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PROCKEDINGS 


OF THE 


Per AL PHYSICAL SOCLETY 


OF 


EDINBURGH. 


1859-1862. 


VOLS. 


EDINBURGH: 
PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY BY NEILL AND COMPANY. 


MDCCCLXIILI. 


CONTENTS. 


SESSION 1858-59. 


November 24, 1858. 

PAGE 

Balfour (Professor), Opening Address (Historical Sketch of 
the Wernerian Society, &c.), 1 

I. Murray (Andrew), Contributions to the Natural Hero of 

the Hudson’s Bay Company’s ee Part I1., Mam- 
malia—(continued), ; 15 

II. Wright (T. Strethill), M.D., on New Beomeoa (1. ) Page: 

tia producta ; (2.) Gone religata ; (3.) Corethria Ser- 

tularice; (4.) on Stentor a and Stentor castaneus 
(Plate II.), : 26 

Ill. Wright (T. Strethill), M. D., Ouserrations on British To 

phytes: (1.) on the Eopcoduetion of Turris neglecta ; 

(2.) on the Development of Htppocrene Britannica from 

Atractylis ramosa; (3.) on the Development of Hydra 


tuba from Chrysaora (Plate II1.), : 34 

IV. Smith (John Alex.) M D., Exhibited Specimens of the Tae 
tern-Fly of British Honduras) f 36 

V. Smith (John Alex.), M.D., Notes of Hoses from the old 


Red Sandstone of the South of Scotland, : ; 36 


_ December 22, 1858. 


Office-bearers Elected, 3 838 
I, Rhind (William), Exhibited a Sremen of Teo tdendron: 
with Lepidostrobus attached, found by Mr R. H. Tra- 


quair near Colinton, : 38 
TI. Wright (T. Strethill), M.D., on the Cae. or Thread- ells 
of the Holide, . 38 
III. Smith (John Alex.), M.D., N otice of a, Skull of ne Drege. 
& dytes niger, the Geen ances found in a “ Devil-house,”’ 


Old Calabar, Africa, é : : ‘ 4] 


iv 


aig 


II. 


Il. 


VII. 


LL 


i 


CONTENTS. 


Smith (John Alex.), M.D., Notes of some of our Rarer Birds 
—Tetrao medius, a Hybrid between the Capercailzie 
and Blackcock; Lanius excubitor, the Great Grey Shrike; 
Dafila caudacuta, the Pintail Duck; Buteo Nii 
the Rough-legged Buzzard, 


. Stirling (Archibald), Notice of a Pike (Esos nie in 


whose Stomach a Water-hen and Water-ouzel were 
found, 


January 26, 1859. 


. Murray (Andrew), Contributions to the Natural History of 


the Hudson’s Bay sities Territories. Aves. Part I. 
(Plate I.), 

Jardine (Sir William), Tatty qe ae on some b08 the 
Birds received from the Hudson’s Bay sic > s Terri- 
tories, 

Smith (John Alex.), M. D., on the Hien Papen assuming 
Male Plumage, 


. Wright (T. Strethill), M.D., Oiecerun ae on British Zue- 


phytes: (1.) Coryne Fee e (2.) Coryne (margarica 
mihi) «mplexa; (3.) Bimeria vestita; (4.) Garveia nutans 
(Plates IIT. and IV.), 


. Peach (Charles W.), on some OPS Higa of Sings on 


two Species of Star-fishes (Gen. Ophiocoma), 


. Smith (John Alex.), M.D., Notice of the Ukpam, a Laie 


Species (probably new) of Sting Ray (Zrygon, Cuv.), 
found in the Old Calabar River, Africa, . 

Smith (John Alex.), M.D., Notice of the Passer sidinadaee 
the Tree Sparrow, shot near Dunbar, . ; : 


February 23, 1859. 


. Turner (William), M.B., on some Fossil Bovine Remains 


found in Britain, . 


. Wright (T. Strethill), M.D. .» on Boden ameabilis an 


undescribed Gymnopthalmatous Medusa, 
(Dr Wright also exhibited Specimens of Gromia ovifiraieas 
Gatke (W. H.), (Communicated by Professor Balfour), No- 
tice of some Birds observed in the Island of Heligoland, 
Bryson (Alex.), on the ied of Hasty Generalization in 
Geology, . : ; 


PAGE 


45 


o7 


58 


59 


63 


64 


69 


at 


80 
82 


82 


85 


CONTENTS. 


v. Stewart (John Alex.), Notes on some Points in the Natural 


VI. 


