THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSK GLANDS IN THE 
LOGGERHEAD TURTLE. 
(ABSTRACT.) 
FRANK A. STROMSTEN. 
Musk glands were first described in turtles by Dr. William 
Peters in 1848, and independently, in the same year, by Rathke. 
The glands do not appear to be present in all turtles, but when 
present consist of one or two pairs according' to the species of 
turtle. One pair is located at the anterolateral angles of the 
carapace, just beneath the peritoneum. The second pair, when 
present, is found at the posterolateral angles, one on each side. 
According to Peters, the secretion is a brownish, watery fluid, 
tasteless, but having a very penetrating odor. The glands are 
compared to the “ Kief erdrusen ” of Crocodiles (Mueller’s Ar- 
chives, 1848, 492-6). 
In a loggerhead turtle embryo at the time of hatching there 
are two pairs of musk glands. The anterior pair are double, 
having a cranial and a caudal portion, opening to the exterior 
by separate ducts. The duct of the larger cranial portion opens 
just beneath the lateral border of the carapace between the third 
and fourth marginal plates. The duct of the smaller caudal por- 
tion opens between the fourth and fifth plates. The posterior 
glands are single and lie beneath the eighth marginal plate of 
each side. 
Histologically, the wall of the gland is made up of three lay- 
ers, more or less distinctly defined. The outer layer consists 
mostly of striated muscle fibers, the middle layer of connective 
tissue, and the inner layer of more or less flattened epithelial 
cells. The gland at this stage of development is of the simple 
branching alveolar type. 
The epithelium is derived from the ectoderm and the muscu- 
lar layer from the deep muscles of the ventral thoracic region. 
Development is initiated by the elongation and proliferation of 
the ectodermal cells of the ventrolateral border of the carapace 
just caudad of the anterior limb (figure 48, a, b). The mesen- 
chyme in the immediate region of the proliferating ectodermal 
