have a common origin. If this were the case, their origin might 
probably be traced most easily with the last-mentioned, more simply 
constructed organs, which in this way might throw a light on the 
origin of the hair. 
The morphological significance of the thighorgans has been eluci- 
dated by the research of ScHArnr’). This author not only confirms 
what has already been recorded by earlier investigators, viz. that 
with Lacerta the femoral organs of the male are most strongly 
developed in the breeding time, but he emphatically points out that 
in that period no keratinisation of the cells takes place. But of 
more importance is what he found with Sceloporus acantbinus: with 
this Iguanide no horny cells are formed in the organs, but instead 
of them a secretion, which is composed ‘‘aus einer völlig zerfallenen, 
dem Secret von Talgdriisen ähnlich sehenden Masse’’. ScHAFER comes 
to the conclusion that the thighorgans are glandulae celluliparae, 
related to those sebaceous glands, which are not connected with 
hairs. Keratinisation occurs only, when the secretion is slow. In 
connection with this conclusion the statement of Maurer*) is of 
importance, that with Lacerta the contents of part of the cells of 
the thighorgans is of a fatty nature. 
These facts point to a close connection of: the femoral organs with 
“holocrinous” cutaneous glands, and the conclusion that they can be 
derived from such glands is obvious. The difference between them 
is not great: if the fatty secretion in a sebaceous gland were 
replaced by keratinisation of the cells, then a horny rod would 
be formed, which would show great resemblance to the thigh- 
organs. Now the eleidin, which appears with mammals in the process 
of keratinisation, according to Maurer has a fatty character *), while on the 
1) Abhandl. Senckenberg. Naturf. Ges, XX VI, H. 1, 1899. 
2) Archiv f. Naturgesch., LX VIII, Bd. I, 1902. 
5). le, ps 220. 
4) Goerrr (Arch. f. mikr. Anat., IV, 1868) also describes the occurrence of 
fat-globules in the young epithelial hair-germ of the sheep. 
