1885.] ON THE COXAL GLANDS OF MYGAJ^B. 3 



shades of pale reddish brown, and measured 11 inch by O'To. 

 They were much darker than eggs of C'l/anopolius coo/ci (from Mr. 

 Seebohm's collection), also exhibited, and more piriform in shape 

 and not quite so large. 



Prof Bell exhibited some models illustrating the paper of Rathke 

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

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

 College from Herr Englert of Heidelberg. 



Mr. AV. B. Tegetmeier, F.Z.S., exhibited a specimen of a Cat, 

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

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

 tetru). 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On the Coxal Glands of Mygale. By Paul Pelseneer, 

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



[Received November 20, 1884.] 

 (Plate II.) 



Two vears 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, liad 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 

 cephalothorax of a large Mijgale {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 Myyale {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 Mtjyale in particular is concerned, none of the 

 authors who have occupied themselves with the organization of the 

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

 sent this gland \ 



' " The Coxal Gland of Scorino," Proceedings of the Eoyal Society, June 

 1882. 



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



^ " On the Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology of Limulug -polyphemus" 

 Anniv. Mem. of the Boston Society of ]N'at. Hist 1880. 



* •' On the Skeleto-tropliic Tissues and Coxal Glands of Limulus, Scorpio, and 

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



' One can neveriheless recognize the presence of the coxal gland in a good 



1* 



