Fbbetjaey 18, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



229 



accessory parts of the azygos and hemi- 

 azygos veins may remain connected with 

 the cardinal part of the hemiazygos and by 

 their variations give rise to three structural 

 types: First, one in which both accessory 

 parts are equally developed ; secondly, one 

 in which the hemiazygos accessory part pre- 

 dominates ; and thirdly, one in which the 

 azygos accessory part predominates. 



Tlie Veins of the Wolffian Body. C. S. Minot. 

 De. Minot had studied especially the 

 condition in pig-embryos of 12.0 mm. The 

 cardinal vein ends abruptly at the cephalic 

 end of the "WolfiBan body ; the vena cava 

 inferior is also well developed and communi- 

 cates widely with the middle of each meso- 

 nephros. Between the WolfiBan tubules 

 there are no capillaries, but only large 

 sinuses, the endothelium of which lies close 

 against the epithelium of the tubules. The 

 sinuses communicate freely with both the 

 cardinal and cava veins. Along the dorsal 

 side of the Wolffian body there is no contin- 

 uous cardinal vein, but there are still two 

 channels of reduced size, representing the 

 lower parts of the cardinal which have be- 

 come united with the cava inferior. 



New Emhryological Observations. C. S. Minot. 

 The author described: (1) the mesothelial 

 villi of the allantois in the pig ; (2) the de- 

 velopment of the hypophysis and infun- 

 dibular gland in the pig, Amia, Batrachus, 

 Ameiurus and Necturus, conjBrming and 

 extending the results of Bela Haller ; (3) 

 observations upon various vertebrate types, 

 tending to show that the zones of His have 

 a constant morphological value ; (4) the 

 fore-brain of Ameiurus Embryos^ clearly 

 similar to that of other types of vertebrates 

 as concerns the hemispheres and foramen 

 of Monro ; if this observation is confirmed 

 by further study it will show that neither 

 the theory of Burkhardt nor that of Stud- 

 niscka in regard to homologies of the 

 Teleostean fore-brain is correct. 



A Peculiar Glandular Structure found in a 



Mexican Diplopod. F. C. Kenyon. (Read 



by title only.) 



The structure was found in the repugna- 

 torial glands of specimens of the diplopod 

 genus Platydesmus from Mexico. It arises 

 from the proximal inner surface of the 

 walls of the bottle-shaped repugnatorial 

 gland and projects into the glandular cavity, 

 presenting in section very much the appear- 

 ance of a section of an ordinary mushroom 

 and its stalk. Its base and the distal, or 

 expanded cap-like portion, are well pro- 

 vided with medium-sized, somewhat oval 

 nuclei. The stalk exhibits a striated ap- 

 pearance. In the expanded cap only frag- 

 ments of cell boundaries have been distin- 

 guished. 



In some respects the organ resembles the 

 structure that has been figured for the 

 phosphorescent organs of some deep-sea 

 animals, but Platydesmus is not known to 

 have the power of emitting phosphorescent 

 light, and only one diplopod has ever been 

 described as having such a power. In this 

 one form, Fontaria luminosa Ken., the light 

 was described by the person who observed 

 it as arising from spots corresponding in 

 position to the repugnatorial glands. A 

 light-emitting function is suggested for the 

 peculiar structure noted. Whether the 

 suggestion will eventually prove to be a 

 fact, however, is a question which the col- 

 lector must be largely depended upon to 

 decide. 



The following ofi&cers were elected for 

 the ensuing -year : President, Henry F. 

 Osborn, Columbia; Vice-President, T. H. 

 Morgan, Bryn Mawr ; Secretary-Treasurer, 

 G. H. Parker, Harvard ; Members of the 

 Executive Committee from the Society at 

 large, C. B. Davenport, Harvard, and F. E. 

 Lillie, Michigan. 



G. H. Parkee, 



Secretary, 



Habvabd Univeesity. • 



