Miscellaneous. 305 
little further forward, and terminates not quite so far back as that 
of the left side, as is also the case with the ovaries, Both have at 
their posterior part a sort of prolongation (pars recurrens), which 
turns forward. Their hyaline aspect and their dimensions give 
them a great resemblance to the incompletely developed ovaries ; 
but with a little attention it is seen that they have not the same 
structure as the female organs, but form two simple longitudinal 
series of lobules of regular form. Of these lobules there are about 
48-50 in each testis; they are compressed and shorter at their base 
than at their free margin, which is broadly rounded, so that they 
slightly cover each other. The ovaries are suspended from simple 
ribbons formed by the peritoneum, whilst each of the testes adheres 
to the walls of a longitudinal canal (the deferent duct). Each 
canal terminates cecally in front, and ends posteriorly in a triangular 
sac (bursa seminalis) applied against the lateral walls of the urinary 
bladder. The sac of one side is in communication with that of the 
other by a transverse fissure (fissura recto-vesicalis) which occurs 
between the rectum and the neck of the urinary bladder. This 
fissure also leads from the two sacs into a pit (fovea recto-vesicalis) 
which is continued into the genital pore. The genital pore itself 
does not open directly outwards, but into the urethra. 
In the female there are neither canals nor sacs; but the genital 
pore also opens into the urethra. 
The stroma of the testis is much more resistant than that of the 
ovary. Each lobe is formed of compartments about 0-05 millim. in 
diameter, filled with isolated nuclei, aggregations of nuclei, and cells. 
The principal arguments which the author brings forward in 
favour of his new interpretation of the reproductive apparatus of the 
eels are as follows :— 
1. The organs which he regards as testes occupy the same rela- 
tive position as the ovaries, but differ from the latter in form and 
structure. 
2. The ducts which are in close connexion with them, and open 
into the genital pore, cannot be any thing but the deferent ducts and 
the vesicule seminales. 
3. The ducts, vesicule, and the genital pore open in proportion as 
the testes are developed—a course of things which is the same as 
that observed with regard to the female genital pore relatively to the 
development of the ovaries. 
4. The lobate organs resemble, especially in structure, the testes 
of the fishes allied to the eels. 
5. The eels which possess these organs are destitute of any other 
formation that could be regarded as a reproductive organ 
This collection of facts appears quite conclusive. It now only 
remains to discover the spermatozoids, which M. Syrski has not been 
able to find in the small eels. This gap in the evidence is of con- 
siderable importance; and it is to be hoped that it may soon be 
filled.—Sttzungsber. der Akad. der wiss. in Wren, Math.-naturw. 
Classe, Band lxix. April 1874; Bvdl. Univ. February 15, 1875, 
p. 163. 
