444 General Notes, [April, 
rence of bacteria in certain pathological tissues (Chicago Med. I, 
Dec.. 1882). Schmidt believes that the forms described as Bacil 
lus tuberculosis are nothing more than slender colored crystals of 
fat which have been produced by the reagents which it is neces- 
sary to use in preparing the tissue sections for examination. Itis 
very doubtful, however, whether this view will ever receive worthy 
confirmation. 
THe Oricin AND Destiny oF Fat Cerrts.—Some light is 
thrown upon the problem of the origin and destiny of fat-cells by 
the observations of Mr. S. H. Gage upon those of Necturus. In 
the subcutaneous connective tissue of this creature the microscope 
revealed the presence of fat-cells in all stages of growth; large 
branched cells with one or more fat drops; cells containing one 
or two small fat drops and a large one; and some large unbranched 
cells entirely gorged with fat. The pigment cells were some- 
times partly gorged with fat, and some small round or oval cells 
also contained fat. 
Thus it would appear that, as maintained by Virchow, Frey, 
Klein and others, fixed or branched connective tissue Cor- 
puscles may become modified into fat-cells, and also, as asserted 
by Czajewicz, Rollett and others, migratory corpuscles may 
become quiescent and turn into reservoirs of fat. After a Sec- 
turus has been kept upon sparse diet for some time, the adipose 
tissue shows but few gorged cells, many trasitional forms, at 
greater proportion of branched cells without fat, thus proving tha 
the fat-cell is simply a store of food, and that, when their me 
is used, the cells revert to their primitive condition of branche 
or unbranched cells. 
RECENT EMBRYOLOGICAL PAPERS ON VERTEBRATES.—The — 
is being discu 
by O: Hertwig in the ¥enaischer Zeitschrift, with numerous age 
taini i i i different classes. 1 
containing views of this layer in the he cover 
early development of the kidney. È 
EMBRYOLOGY OF THE SILK-worm.—This has been studied PY. 
Salvatico, who finds that the amnion appears as a nesta D 
large nucleated cells like those of the serous membrans AE 
out pigment. The malphigian vessels originate in the ss of ve 
He did not note the early appearance of the rudi nips „elia. 
genital glands, which was observed by Balbiani in Tinea 
DEVELOPMENT OF BITHYNIA, A FRESH-WATER ere? 2 
After discussing the origin of the larval and adult organs, 
B. 
) 
Sarasin (Arbeiten Zool. Zoot. Institut zu Warzburg, Vi ! 