VI. 


III. 


TV. 


History of the West Coast of Ross-shire, : 
Murray (Andrew), a beautiful series of varieties (in plum- 
age) of the Common Pheasant were Exhibited, the Pro- 
perty of Walter May, Esq., : : : > 


March 23, 1859. 


. Lowe (W. H.), M.D., Extract of Letter from the Rev. Hugh 


Goldie, Old Calabar, to Dr Greville, respecting some sin- 
gular Silk “ Bags” formed by Insects in Africa, 


. Murray (Andrew), a Series of recently discovered Hyeless 


Beetles, from the Caves of Carniola and Hungary were 
Exhibited, 


. Bryson (Alex.), Notice of the Tenens of Tate in Bicewun 


coronatum and Helix virgata, 


. Wright (T. Strethill), M.D., Gpeereatioas 3 on British Zoe. 


phytes—Kionistes ons (with figure), 


. Cleland (John), M.D., on the Vomer in Man and the Aim 


malia, and on the Soienoidal Spongy Bones (Plate V.), 
Peach (Charles W.), on the Discovery of Nullipores (cal- 

careous plants) and Sponges in the Boulder Clay of 

Caithness, : : : ‘ 


April 27, 1859. 


. Kelaart (Z.F.) M.D., (communicated by Dr R. K. Greville), 


Report on the Pearl Banks of Arippo, Ceylon, for Season 
1858, 


. Banks (James), (coummunteated by Dp J. A. Smith), Note on 


the Luminosity of the Lantern-fly of Honduras, A 

(1.) M‘Bain (James), M.D., R.N., Notice of a Fossil Nau- 
tilus from the Isle of Ercopey, 

(2.) M‘Bain (James), M.D., R.N., Notice of the aoe 
decussata, found in the i: -called Raised Sea-beach Bed 
at Leith, : 

Bryson (Alen, y; Contribution to a Monoprene of feelin 
Spar (Part I.), 


. Wright (T. Strethill), M. D., , on a Method of Ghremrine 


Polarizing Prisms of Ni irate of Potash, 


. Carruthers (William), Notes on the Geology of Swellerdam, 


South Africa, 


87 


88 


101 
102 


103 


105 
107 
107 


108 


Vi CONTENTS. 


PAGE 
VII. Ornithological Notes— 


(1.) Dassauville (Peter A.), Anas strepera, the Gadwall, 110 
(2.) Smith, (John Alex.), M.D., Anas clypeata, the Shovel- 
ler; Lanius excubitor, the Great Grey Shrike; Alauda 
alpestris, the Shore Lark, : 110 
VIII. Smith (John Alex.), M.D., Notes on the Cranits of the tan 
(Bos brimagenius) i in the Museum of the Society of Anti- 


quaries of Scotland (woodcut of celts), . 111 
Dr J. A. Smith Exhibited Skull of ee aig pecalia 
variety in shape of horns, : ee 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Plate I1.—New Protozoa—Lagotia producta, Zooteirea religata, 
Corethria sertularie, Salpistes Miillerc, : mers 
Plate III.—British Zoophytes—Olavula Gossit, Hydra pala. . -d4 
Plate I.—Bernicla leucolema, B. Canadensis, B, Hutchinsti, . 53 


Plates III and I1V.—British Zoophytes—Bimeria vestita, Garveia 
nutans, Coryne impleca, Goodsirea mirabilis, young of 
Cydippe, Eudendrium arbuscula, Psuchastes glacialis, eke 

Plate V.—Vomer, &c., in Man, and the Lamb, and Rabbit, eh s 6 


Woodeut—Reproductive Polyp of Kionistes retiformis, . Sa am 
e Bronze Celts or Axe-heads, , : ae +) HS 


CONTENTS. 


SESSION 1859-60. 


November 23, 1859. 


. PAGE 
Murray (Andrew), President’s Opening Address icity of 


the Progress of Entomology, Coleoptera), 117 
I. Logan (George), Report of the Committee on "Marine 
Zoology, with special reference to the presence of the 
Whitebait (Clupea alba) in the Firth of Forth, 6 a) 
II. Logan (R. F.), a Specimen of the Canada Goose (Anser 
Canadensis), shot on Duddingston Loch, was exhibited 


by, : . : : . . - 131 
III. Bryson (Alexander), Extracts of Letters from Dr Living- 
stone’s Expedition to the River Zambesi, Africa, we dell 


January 25, 1860. 


