-2 Records of the Indian Museum. [Voi,. XXIV, 



sometimes their nuclei may be as big as an ordinary epithelial 

 cell. The "clavate cell" possesses a distinct cell- wall and in 

 most cases it contains more than one nucleus. The contents of 

 the " clavate cell ' ' are very different from those of the surround- 

 ing epithelial cells, as it is only lightly stained with haematoxy- 

 lin and eosin. The nucleus is surrounded by a whitish area. The 

 most interesting point is the degree of vacuolation that is generally 

 met with in these cells. The process of vacuolation sets in from 

 the outer wall and the protoplasm gradually recedes towards the 

 inner side. In extreme cases more than half of the cell is emptied 

 of protoplasm. I have not been able to make out the structure 

 of the contents of a vacuole. The nucleus is generally vesicular 

 with a distinct membrane and in those cells, which contain only 



O. 



Z:--.-C. 



'P 



'-•----e.c. 



- P . 



c.t. 



&v. 



1 ext-fig. 14. — Transverse section through the integument of Glyptosternitm 



labiatum x 435. 

 e.c. = small epithelial cells; p. = pigment ; c. = clavate cell; g.c. = gland- 

 coll ; c.t. = connective tissue ; b.v. = bloocl vessel. 



one nucleus, its chromatin matter is diffused as if preparing for a 

 mitotic division. I have not been able to observe distinct nuclear 

 figures in any of these cells. If more than one nucleus is present 

 in a cell, the nucleolus can also be readily made out. Ramsay 

 Wright 1 described these cells in the integument of Amiuris catus. 

 He observed, " there can hardly be any doubt that the clavate 

 cells have an important physiological role to play. What that is 

 remains still obscure." I have found these cells in the integument 

 covering the tip of the snout in Gary a and in the position described 

 above in Glyplostcrnum labiatum ; but am unable to understand 

 their exact significance. It may, however, be pointed out that 

 they are always absent in an adhesive tissue in fishes. 



The gland-cells in Glyptosteynuvi are not scattered as has al- 



Ramsay Wright, Pruc. Canadian Inst. (n. s.) II, pp. 254-255 (1884). 



