120 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[June, 1882. 



1st. In tubular glands followed by sim- 

 ple capillaries. 



2d. In tubular glands followed by oval- 

 splenic bodies. 



3d. In Malpighian bodies (rarely). 



4th. In capillaries directly, without the 

 intervention of tubular glandules. 



The Malpighian bodies are well-known 

 as occurring in the gaps of the small ar- 

 teries, sometimes on their sides. These 

 the Drs. Jones consider to be merely the 

 lymphatic glands of the spleen, having 

 no connection with the blood through the 

 lymphatics. The tubular, glandular and 

 oval-splenic bodies are new structures. 

 The first of these are the direct continua- 

 tion of some of the smaller arteries. When 

 the artery passes into one of these struc- 

 tures its calibre becomes very much nar- 

 rowed and its walls thickened. It seems 

 to be lined with a glandular Epithelium. 

 They may terminate in capillaries or in the 

 oval-splenic bodies. These last bodies 

 are " the expansion of the fibrous coat of 

 the tubular glandules into an oval head or 

 thill-walled sac." " In other words the 

 oval-splenic body represents the capillary 

 system which connects one arterial with 

 one venous extremity." "The oval-splenic 

 bodies are the active organs of the spleen, 

 and are bodies which have been described 

 as splenic cells, and pulp." The writer 

 spent some time in studying the subject 

 in the spleens of various animals, and in 

 the human spleen. He agrees with Dr. 

 Klein as to the termination of some of the 

 arteries in sinuses into which budding 

 cells project. He also finds the tubular 

 glands and oval-splenic bodies, and thinks 

 they are actual structures, and not false 

 appearances due to faulty preparation. 

 He thinks, however, that the oval bodies 

 are always found at the termination of the 

 tubular glands, and that their absence 

 is due to their being torn or cut off in 

 making the preparation. The most com- 

 mon termination of the arteries, however, 

 is the capillaries. He did not find any 

 artery termination in a Malpighian body. 

 The paper was illustrated with drawings. 



Mr. Bulloch described his method of 

 measuring the magnifying power of ocu- 

 lars. The apparatus used by Mr. Bulloch 

 is described elsewhere in this Journal. 



At a meeting held April 28th the fol- 

 lowing officers were elected for the ensu- 

 ing year : President, Dr. Lester Curtis ; 

 Vice-presidents, Prof. E. J. Hill, Prof. E. 

 S. Bastin ; Secretary, William Hoskins ; 

 Corresponding Secretary, E. B. Stuart ; 

 Treasurer, W. H. Summers. 



NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



Bird's Nesting: A Hand-book of In- 

 struction in Gathering and Preserving 

 the Nests and Eggs of Birds for the 

 Purposes of Study. By Ernest Inger- 

 soU. Salem : George A. Bates, 1883. 



This book is published in a manner to 

 attract the reader by its appearance, even 

 if he be quite ignorant of the subject. 

 A number of useful and ingenious de- 

 vices for assisting the collector of eggs 

 and nests are described. That the writer 

 pursues the science co7i amore, is easily 

 seen. In his " Plea for the Study of 

 Nests " he rises into the psychology of the 

 subject^ for he says : " it gives a ghmpse 

 of the bird's mind, and furnishes an en- 

 trance into the very soul of ornithology." 



The author describes the best methods 

 for finding, transporting, labelling, and- 

 storing eggs and nests, and gives much 

 practical information for the novice in 

 collecting. 



Mr. Ingersoll's style is pleasing, and the 

 reader cannot fail to observe that he is an 

 enthusiast in his study. Indeed, one must 

 needs have a heart of stone if he would 

 pursue the study of ornithology and not 

 come to love the feathered songsters 

 whose homes and haunts he penetrates ; 

 and when, in pursuing the study, his mind 

 sees beyond the many curious facts re- 

 garding the life, habits, and instincts of the 

 birds, it will not seem strange that all who 

 begin the study find in it a fascination, 

 which is enhanced by the delightful ac- 

 companiments of fresh, country air and 

 scener}^ A list of birds concerning 

 which but little is known is given at the 

 end of this treatise on oology, which, with 

 a conceit that may be forgiven in an en- 

 thusiast, the author regards as the " foun- 

 dation of ornithology, and animal life, and 

 biology in general, and finally, the whole 

 of human learning." E. C. H. 



Exchanges. 



[Exchanges are inserted in this column without 

 charge. They will be strictly limited to mounted 

 objects, and material for mounting.] 



On receipt of a well-mounted slide, I will send a 

 slide of crystal, (for the polarzer) of any of the rare 

 vegetable products which I may have ; will send list 

 of same on receipt of postal request. 



J. KETCHUM, Jr., 

 P. O. Box 877, New York City. 



Wanted. — Animal parasites, Ixodes, Acari, etc., 

 either mounted or unmounted. W. A. HYSLOP, 

 32 Falmerston Place, Edinburg, Scotland. 