Office-bearers elected, i Sere oe 
Memorial to Gree ent on behalf of the Te esene Ex- 
pedition, . 133 


J, Claparéde (Profesor E.), Can. On the iB nei of 

a Medusa belonging to the genus Lizzia. Communicated 
by T. Strethill Wright, M.D.,_ . : 133 

II. Wright (T. Strethill), M.D., Note on an Teter neon 

Method of eg Wher aaant Objects under High 
Powers, . 134 

Ill. Turner (W.), M.B., iRemarks on aie Masenine ete 
cricoideus, a Muscle of the Human Larynx (woodcut), . 135 

IV. Murray (A.), (1.) Notice of the Capture of an enormous 
Cycloid Fish in the Bay of San Francisco, California, 138 

(2.) A supposed Meteoric Stone sent from Hudson’s ma 
exhibited by, : ; 138 


Vili 
v. 


VI. 


CONTENTS. 


Cleland (John), M.D. The Skeleton of a shes, paca 
exhibited by, } : : 
Bialloblotsky, Dr, Remarks 


VII. Smith (John Alex.), M.D., (1.) Notice of Pleuvoneses 


0h 


IV. 


VI. 


IV. 


v. 


punctatus, Bloch’s (?) Top Rant, and of Nerophis equo- 
rews, the Aiquoreal Pipe-fish. Spennus exhibited, 
(2.) Specimens of Mustela erminea, the Stoat; Tringa 
pugnax, the Ruff; Anas clypeata, the Shoveller; and 
the young of Oidemia nigra, the Black Scoter, exhibited, 


February 22, 1860. 


. M‘Bain (James), M.D., R.N., Notice of various Osteological 


Remains found in a Pict’s House in the Island of Harris, 


. Bryson (Alexander), On the Structure of Pearl, 


Bell (Rev. T. B.), Leswalt, Notes from the Neighbearkaad 
of Stranraer—On the Chough (Fregilus graculus); the 
Migration of the Swift (Cypselus apus); and on the 
Effects of the late Severe Gale on the 9th September 
last. Communicated by John Alex. Smith, M.D., 

Murray (Andrew), (1.) Notice of a New Leaf Insect, 

(2.) Description of New Sertulariade from the Coast of Cali- 
fornia (Plates VI. and VII.), 

{3.) Notice of Chameleon tricornis, 


. Smith (John Alex.), M.D., a Ballers Woes (Cabri ws 


gylta), exhibited, 
Smith (John Alex.), M.D., Seecuine of Gucranedare ae 
pera, the Gadwall, exhibited, : : : 


March 28, 1860. 


Proposed Subscription for a Monument or Memorial to the 
late Professor Fleming, 
Hugh Miller’s Museum, Note on, 


. Turner (William), M.B., on the EGioloy went o Trans 


parent Injections in the Examination of the Minute 
Structure of the Human Pancreas, : 

. Rhind (William), Notice of Reptilian Fossils, Motayanme: 

. Murray (Andrew), Contributions to the Fauna of Old Cala- 
bar—Mammals, . 

Peach (Charles W.), On ne Chalk Flints of the teal of 
Stroma and vicinity of John-o’-Groat’s, Caithness, 

Peach (Charles W.), Note of the Onuphis tubicola found 
near Wick, ; : : ; p 


PAGE 


138 
138 


139 


139 


141 
142 


143 
146 


146 
149 


14 


150 


150 
150. 


III. 


CONTENTS. 


April 25, 1860. 


Logan (George), Remarks on Lord Advocate’s gee new 
Herring Fishery Bill, 


. Hunter (Rev. Robert), On some Obsente Marine upon an 


Old Red Sandstone Slab, at Mill of Ash, near Dunblane, 


. M‘Bain (James), M.D., R.N., Notice of Various Ornithic 


Fossil Bones from New Vena 2 

Smith (John Alex.),“M.D., Notice of the Anguantios of old 
Calabar, Africa; an aeiiaal belonging to the Family 
Dae and apparently a new species of the Genus 
Perodicticus of Bennett, ; 

(Hair of Angwanizbo, Plate VIII. and AWoodeuts oe ) 


May 9, 1860. 


