486 Miscellaneous, 



from its external border, by a longitudinal artery wiiicli starts from 

 the right bracliio-ceiihalic trunk, and whicli probably represents the 

 internal thoracic artery. The intercostal arteries are separated at 

 their origin, and take part, like tlie foregoing artery, in the formation 

 of the plexuses. There is only a single renal artery on each side ; 

 but we find two renal veins, a large one in front, and a much 

 smaller one behind. The obliterated umbilical arteries, which 

 terminate at the summit of the bladder, are connected with the 

 hypogastric arteries, which each divide into two branches and form, 

 in spite of their small size (the little finger can scarcely be inserted 

 into them), the sole source of the blood contained in the enormous 

 genital arterial plexus. This plexus completely covers the anterior 

 portion of the vagina, the uterus and its cornua ; but it does not 

 extend in front into the broad ligament. 



The venous plexuses appear to be little developed, and those of 

 the psoas are wanting as in the Mysticetes. On the other hand, 

 there is a venous sinus in each of the large lobes of the liver, and 

 the sinus of the vena cava inferior assumes enormous ^jroportions. 

 A large longitudinal vein traverses the right thoracic plexus, and 

 receives three large branches at least from the medullary cavity ; 

 it is by this vein, wliich functionally replaces the absent azygos 

 veins, that the blood of the medullary veins returns into the vena 

 cava anterior. In short, judging by all the characters with which 

 we arc so far acquainted, the circulatory apparatus of Hiii^eroodon 

 appears to approach that of the terrestrial ancestral forms of the 

 group, less, however, than that of the Mysticetes, but much more 

 than that of the non-Ziphioid Cetodonts. — Comptes Mendus, t. cxiii. 

 no. 17 (Oct. 2G, 1891), pp. 503-505. 



On Self-pollination in Amsonia Tabcrnaemontana. 

 By Thomas ILeehan. 



To my mind the number of plants which liave their flowers con- 

 structed for self-fertilization is so large, that it would seem hardly 

 worth particularizing them but for the industrious work of noting 

 the opposite characteristics which prevails in our scientific serials. 

 It seems not fair to true science that only one side of nature's story 

 should be told. This is why I record some self-fertilizing cases. 



It has been left to me to point out that only those plants which 

 have other means of persistence than by seeds have flowers which 

 are wholly dei)endent on external agents for pollination, and also to 

 show that while flowers which have arrangements for self-fertiliza- 

 tion are abundantly fertile, those which cannot make use of pollen 

 without assistance arc frequently barren, and are at a sad disadvan- 

 tage in making their way through the world. So clearly has this 

 been worked out to my mind, that when a plant is found abundantly 



