668 The American Naturalist. [July, 
narrow, the teeth gradually narrower from below upward. Blackish to 
below the lateral line, many of the scales of the ventral surface dark 
dotted. Fins blue-black, the paired fins darkest.—R. S. EIGENMANN. 
The End of the Urodele Tail.—It has long been known that 
in the tritons the skeleton of the tail terminates not by a vertebral 
body, but by a ‘‘ cartilaginous end rod.’’ This has been said to have 
no genetic connection with the notochord. Now Barfurth,' in study- 
ing regeneration in.this region, finds that the chorda cells are capable 
of regeneration in the Urodeles, and that the chorda cells become 
altered into this terminal element, which he prefers to call ‘‘ chorda-rod.”’ 
The Gila Monster.—Mr. Samuel W. Garman has recently 
studied a living specimen of this reputedly venomous lizard. It was 
fed on eggs. It made its burrow in the sand in the box in which it 
was kept, and it evinced great desire to bask in the sun. It was 
“really good natured,” although it could be teased into a temper. 
Mr. Garman is very doubtful of its deadly qualities. The venom 
seems to affect small animals, but to have little danger for larger ones. 
Several of the well-known accounts of its noxious character are quoted, 
and then Garman details his own experiments with a cat, less than 
one-third grown. This the ‘‘monster bit twice on the hand and 
wrist. For half an hour this caused the kitten some distress, and was 
licked and dressed as usual. Then followed an hour and a half of 
sleep, from which the kitten woke as bright as ever, the hand being 
slightly swollen, and in twenty-four hours no ill effects were seen. 
The same kitten was then bitten again, and later the wounds were 
studied, but no disintegration or other modifications of the tissue were 
visible.” 
Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, in the New York Medical Journal of May 23d, 
1891, gives a summary of observations made up to date on the struc- 
ture of the salivary glands, and the effects of the saliva when intro- 
duced into wounds. He concludes that the evidence is conflicting. 
Three good figures accompany the paper. 
Recent Researches in the Herpetology of Africa.—The 
Société Philomatique of Paris has recently published several papers by 
M. F. Moquard on reptiles and Batrachians from Africa that will 
interest zoologists, as they come from regions but little represented 
either in museums or private collections. In the memoir on the rep- 
14 Anatom. Anzeiger, VI., 104, 1891. 
15 Bulletin Essex Institute, XXII., p. 60, 1890 (1891). 


