Intercellular junctions of the hindgut epithelial cells of two terrestrial isopods, Armadillidium vulgare and Oniscus asellus, are described. Long septate desmosomes occupy the subluminal region while gap junctions, zonulae adherens and intercellular spaces characterize the remainder of the convoluted lateral cell borders. The specialized junctional complexes and the ultrastructural morphology of the cells indicate that the terrestrial isopod hindgut epithelium functions in transport. Using mitochondrial morphometry as an indicator of cell transport activity, it appears that the posterior hindgut of A. vulgare also participates in osmoregulation, which is not the case with O. asellus. With increased desiccation there develops a significant difference between the mitochondrial structure of the two species. The mitochondria of the former retain the active structural condition (intermediate condensed conformation) while those of the latter become swollen and damaged.

The gross morphology, histology and ultrastructure of the canary's incubation patch and the ventral apterium from which it arises are described. The apterium is vascularized by pectoral, external mammary, incubation, and prepubic arteries. It is innervated by cutaneous branches of spinal nerves. It has a surface area of 6 cm . Its epidermis is a stratified squamous epithelium with basal, intermediate, transitional and cornified layers. Cells in the stratum germinativum contain a normal array of organelles, but are characterized by tonofilaments, desmosomes and interdigitating surfaces. Cellular organelles disappear in the stratum transitivum and are replaced by large vacuoles and keratohyalin bands. Nonmyelinated nerve fibers are abundant in the stratum germinativum. The dermis consists of (1) an avascular layer of dense collagen subjacent to the epidermis and containing many nonmyelinated nerves, and (2) an underlying layer of areolar connective tissue containing blood vessels, lamellar corpuscles and nerves. A layer of coarse elastic fibers, reinforced by collagen and smooth muscle, separates the dermis from subcutaneous tissue. In contrast to the ventral apterium, the incubation patch is featherless and visibly hypervascular and edematous. Its epidermis is both hypertrophic and hyperplastic. Large spaces separate cells in the stratum germinativum. The visible hypervascularity is due to hyperemia and increased number and size of blood vessels in the dermis. Visible edema is due to the accumulation of fluid interstitially. Although no histological differences exist among various regions of the ventral apterium, such differences are present in the incubation patch.