. Wright (T. Strethill), M.D., Observations on British — 


Zoophytes,—Halcampa Fultont, a parasitic Actinia. 
(Two Woodcuts), 


. Page (David), on New Fossil leeare fe the Old Red 


Sandstone of Forfarshire, 


. Peach (Charles W.), on the Nidus and Morne of Pon ob: 


della muricata, and on the young of other Annelides, . 


. Logan (George), Notice of Snakes and Lizards from Old 


Calabar, 
Bryson (Alex.), on te Silveifieation of Orie Bodies, 


Aes 
. M‘Bain J eo M.D., R. N. Reenter of the Eanes 


ad in a Pict’s house in the Island of Harris. Being 
Notes to Communication read 22d February 1860 (see 
page 141), 


207 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 
Plate VI.—Sertularia tricuspidata, 8. labrata, S. corniculata,. 149 
Plate VII.—Plumularia gracilis, P. struthionides, . a. tao 
Plate VIII—Hair of Angwdntibo, x z : he ae 
Weelents aay showing Musculus Kerato-cricoideus, is day 
<3 Figs. 1, 2. Hand and Foot of Angwcéntibo, . - 180 
:, Fig. 3. Head of Angwantibo, : : 2) 288 
3 Fig. 4. Head of Poito, - : se Soe 
Pf Figs. 1, 2. Hand and Foot of tenia mse : oD 
e Figs. 5, 6. Hand and Foot of Potio, . 191 

is Fig. 1. Diagram of Transverse Section of Hamiape 
Fultont, a parasitic Actinia, - : 194 


Fig. 2. Diagram of lateral view of Stomach of Hal. 
campa Fulton, : : : : i ee 


CONTENTS. 


SESSION 1860-61. 


November 28, 1860. 
PAGE 
Rhind (William), President’s Opening Address, . sed 


I. Wright (T. Strethill), M.D., Observations on British Zoo- 
phytes and Protozoa :— 
(1.) Notice of Ophryodendron abietina (Corethria sertu- 
arse), . 216 
(2.) Onthe i esduenice Sein of Chicas (Plate 1X), 218 
II. Cleland (John), M.D., On the Serial Homologies of the 
Articular Surfaces of the Mammalian Axis, a and 
Occipital Bone. (Woodcut), boar 
III. Smith (John Alex.), M.D., Ornithological Notes: 


(Specimens exhibited.) 
(1.) Falco islandicus (Lath). The Gyrfalcon, . . - 226 
(2.) Picus major (Linn.) The Pied Woodpecker, 22 
(3.) Lanius excubitor (Linw.) The Great Grey Shrike, . 227 
(4.) Perdrix conerea (Linn.) Common Partridge (variety), 227 
IV. Smith (John Alex.), M.D., A vo ores Sponge was 
exhibited, Seay 


December 26, 1860. 


Office-bearers elected, : : . te eS 


January 23, 1861. 
I. Edwards (A. M‘Kenzie), F.R.C.S.E., On Inflammation in 


Fishes, : 228 
II. M‘Bain (James), M. D., R. N., i Eehibition of Sponges, with 
Explanatory Renan 5 Boa!) 


Ill. Logan (George), Report of the Carinaiatse on Masine 
Zoology ; with a Notice of the Sprat-Fishing in the Firth 
of Forth. (Specimens exhibited), : : . 240 


™ 


Xi 


Ly 


V. 


VI. 


VIE 


I. 


TIT. 


CONTENTS. 


Smith (John Alex.), M.D., Two Otters, Lutra —— 
shot near Edinburgh, were exhibited, &c., 
Smith (John Alex.), M.D., Genusioeysl Notes :— 


(Specimens exhibited.) 
(1.) Stria Tengmalmi (Tem.) ; Tengmalm’s Night-Ow], 
(2.) Lantus excubitor. The Great Grey Shrike, 
(3.) Turdus musicus. The Song Thrush (white), 
(4.) Alcedo ispida. The King Fisher, 
(5.) Hybrid Grouse, between Black Cock and Red Gree 
(6.) Querquedula caudacuta. The Pintail Duck, 
(7.) Mergus albellus. The Smew, . ‘ ; 
Smith (John Alex.), M.D. ae ike marinus. The Sea 
Lamprey, exhibited, : 
Davies (James B.), Specimens of various Marine Andeupdis 
sent by Dr E. W. Dubuc, R.N., from Ceylon, &c. were 
exhibited, - , 


February 27, 1861. 


