264. Miscellaneous. 
of small canals (usually two to four), which traverse the cavity of the 
vesicle in different directions, pierce its wall, and lose themselves 
in the surrounding vitellus. 
In the bony fishes and Batrachia, in which there are a great number 
of germinal spots adherent to the inner wall of the vesicle, and the 
latter is surrounded by a system of canals radiating towards the sur- 
face of the ovum. Each canal is connected with one of the spots. 
Multiple canals are generally met with in all ova which present 
more or less numerous germinal spots. Sometimes, asin some Crus- 
tacea (Crayfish, Shore-crab), these multiple spots appear also to be 
united to each other in the interior of the vesicle by canals. 
In many Annelides, Turbellaria, Mollusca, and Acalephs the ova 
contain only a simple germinal spot, often of considerable size, con- 
nected with a single canal, which is enclosed in a second canal, starting 
from the vesicle. The germinal spot also very commonly contains 
one or more large vacuoles possessing a very manifest contractile 
power (Helix, Prostomum, Vortex, &c.).—Comptes Rendus, December 
26, 1865, pp. 1173-1177. 
On the Lateral Canal of Lota. 
By Professor Hyrtt. 
The lateral canal-system of this animal possesses no orifices in the 
skin on the lateral line, but forms a closed subcutaneous tube, sup- 
ported by cartilage throughout its whole course, and which acquires 
a moniliform appearance in consequence of the presence of alternate 
wider and narrower spaces. The absence of lateral orifices enables 
us to inject this canal. By this means its cephalic ramifications are 
also demonstrable, and these have not yet been detected in their 
perfect connexion in any Teleostean fish. The canal reaches the 
occipital region of the head above the suprascapula, and is there 
connected by a wide anastomosis with that of the opposite side; it 
then runs above the eye to the nose, where it becomes suddenly 
narrowed, and opens externally upon a capillary papilla in front of 
the nasal aperture. During its course to this point it emits, behind 
the eye, a large branch downwards; this passes forward round the 
orbit, emits three cecal diverticula upon the suspensorium and to 
the articulation of the lower jaw, and terminates cacally beneath the 
nasal pit, forming a series of ampulliform dilatations. In front of 
the eyes the two lateral canals are united by a short transverse duct, 
which forms a spherical dilatation (alveus communis) in its middle, 
and close to this emits a blind diverticulum upon the anterior frontal 
bone. When the canal is injected in a backward direction, we discover 
that it has also a posterior terminal aperture, which, like the anterior 
one, is to be seen upon a minute cutaneous papilla, about an inch 
from the caudal fin. The canal-system of both sides of the body 
has consequently only four cutaneous apertures.— Anzeiger der Akad. 
der Wiss. in Wien, May 11, 1866, p. 119. 
