35() Till-; AMKIMCAX MONTHLY [Doc, 



parent. In tlie Mood of Amia calm a sliplitly iliflVrcnt condi- 

 tion is present. Simultanoously with the formation of tliis true 

 tihrin an a<lditional formation takes phice. This is of a jelly- 

 like nature and ha.** been callcfl the additional lihrin. This fi- 

 hrin increases uniformly with tin- increased streiij^th of tlie salt 

 solutions. Georsie Semmer has investigated a similar formation 

 in the Mood of the froji and domestic fowl under sliLrhtly difTer- 

 ent condiliiins. Ho considers that the additional (ihrin is pro. 

 duced from the ])rotoplasm of the red cells of the blood hy the 

 solvent action of the neutral salts. This additional fihrin is not 

 formed in the blood of mammals, but occurs in tiiat of birds, 

 amphibia (Cryptobranchus, Necturus, Rana), and of a ganoid 

 (Amia). This distinction perhajis makes it possible to draw a 

 stronger line between the nucleated and non-nucleated corpus- 

 cle-bearing aninials. The experiments should be extended to 

 the large field of work otrered among the Teleosts and other 

 forms of fishes, and al>:o to rejitiles, in order to make a sure gen- 

 eralization on this jioint. 



Blood Corpuscles. — The conclusions of Miss Claypole are 

 as follows: From the measurement and counting of the corpus- 

 cles in Necturus and Cryi)tobranchus the following facts were 

 ascertained : The cells of Necturus are much larger than those 

 of C'ryi»tobranclnis. Comjiaring this result with the measure- 

 ments given by different authors of the corpuscles in other forms 

 of amphibia, a distinction can be made on the basis of size of 

 cells between those animals possessing external gills and those 

 without ; to which rule, however, a striking exception is found 

 in Araphiuma. In enumeration, also, a difference is shown to 

 exist between the large and small corpuscle-bearing aninuals, 

 the higher numbers of cor]»uscle8 per cubic millimeter belong- 

 ing to the latter cla.ss of animals. 



From experiments made on Necturus and Cryptobranchus 

 in the injection of small quantities of carbon into the abdom- 

 inal cavity, hypodermically, the following results were obtained: 

 In the first place, it was established that under the given condi- 

 tions tlie leucocytes inge.sted all the foreign material and en- 

 tered the blood circulation after varying i)eriodg. In the sec- 

 ond place, it was found that from the blood the ingested cells 

 are distributed to the tissues and ultimately pass away on mu- 

 cous and ejiidermic stirfaces with waste products of the body. 



