SUPEAEENAL BODIES IN FISHES. 43 



an outline sketch of the kidney from the ventral surface in nearly every species 

 examined, putting in the suprarenals in plain lines when on the ventral surface, in 

 dotted lines when on the spinal surface. Such a series of drawings I cannot find and 

 do not believe to exist. In the Elasmobranchii the only drawing I am acquainted 

 with is that in Semper's paper, and this, I was sure, might easily be improved upon. 



Many parts of the paper are not nearly so complete as I should have wished. 

 Indeed, in many respects I wish the paper to be considered as merely preliminary to 

 future work on the same subject. This applies particularly to the histological part. The 

 head-kidney I hope to make the subject of an exhaustive research at some future time. 



I have not touched upon the subject in the Cyclostomata, having so far only been 

 able to get specimens of the small river-lamprey, but I hope to deal with their blood- 

 vascular glands in a separate contribution l . Further, I have not made any investigation 

 of the development of the suprarenal bodies. 



I am deeply indebted to Prof. T. W. Bridge, M.A., D.Sc, of Mason College, 

 Birmingham, for his kindly and repeated advice on many subjects connected with this 

 research, and for the generous manner in which he has placed specimens at my 

 disposal ; to Prof. F. J. Allen, M.A., M.D., for much important assistance ; to 

 Mr. Walter E. Collinge, F.Z.S., for help on many points ; and to Prof. W. N. Parker 

 for specimens of Protopterus and the use of some of his slides. I must also express 

 my thanks to Prof. G. B. Howes for many suggestions, bibliographical and otherwise. 



I take this opportunity of expressing my thanks to the Research Committee of the 

 British Medical Association for a grant in aid of these investigations. 



II. Historical. 



The literature of this subject is so very scattered and often so inaccessible, and I 

 have become acquainted with some papers touching upon it in such accidental ways, 

 that I fear my account may not be complete. However, I trust that most of the 

 important papers dealing with the general subject have fallen into my hands ; at the 

 same time it is possible that accounts of the suprarenals and discussions of their 

 morphology in monographs may have escaped me. Then, too, some text-books may 

 have accounts which I have overlooked ; but, from the exceedingly unsatisfactory 

 account given by Eberth in Strieker, I did not consider it would be profitable to 

 explore these very thoroughly. 



1 Since the above was written I have, in conjunction with Mr. Walter E. Collinge, F.Z.S., investigated the 

 subject in the Cyclostomata, with the result that nothing in the way of suprarenals can be made out. (Anat. 

 Anz. Bd. xii. Nr. 9 & 10, 1896.) 



[More recently Pettit (These, Paris, 1896) has been unable (p. 86) to ascertain definitely whether supra- 

 renals are present in the Cyclostomata or not. — S. V., 10. 1. 97.] 



g2 