. Wright (T. Strethill), M.D., Observations on British Zoo- 


phytes and Protozoa,—On Atractylis palliata and coc- 
- cinea (new species) :— 

(1.) Atractylis palliata, new species (Plate XI. £3 6), 

(2.) Atractylis coccinea, new species, — 

(3.) On Rhizopod Structure, 

Traquair (R. H.), Note on the Occurrence of Tiles in 
the Carboniferous Limestones of Fifeshire. (Specimens 
exhibited), 

Taylor (Andrew), Note on che eee of the Libestes Old 
Red Sandstone Conglomerate Bed, in a Quarry recently 
opened near the Grange House, Newington, 


. Peach (Charles W.), On the Occurrence of the oe 


Anchovy, and other Fishes, on the Coast of Caithness ; 
with a Note on the Termination of the Vertebral Column 
in the Tails of the Salmon tribe, 


. Ornithological Notes :— 


(Specimens exhibited.) 
(1.) Dassauville (P. A.), Larus glaucus. Glaucous Gall, 


(2.) Smith (John Alex. a M.D. ee Bewickii, Bewick’s’ 


Swan, 


March 27, 1861. 


. Logan (R. F.), Note on the Occurrence of Vanessa poly- 


chloros and Cheimatobia borearta in Edinburghshire. 
(Specimens exhibited), 


PAGE 


244 


244 
245 
245 
245 
245 
247 
247 


248 


249 


250 
251 
251 


253 


254 


256 


259 


259 


260 


CONTENTS. 


II. M‘Bain (James), M.D., R.N., Remarks on some Comparative 
Anatomical Distinctions between the Skull of the Manatus 
senegalensis and that of a Manatee from the Bay of 
Honduras. (Specimens exhibited), 

III. Livingston (John S.), Historical Review of the State of our 
Knowledge respecting Metamorphism in the Mineral 
Kingdom, with special regard to certain recent Researches, 


April 24, 1861. 


Logan (George), Memorial against Salmon Fisheries Act 
(Scotland), 

I. Mitchell (J. M.), Some Statements: in Gane Sc N a 
History of Fishes,’ as to the Herring, shown to be 
erroneous, 

MW. Wricht. (1. Strethill), M. D., Observations on “Brive 
Zoophytes and Protozoa :— 
(1.) On the Reproductive Elements of the Rhizopoda (Plate 
XE) : : 
(2.) On the Beroduciion ae Cucogeer : 
(3.) On Dendrophyra radiata and D. erecta (nov. gen. 
et sp.), - 
(4.) On Lecythia Parco fun gen. ie a) : 
Appendix to Coinistes reticularis (rotnastes retiformis), 
p. 91. (Weoodcut), 
Appendix to Hydractinia, vol. i. p. 192, : 
II. Dubuc (E. W.), M.D., R.N., Notes on Deep-Sea Sonntines. 
Communicated by Mr James B. Davies, 
IV. Logan (George), Further Notice of the Herring ind Sorat 
Fishery of the Firth of Forth, 
Mitchell (J. M.), exhibited Sprats with developed milt ee 
- roe, 

V. Young (William S. ), gues of a ehecmen of the Sona 
thus Aiquoreus, taken in a lobster net off Inchkeith 17th 
April 1861, 

(Smith (John Alex.), M.D., i Notes ‘of the Biyioreal Bape 

Fish (Nerophis quoreue, taken at the Isle of May), . 

VI. Smith (John Alex.), M.D., Crew porzana. Spotted Crake. 
(Specimen exhibited), ‘ 


X1ll 


PAGE 


261 


267 


269 


269 


270 
274 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Plate 1X.—Reproduction of Chrysaora and Truncatulina, 

Plate X.—Ophryodendron abietinum, : 

Plate XI.—Ophryodendron, Dendrophyra, Ateame iio 

Plate XII.—Hydractinia, Lar satellarum, Trichidra pudica, 
Cunina globosa, Sertularia pumila, 


Woodecut—Fig. 1. Atlas of a young Chelonia virgata, 
an Fig. 2. Dorsal vertebra of a young seal, 


” Fig. 3. Superior aspect of the axis of a human feetus, 


-, Fig. 4. Inferior aspect of the atlas of a human feetus, 
af Fig. 5. Cervical vertebra from a human foetus, 
5 Ovisac of Hudendrium confertum, 


III. 


