1886,] Zoology. a67 
studies of the nerve terminations in the cutaneous epithelium of 
the tadpole. Certain fibers, placed below the corium and known 
as the fundamental plexus, give origin to fibrils which enter the 
epithelium and end in comparatively large bead-like bodies be- 
tween the cells, and may or may not branch, arise from a network 
of fine anastomozing nerve-fibrils situated immediately below the 
epithelium and forming meshes smaller than the space covered 
by an epithelial cell. One,:commonly two, often three or more, 
nerve-fibrils terminate in the interior of each epithelial cell near 
its nucleus. The figures of Eberth are sheaths for intra-cellular 
nerve-terminations. Colonel R. H. Beddome describes the 
earth snakes (Uropeltidz) of India and Ceylon in a recent num- 
ber of the Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist. Six species of Rhino- 
phis, one of Uropeltis, nineteen of Silybura, five of Plectrurus, 
one of Teretrurus (nov. gen.), three of Melanophidium, and three 
of Platyplectrurus are characterized. Several species are new. 
Fishes.—Nature (Feb. 4, 1886) has an interesting article by A. 
Ernst upon the shoals of living and dead fishes which are cast 
upon the shore of Carupano, Venezuela. The place is celebrated 
for the occurrence of these shoals, which for the most part con- 
sist of small fishes, and are composed of several distinct species. 
he shoals are most common from May to November, during 
the rainy season, but in fine weather, when there is a moderate 
breeze from the sea. Sharks and other predatory fishes, as well 
as whales and sea-gulls, follow the shoal. The movement of the 
fishes is probably due to migration in search of food, the conforma- - 
tion of the coast at Carupano is such as to favor the embayment 
of the shoals at that point, and the death of the fishes is. caused by 
submarine eruptions of gases. — T. J. Cunningham (Quart. 
Jour. Micr. Soc.) contributes observations upon the relations of , 
the yolk to the gastrula in teleosteans and other vertebrate types. 
At an average temperature of 7.5 C. whiting began to hatch on 
the tenth day, haddock on the eleventh. The fertilized ova of 
the cod, haddock and whiting are similar in all respects save size, 
while the ovum of 7} vigla gurnardus has a single large, brownish- 
on in Amphibia, Petromyzon and the ganoids is homolo gous 
