1885.] ON THE COXAL GLANDS OF MYGALB. 3 



shades of pale reddish brown, and measured I'l inch by 0*75. 

 They were much darker than eggs of Cyanopolius cooJci (from Mr. 

 Seebohni's collection), also exhibited, and more pyriform in shape 

 and not quite so large. 



Prof. Bell exhibited some models illustrating the jiaper of Rathke 

 on the development of the great blood-vessels in the Vertebrates, 

 which he had lately obtained for the Anatomical INIuseum at King's 

 College from Herr Englert of Heidelberg. 



Mr. W. B. Tegetrneier, F.Z.S., exhibited a specimen of a Cat, 

 which he referred to the Wild Cat (Felis catits), obtained in Donegal, 

 and an example of a singular variety of the Black Grouse {Tetrao 

 tetrijc). 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On the Coxal Glands of My gale. By Paul Pelseneer, 

 D.Sc. (Communicated by Prof. Lankester^ F.Z.S.) 



[Keceived November 20, 1884.] 



(Plate II.) 



Two years ago Prof. Ray Lankester described and figured the 

 position of an organ which he observed in the Scorpions, and which 

 he called the " coxal gland "\ This gland, which, as he recognized, 

 was not provided with an efferent duct, had been considered by New- 

 port ■ and others as an appendage of the alimentary canal. 



Prof. Lankester announced at the same time that he had ascer- 

 tained the existence of this organ in transverse sections of the 

 cephiilothorax of a large Mygale {Theraphosa) from South America ; 

 and he identified these " coxal glands" with the " brick-red gland" 

 described by Packard in Limulus ^. 



More recently* he has again remarked on the existence of this 

 organ in transverse sections oi My gale {Cteniza) ccementaria, J^atr. 



But in no Araneid as yet has the form and position of the coxal 

 gland been either described or figured from an anatomical point of 

 view ; and as far as Myyale in particular is concerned, none of the 

 authors who have occupied themselves with the organization of the 

 genus have mentioned any organ which can be considered to repre- 

 sent this gland '. 



' " The Coxal Gland of Scorpio," Proceedings of tlie Eoyal Society, June 

 1882. 



- Philosophical Transactions, 1843, pi. xv. fig. 39. 



^ '■ On the Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology of Limulus jpolypheTmis," 

 Auniv. Mem. of the Boston Society of Nat. Hist 1880. 



^ " On the Skeleto-trophic Tissues and Coxal Glands of Limulus, Scorpio, and 

 Mygale," Quart. Journ. of Micr. Sci. 1884. 



° One can nevertheless recognize the presence of the coxal gland in a good 



]* 



