126 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
able in showing a preponderance of the circular (as opposed to radial 
and longitudinal) components of the cytoplasmic trabecular framework. 
“Urns” of Sipunculus.* — MM. J. Kunstler and A. Gruvel have 
traced the history of these peculiar bodies found in the perivisceral fluid 
of Sipunculus nudns. Some have regarded them as parasitic Infusorians, 
but that they are in reality free epithelial cells has been proved by 
Brandt, Bay Lankester, Cuenot, and others. 
The normal “ urn ” most frequently seen is but one stage in a series. 
It becomes a disc, and gives rise to amoeboid cells, which gradually grow 
into urns. The authors also describe the “ enigmatic vesicles ” found 
along with the urns, but, as they confess, it is very difficult to follow 
the complex transformations without figures, for which we must wait. 
Rotatoria. 
Locomotor Apparatus of Rotifers.j — M. N. de Zograf finds in all 
the Rotifers which he has examined that the cells which carry the 
vibratile cilia are connected by nerve-filaments with the nerve-ganglion 
of these animals ; Floscularia and Stephanoceros are said to be excep- 
tionally interesting, as the cells in question show very markedly the 
characters of distinct nervous cells. 
Nematohelminthes. 
The Genus Ascaris4 — Prof. M. Stossich has published a systematic 
monograph of the genus Ascaris. The list of species amounts to 218, 
and the list of hosts to 432. This compact account should prove 
useful to workers in this difficult field. 
Life-History of Ascaris lumbricoides.§ — Dr. G. Brandes notes that 
almost all the text-books are misty in regard to the mode in which man 
is infected by this common parasite, while others cite von Linstow’s 
(quite theoretical) opinion that Julus guttulalus is the intermediate host. 
But in 1881 Prof. Grassi showed by experiment on himself that direct 
infection by eggs was effective. In 1888, Lutz showed the same, 
if the external shell is preserved. With this Davaine (1877) also 
agrees. Further experiments by Lutz and by Epstein (1892) were 
quite conclusive ; and the results got by Epstein also show that mature 
females may develop in 10-12 weeks. 
To this we may add that Prof. Stossich, in his monograph on Ascaris, 
credits von Linstow with suggesting that Polydesmus complanatus (as 
well as Julus guttulalus') as an intermediate host, while he mentions 
Calandruccio (1889 ?) as having experimentally proved the effectiveness 
of direct infection. 
Ascaris megalocephala as Cause of Death. || — Herr Graefe describes 
the case of a seven-year-old horse which suffered from progressive ema- 
ciation and cramps. A post-mortem examination revealed peritonitis, 
caused by two maw-worms (Asc. megalocephala) which had perforated 
the wall of the intestine. In the small intestine, the mucosa of which 
* Comptes Rendus, cxxiv. (1897) pp. 309-12. f Tom. cit., p. 203. 
X Boll. Soc. Adriat. Sci. Nat. Trieste, xvii. (1896) pp. 9-120. 
§ Biol. Centralbl., xvi. (1896) pp. 839-41. 
|| Deutsche Tierarztl. Wochenschr., 1896, pp. 29-30. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. 
u. Parasitenk., l te Abt., xx. (1896) p. 932. 
