602 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



oviducts or sperm-ducts are directed towards the middle line, where 

 they imite and come into contact with the ventral vessel. From the 

 l^oint of union there arise the four lobes of the ovary or testicle. The 

 ova are developed on the wall of the genital vessel, and at the expense 

 of the ei)ithelial cells which form this wall. 



In front of the oviducts and imbedded in the folds of the oeso- 

 phagus there are two large segmental organs, of a brown colour, and 

 with delicate lobes ; they are irregularly lobate in form, and are pro- 

 vided with a duct which opens to the exterior by an extremely minute 

 pore. No vibratile infundibula were detected in connection with these 

 organs. 



The eggs are about '15 mm. in diameter; the spermatozooids are 

 from • 10 to '085 mm. long, and the head is about one-sixth the 

 length of the whole. Segmentation is complete, and commences about 

 five hours after impregnation ; the two spheres are unequal from the 

 first, and a planula is formed by ejiiboly. The eai-liest seen larvae 

 had no mouth or anus, were covered with long cilia, except at their 

 posterior region, and had an anterior tuft of long cilia. 



The author hopes to be able to publish a complete monograph of 

 this creature. 



Syngamus trachealis'of Pheasants.* — M. P. Megnin has ex- 

 amined this Nematode, the cause of the disease known as the ' gapes,' 

 and after a diagnosis of the genus and of the species gives a 

 general anatomical account of the parasite. 



The excretory system appears to be somewhat difficult to make 

 out, but in one example the author detected an oblique canal opening 

 in the integument a little below the nerve-collar, and arising from a 

 glandular mass. A true salivary gland is described as running along 

 the cBSophagus, and as being lined by ovoid cells, with two nuclei. After 

 an account of the generative organs the author proceeds to an account 

 of the development of these forms. The nymph-stage is believed to 

 be very short, and to be passed through in the air-sacs of the host. 

 This conclusion is based on the following facts: (1) The larvee are 

 only born and become vigorous in a damp medium, and at an 

 elevated temperature. (2) In young pheasants which have died of 

 the disease, a large number of eggs have been found in the mucus of 

 the oesophagus, but these eggs were empty. (3) In the serum of the 

 walls of the air-sacs, and above all in that of those cavities which are 

 in connection with the duodenal portion of the intestine, very active 

 larvae of Syngamus have been found. (4) In the peri-tracheal 

 cellular tissue a young red-coloured Syngamus was found. The 

 number of ova found in one pheasant are to be numbered by thousands, 

 but a very large proportion die during development. The author 

 concludes with some practical hints for the destruction of these 

 parasites. 



Excretory Organs of Trematoda and Cestoda.t— -In a further 

 communication, M. J. Fraipont J describes the organs of Distomum, 



* Bull. Soc. Zool. Fiance, v. (1881) pp. 121-42 (2 pis.), 

 t Aroh. lie Biol., ii. (1881) pp. 1-40 (2 pis.). 

 X See this Journal, ante, p. 37. 



