ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 577 



wMch the ovary has been examined with any care. The arrange- 

 ments, macroscopically observed, are much the same in the orang 

 as in man ; the Catarrhine apes all very closely resemble one 

 another ; while the lemur, instead of having its ovary attached along 

 its whole length to the mesovarium, has it free at both ends. In 

 general histological structure, all the forms examined present the 

 same characters as the human ovary ; but in the macaque there is a 

 true ovarian epithelium, of which no more than a trace is to be 

 found in the other forms, nor is there in it any cell which can 

 be regarded as the primordial ovum. 



Structure of the Epidermis and Rete MalpigMi in young Fowls.* 

 — Professor C. Frommann has been investigating these structures in 

 chicks just extruded. He finds that the protoplasm of the epidermic 

 cells largely exhibits a reticular structure ; in the periphery of some 

 cells he finds a layer of hyaline protoplasm. There is no thickened 

 membrane, but the surface of the cell is invested by firm fibres, 

 which form more or less regular areas, and are in part connected 

 with the filaments of the network, and in part with coarser fibres 

 which pass into the cell. The nuclei are distinguished by their low 

 refractive power, and by the rarity of formed elements. They gene- 

 rally contain one, but in some rare cases two or three nucleoli. 



The rete Malpighii forms a continuous layer of protoplasmic 

 plexuses, in which there are no cell-boundaries, and in which the 

 proportionately large nuclei stand closer than they do in the epi- 

 dermis. Long and coarse fibres are here comparatively rare, and are 

 most frequent in the deeper layers of the rete, where they are set 

 perpendicularly or obliquely to the surface. There is generally a 

 large nucleolus, and some pale, fine fibres ; but there is no plexus. 

 The limiting fibres are coarser than in the epidermis, but diminish in 

 width towards either end. 



Albuminiparous Glands in Amphibians and Birds.f — Dr. P. A. 

 Loos comes to the conclusion that these glands have the same struc- 

 ture in the two groups. 



After an introduction, the author gives an account of the scaleless 

 Amphibia. He finds that the nucleoli, the nuclei, and the plasmatic 

 plexus are slightly modified parts of the same living substance. The 

 presence of a nuclear membrane in the albumen-cell appears to be at 

 first sight a matter of importance, but as this is merely an excreted 

 product, the author thinks it has no real morphological significance. 

 The glandular epithelial cell generally consists of a plexiform plasma, 

 in the meshes of which there are a large number of albumen-drops. 

 These increase in size gradually and lose their high refractive index. 

 The growth of these parts brings about a certain increase in the ex- 

 tent of the cell-membrane ; the drops become polyhedral in form, and 

 the intermediate tissue is reduced to a minimum. When the mem- 

 brane finally gives way, the albumen escapes from the cell. 



* Jen. Zeitschr. f. Naturwiss., xiv. (1881) Suppl. Heft, pp. 56-8. 

 t Zeitschr. f. wiss. Zool., xxxv. (1881) pp. 478-504 (1 pi.). 



