24 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
(glomus) covered by coelomic epithelium, projecting freely into the 
peritoneal cavity and turned towards the mesentery. Neither of these 
parts gives any signs of segmental origin. The glomus is multilobate 
but single, though it extends over more than four segments ; it does not 
completely disappear till the Mullerian duct opens into the cloaca. It is 
probable that the glomus, and, with it, the whole system of pronephros, 
extended, in the primitive Reptiles, through the whole coelom. The pro- 
and archi-nephros pass into one another without any distinct boundaries 
between them. A pronephric duct which later becomes the archinephric 
is distinctly developed, as in other Vertebrates, but it could not be 
decided from which germinal layer this duct arose. In the anterior 
region of the excretory organ there are numerous Dephrostomes provided 
with ciliated epithelium, which are, in the earlier embryonic stages, 
arranged in an altogether segmental manner. In opposition to other 
Reptiles the Crocodiles and Tortoises have these organs fully developed 
and in active function for some time. This means that the embryonic 
renal system of these two groups of Reptiles is an important link 
between the renal system of other Sauropsida and Mammals on the one 
hand and that of the Anamnia(and especially Selachians and Amphibians) 
on the other. It also affords a proof that in primitive Reptiles the renal 
glands must, all their life long, have been connected with the coelom. 
In the ontogeny of the renal gland of Crocodilia and Chelonia we can 
follow the whole series of stages which gradually free it completely from 
the coelom ; all the three kinds of nephrostome are merely modifications of 
one and the same arrangement, and with the “ glomus ” and “ glomerulus ” 
may be looked at from the same morphological and physiological point 
of view, that is, their permanent connection with the coelom. The same 
is true of the permanent kidneys (metanephros), which arise indirectly 
from the same rudiment, and are not to be regarded as anything else 
than a posterior and more lately developed portion of the primitive 
kidney. 
The Mullerian duct of Crocodiles and Chelonians has as little to do 
with the pronephric duct, in its development, as in any other Vertebrate 
animal. 
Development of the Reproductive System.* — Prof. J. Janosik’s 
investigation of the early development of the reproductive organs in 
mammals has led him to conclude that if all were developed the result 
would be hermaphrodite organs, with internal testes and ovaries 
surrounding them. The same is true for the fowl and probably for other 
birds. The cells from which spermatozoa arise are descendants of those 
which are due to the primary proliferation of the germinal epithelium ; 
the cells from which ova are formed are ontogenetically younger. 
Structure of Nervous Cells.j — Dr. A. Coggi protests against 
drawing hasty conclusions about structure from artificially prepared 
specimens. He deals especially with some theoretical conclusions which 
Sig. Magini drew from his study of the electric lobes of Torpedo , 
These are not confirmed by the investigation of the living cells. Thus 
the karyoplasma does not always contract in the direction of the nervous 
* SB. K. K. Akad. Wiss. Wien, xcix. (1890) pp. 260-88 (1 ph). 
t Atti li. Accad. Lincei — lierid., vi. (1890) pp. 236-8. 
