306 MR. F. E. BEDDARD OX THE [NoV. 3, 



fenestrated, interauricular partition. Nor is there an indication 

 of these structures in his iigure. Nevertheless, an inspection of 

 the drawing which I herewith submit (text-fig. 30, p. 305) will, 

 I think, prove that the septum is not so simple as illustrated by 

 Hyrtl*. On the other hand. Dr. Chapman t writes: — "It is 

 needless to add that the author found the delicate septum sepa- 

 rating the auricles incomplete." But there is no detailed descrip- 

 tion, nor does Osawa figure a perforate septum, though he states 

 that it is " vielfach durchlocherte." 



The advantage of a large-sized specimen for investigation is 

 clearly brought out in the examination of the structure of the 

 heart in this Amphibian. I have been able to compare the large 

 individual with a much smaller one, not more than a sixth of its 

 size. In this Salamander the ventricle did not show any marked 

 traces of the characteristic rhomboidal form which is so apparent 

 in the large Amphibian ; its contour was indeed of a general oval 

 form, much like the heart as figured by Osawa. Furthermore, 

 the pylangium only appeared divisible externally into two 

 divisions, of which one, that nearest to the ventricle, was not 

 more than half the length of the larger distal portion. It became 

 naturally a question of interest to determine which of the three 

 divisions so plainly visible in the larger specimen were fused 

 together to form the single larger barrel-shaped section. I found 

 by an examination of the internal structure of the proximal 

 shorter part of the pylangium, that this is to be looked upon as 

 the first and ventricle-like portion of the pylangium. 



Pylangmm. — The proximal division of this section has for the 

 most part such strongly muscular walls that it might be regarded 

 as a portion of the ventricle, were it not for the fact of its mai-ked 

 constriction from the ventricle and the smooth character of a 

 portion of its internal surface. At the end of this smooth portion 

 is situated the first row of watch-pocket valves, which appear to 

 me to be accurately transverse in direction, but not symmetrical 

 with reference to the dorsal and ventral lines of the pylangium or 

 in their distances from each other. Furthermore two are equi- 

 sized and larger than the third. There is also a fourth + in the 

 specimen dissected by myself. In comparing the pylangium of 

 this large Salamander with that of the smaller example, a fact 

 which appears to me to be of some little physiological importance 

 comes out. The proportions between the conus arteriosus and 

 the ventricle are the same in both individuals, but the heart as 

 a whole is of course larger in the larger specimen. The valves, 

 apparently, are nearly of the same size in the two specimens, and 

 thus do not grow, or grow but slightly. Furthermore, in the 

 smaller specimen the valves are so nearly in contact, that at 

 the requisite times they must occlude the pylangium and thus 



* Cryptohranchus japonic.us : Vinci obonse, mdccclxv. p. 93, pi. xii. fig. 3. 

 t " Observations on the Japanese Salamander, Cry«!^oSra«c7n<s)Maa;i»iMs(Schlegel)," 

 Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1893, p. 227. 



X According- to Hyrtl and Osawa there may be a fifth. 



