ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 167 



and colour-changes from about V.) mm. onward to 85 mm. examples. 

 The intervening larval and post-larval stages have not been observed. 

 This blenny appears to be particularly hardy, and a striking instance of 

 one (given up for dead after a railway journey and a night in-doors in a 

 close vessel) is quoted. It was placed in seaweed in a dry vessel, and 

 the following day, on showing signs of life, was put in sea-water. It 

 revived, and lived until killed a month later. It appears also to be able 

 to live in fresh-water for long periods without inconvenience. 



Eyes of Periophthalmus and Boleophthalmus.* — W. Volz gives an 

 account of the structure and special physiology of the eyes of these 

 fishes. There is an active adaptation to sight at a distance, which is 

 effected by the approximation of the lens to the retina. In repose, the 

 lens lies near the cornea. By contraction of the cross-striped muscles 

 around the sclerotic cartilage it is pushed backward, and thus approaches 

 the retina, to which it may lie so near as to practically obliterate the 

 posterior eye-chamber. This accommodation is effected when the fishes 

 are on land. 



Pectoral Girdle in Fishes.f — B. Haller discusses this subject with 

 special reference to the Teleostei. Regarding the scapula in Salmo, he 

 is of opinion that this was not originally a component of the primary 

 shoulder girdle. It very probably corresponds to a basal. To this basal is 

 joined secondarily the radii, which, well developed in Acipenser, less so 

 in Amia, fall completely away in Teleostei. In Acipenser, Polyodon, and 

 Amia, the scapula is joined as a cartilaginous piece to the primitive 

 shoulder girdle. The large scapular opening in Acipenser, and the 

 smaller one in the same place in Amia, are not comparable with one of 

 the foramina on the shoulder girdle in Selachii. The latter are related 

 rather to those on the coracoid in Teleostei. 



Function of Parathyroids .J— F. Pineles has something to say on 

 this subject. He investigated these bodies in the cat, rabbit, and ape. 

 In the cat he found that they are essential to life. Their removal 

 causes fatal tetanus ; frequently phenomena of paralysis are also induced. 

 Even large portions of thyroid cannot replace them. The ape also 

 exhibited symptoms of tetanus, but a more chronic course of the disease 

 was manifested, possibly due, it is suggested, to the presence of similar 

 organs situated elsewhere in the body. Results in the case of the rabbit 

 were uncertain. 



Secretion of the Preen G-land.§ — Margarete Stern has studied the 

 glandula uropygii of birds. It resembles the sebaceous glands of 

 mammals in structure, function, and development. There is a true 

 secretory process, by which a characteristic product is formed out of fat. 

 The peripheral cells are always being formed anew and the central cells 

 are always degenerating, but the breakdown of the cells occurs after the 

 secretion has been formed in them. Rohmann's analysis shows that the 

 secretion consists of a minute quantity of fat (triglyceride of fatty acids), 



* Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Anat., xxii. (1905) pp. 331-46 (1 pi.). 



t Arch. Mikr. Anat., Ixvii. (1905) pp. 231-68 (2 pis. and 6 rigs.). 



X SB. Akad.Wiss.Wien, cxiii.(1904) pp. 199-238. 



§ Arch. Micr. Anat., lxvi. (1905) pp. 299-311 (1 pi.). 



