178 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
believes the end-organs of the “ intermediate organ ” are distally con- 
nected with the integument, and that there is thus a transition towards 
the chordotonal organs. In regard to the supra-tympanal organ the 
most important general result appears to be the fact that it includes two 
distinct groups of terminal tubules, and that the group innervated by a 
distinct supra-tympanal nerve is independent of the others. 
Histology of Organs Appended to Male Apparatus of Periplaneta 
orientalist — M. P. Blatter finds that the seminal vesicles of this insect 
have a delicate external membrane which stains deeply, and contains 
small fusiform nuclei. With high powers and longitudinal sections the 
structure of the membrane is seen to be fibrillar ; the fibrils are ex- 
ceedingly delicate and are grouped in intercrossing bundles. The 
epithelium of the vesicles is formed by large cells with dense protoplasm 
and large nuclei rich in chromatin. Most of the seminal vesicles are 
filled by a viscous liquid which is rich in fat-globules, and which clearly 
serves to dilute the sperm at the time of copulation. 
The wall of the ejaculatory canal is formed, externally, of a rather 
thick layer of striated muscular fibres, most of which are disposed 
circularly ; the musculature is lined by an epithelial coat, which is sup- 
ported by an excessively delicate membrane, and which exhibits certain 
differentiations in various regions. Throughout its length it is covered 
by a chitinous membrane which, in places, carries a number of setae. 
jB. Myriopoda. 
Myriopoda of the ‘ Challenger ’ Expedition.! — Mr. R. I. Pocock 
gives a systematic account of the Myriopoda collected during the 
voyage of H.M.S. ‘ Challenger,’ in the course of which he describes a 
number of new species. With regard to those which are found in 
Bermuda, Mr. Pocock points out that of the ten known species, four 
have doubtless been introduced from the West Indies, three are either 
of Palaearctic or Nearctic origin, while the remaining three unquestion- 
ably belong to the Mediterranean fauna of the Palaearctic region. 
New Mode of Respiration in Myriopoda .j — Mr. F. G. Sinclair has 
published in full an account of his observations on the respiratory 
organs of the Scutigeridae, an abstract of which has already been noted 
in this Journal.§ He is of opinion that these observations confirm 
strongly the views of Sedgwick as to tracheae having been at first simple 
pits which gradually became more complicated, and that a special 
localization of tracheae is found in the pulmonary sacs of Scorpions. 
Mr. Sinclair thinks that the organ of Scutigera is intermediate between 
the simple tracheae and the lungs of Spiders. 
y. Prototracheata. 
Viviparity of Australian Peripatus.|] — The discussion between 
Mr. J. J. Fletcher and Dr. A. Dendy may now, we imagine, be con- 
sidered to have come to an end. Mr. Fletcher deals in a severe and 
* Comptes Rendus, cxv. (1892) pp. 1332-4. 
t Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., xi. (1893) pp. 121-42 (1 pi.). 
x Phil. Trans., 183 B (1893) pp. 61-72. § 1892, p. 36. 
I! Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., vii. (1892) pp. 179-96. 