EY. 


il 


II. 


III. 


CONTENTS. 


SESSION 1861-62. 


November 27, 1861. 


Wright (T. Strethill), M.D., President’s Opening Address, . 


. Anderson (John), M.D.,On the Anatomy of Sacculina, with 


a description of ine Species (Plate XIII.), 


. Alder (Joshua), Esq., Observations on British omy anos 


1. Hydractinia arcolata, n. sp. 2. Atractylis arenosa, 


n. sp. (Plate XIV.) Communicated by T. Strethill 
Wright, M.D., 


Wright (T. Strethill), Jats) Bee On Reproduction in pire 


vitrina (Plate XV.), 
Charlesworth (Edward), Esq., Eatabited various Objects ae 


Natural History, and a new mode of mounting very 
small specimens, 


December 16, 1861. 
Office-bearers Elected, 


. (1.) Turner (William), M.B., On a Noneniped Muscle con- 


nected with the Orbital Pee of Man and Mam- 
mals, 


(2.) Notes on the Ortrence ce the Vaneutas Ker oe cricot- 
deus, 


January 22, 1862. 


Address of Condolence to Her Majesty, 

M‘Kenzie (James), Esq., Notes on the Habits of ne Bene 
By an Eye-witness. Communicated by A. Murray, Esq., 

Anderson (John), M.D., On an apparently New Form of 
Holothuria (Plate XVI1.), ° . . : 

Shearer (R. I.) and Osborne (H.), Notes on the Ornithology 


of Caithness (specimens exhibited). Communicated by 
John A. Smith, M.D., 


IV. Smith (J. A.), M.D. Onn olnsteel Notes. ere atic 


(Glaucous gull), Mioulis alle ane ae &e. ae 
mens exhibited), 


PAGE 
295 


304 
314 
316 


318 


319 


319 


326 


328 
329 


3ol 
334 


347 


XV1 CONTENTS. 


V. Smith (Dr), Exhibited Plaster Casts of the Skull of the 
Gorilla, and also of its Brain Cavity, 


February 26, 1862. 


I, Elliot (Walter), Esq., Exhibition of Drawings, by Native 
Artists, of Animals collected in India, belonging to the 
different Great Divisions of the Animal Kingdom. 
Communicated by John Coldstream, M.D., ; 

Il. Wright (T. Strethill), M.D., Observations on “Britis Fae 
phytes. 1. Atractylis arenosa. 2. Atractylis miniata, 
3. Laomedea decipiens (Plate XV.), : 
III. Thomas (Captain F. W. L.), R.N., On the Gevlneres Age 
of the Pagan Monuments of the Outer Hebrides, 
IV. Cleland (John), M.D., Description of several Fishes from 
Old Calabar. Communicated by William Turner, M.B., 
V. Weir (Thomas Durham), Esq., Note of the Common Squirrel 
(Sciurus vulgaris) Feeding on Birds and their Eggs. 
Communicated by Dr John Alex. Smith, . 
VI. Smith (John Alex.), M.D., Exhibited ee — of the 
Lepus timidus, 
VII. Smith (John Alex.), M.D. /Ongralaran Notes: — 
(epee exhibited.) 
(1.) Turdus Merula (Penn). Blackbird (pied), 
(2.) Lowa curvirostra (Penn.) Common Crossbill, 
(3.) Picus Major (Penn.) Great Spotted Woodpecker, 
(4.) Hybrid Grouse, between Blackcock and Red Grouse, 
(5.) Botaurus stellaris (Selby.) ‘The Common Bittern, 
(6.) Podiceps cristatus (Penn.) Great Crested Grebe, 
(7.) Podiceps rubricollis (Penn.) Red-necked Grebe, 
(8.) Podiceps cornutus (Penn.) The Horned or Sclavonian 
Grebe, © : 
(9.) Podiceps awritus Bre ) The Barca Gree 
Hargitt (Edward), Esq., Exhibited a large Specimen of the 
Wild Cat (Felis catus ferus), 
VIII. Brown (Robert), Exhibited a Specimen oe Astropton 
scutatum from Davis Strait,—with Note, 


March 26, 1862. 


I. Logan (R. F.), Esq., Notice of Indian Insects exhibited at 

last meeting by Mr Elliot, 

II. M'Bain (James), M.D., R.N., Notice of the Developmen or 
Fish Spawn from ie Firth of Forth, p 

III. Mitchell (J. M.), Esq., (1.) On the Difference between ae 
young Herring, Clupea harengus, and the Sprat, ie 
sprattus. (2.) On the Food of Fishes, : 

1V. Anderson (John), M.D., On Phryxus Paguri, 


PAGE 


348 


348 


349 
352 


359 


361 
363 
363 
363 
363 
364 
364 
365 
366 


367 
367 


368 


368 


372 


373 


374 
374 


CONTENTS. 


V. Wright (T. Strethill), M.D., Observations on British Zoo- 
phytes and Protozoa. 1. Clava nodosa ; 2. Acharadria 
laryna ; 3. Zootearea religata ; 4. Freya (Lagotia) obstet- 
rica, Freya stylifer ; 5. Chetospwra marituma ; 6. Oxy- 
tricha longicaudata (Plates XVII., XVIII., XTX.), 

VI. Peach (Charles W.), Esq., On peculiar Hooked Spines on 
Ophiocoma bellis, with Observations on the Spines of 
other Ophiocome (Plate XX.) (Specimens and Draw- 
ings were exhibited), 

VII. Carruthers (William), a ey las, The Geology of of Moffat, 
Dumfriesshire, 


April 23, 1862. 

- I. Wallace (John), M.D., Observations on the Phocide of the 
Greenland Seas. (Communicated by R. Brown, Esq.) 

II. (1.) Smith (John A.), M.D., Notice of a Mass of Meteoric 
Iron, found in the Village of Newstead, Roxburghshire ; 
with some General Remarks on Meteorites (Plate XXI.). 
(Three electro-cuts), 

(2.) Thomson (Murray), M.D., Annee of the Mcleprolite 

described in the foregoing paper by Dr J. A. Smith, 

II. Young (William 8.), Hisq., On Professor M‘Coy’s Ray with: 
out a Name, taken in the Firth of Forth, = 1861. 
(The Specimen was exhibited), : 


May 7, 1862. 


I. Smith (John Alex.), M.D., Notes of the Capture of the Red- 
Crested Whistling Duck (Puligula rufina, Selby), in 
Argyleshire ; and of the Common Wild Duck ee 
on a Tree, 

Il. Traquair (R. H.), M.D., Note on a ue of Abuormality i in 
the Ossification of ale Parietal Bones in the Human 
Fetus, . 

III. M‘Bain (James), M. Dy, ns, N,, Agnaerie @ on qe S0- failed 
Raised Sea-beach Bed in ae Neighbourhood of Leith, 
and its Relations to other Deposits, 

IV. Bryson (Alexander), Esq., F.R.S.E., On the Danger of Biase 
Generalization in Geology ; soon Special Reference to 
the so-called Raised Sea-beach at Leith (woodcut), 

- V. (1.) Wright (T. Strethill), M.D., On the Pigmental System 
of the AXquoreal Pipe-fish, 

(2.) Smith (John Alex.), M. 1D, Description of this Alquo- 
real Pipe-fish, 

VI. Wright (T. Strethill), M. Dy OibearaiRans « on British Zon 
phytes.  (1.) Tope Proteus ; (2.) Trichydra 
pudica ; (3.) On the Development of Pycnogon Larve 
within the Polyps of Hydractinia (Plates XVII, XXII), 


348 


391 


396 


414 


ANT 


420 


4291 


XVill CONTENTS. 


VII. Logan (George), Esq., Report of the Committee on Marine 
Zoology. (Specimens were exhibited), 
VIII. Thomson (Murray), M.D., and Binney (Mord), Esq: 4 On 
the Composition of a Bsenia! Steatite, 
IX. Brown (Robert), Esq., Exhibited a anal Fetal Specimen 
of a Narwal, - : ; 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Plate XIII.—Anatomy of Sacculina, 

Plate XIV.—1-4, Hydractinia areolata ; 5-7, Aivicovae are- 
NOSG, : : 

Plate XV.—1-6, Z’quoria prin, : 

» oo» 4-10, Atractylis arenosa, minata, ree deci- 
piens, : 

Plate XVI.—New Form of Holoiaaia, 

Plate XVII.—7, 8, Acharadria larynx, 

a Se 1-6, Vorticlava Proteus, . 

Plate XVIII.—Zooterea religata, 

Plate XIX.—1, Zooteirea religata; 2, 3, Praja nad ucta ; 
4, F. obstetrica; 5, 6, F. se deay 7, 8, Oxy- 
tricha longicaudata, . : : 

Plate XX.—Ophiocoma bellis, O. granulata, 

Plate XXI.—Meteoric Iron, from Roxburghshire, 

Plate XXII.—Trichydra pudica, “ 


Electro-cuts—Impression of Etched Surface of the Meteoric Iron, 
A Impressions of Etched portions of the Meteoric Iron, 
Woodcut—Section of Sand-pit, Junction Road, Leith, 


PAGE 
306 


314 
316 


349 
331 
378 
439 
378 


381 
382 
396 
440 


405 
413 
422 


GENERAL LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 
Plate —Bernicla leucolema, B. Canadensis, B. Hutchinsii, . 53 
Plate Il.—New Protozoa—Lagotta producta, Zooteirea religata, 
Oorethria sertularie, Salpistes Miillert, . ; 26 
Plate I1I.—British Zoophytes—Clavula Gossu, Hydra ‘aba, : 34 


Plates III, and [V.—British Zoophytes—Bimeria vestita, Garveia 
nutans, Ooryne implexa, Goodsirea mirabilis, young of 
Cydippe, Hudendrium arbuscula, Psuchastes glacialis, . 59 


Plate V.—Vomer, &c.—In Man, and the Lamb, and Rabbit, . 97 
Plate VI —Sertularia tricuspidata, 8. labrata, S. corniculata, 149 
Plate VIL—Plumularia gracilis, P. struthionides, : : 149 
Plate VIII.—Hair of Angwantzbo, : ; 187 
Plate [IX.—Reproduction of Chrysaora and Pedneang: : 218 
Plate X.—Ophryodendron abietinum, 974. 


Plate X1.—Ophryodrendron, Dendrophyra, Atraciyis palliata, 276 
Plate XI1.—Hydractima, Lar sabellarum, Trichidra pudica, 


Cunina globosa, Sertularia pumila, ‘ : : 276 
Plate XIII.—Anatomy of Sacculina, ; 306 
Plate XIV.—1-4, Tae actinia areolata ; 5-7, Aivociiits are- 

NOSH, » : : : 5 314 
Plate XV.—1-6, Baune vitrina, : 316 

Ra 7-10, Atractylis arenosa, miata, Rapnedes eee: 
prens, . 4 : : ; 349 
Plate XVI.—New fort of HH olocuurse, ; : : : 301 
Plate XVII.—7-8, Acharadria larynx, . : uty, 378 
By oh 1-6, Vorticlava Proteus, . : : 439 
Plate XVIII.—Zooteirea religata, ; 378 


Plate XIX.—1. Zooteirea religata ; 2, 3, ianene prone: ii 
F’. obstetrica ; 5,6, F. stylifer ; 7, 8, Oxytricha oneetena: 


data, . : : : : J8l 
Plate XX.—Ophiocoma is 0. amulet 382 
Plate XX I.—Meteoric Iron, found at Newstead, Roxburghshire, 396 
Plate XXII.—Trichydra pudica, ‘ 440 
Woodeut— Reproductive Polype of Kionistes reteformis, . : 91 


a Bronze Celts or Axe-heads, . : : : 115 


xX 


3) 


99 


GENERAL LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 
W oodeuts—Larynx, showing Musculus Kerato-cricoideus, 137 
Figs. 1, 2. Hand and Foot of Angwdntibo, 180 
Fig. 3. Head of Angwdntibo, 188 
Fig. 4. Head of Potto, 189 
Figs. 1, 2. Hand and Foot of nineey ee 190 
Figs. 5,6. Hand and Foot of Potto, 191 
Fig. 1. Diagram of Transverse Section of Binion 
Fulton, a parasitic Actinia, 194 
Fig. 2. IL Sesame of lateral view of Sicmael of Hal- 
campa Fultont, : 195 
Fig. 1. Atlas of a young Chelansan virgata, 225 
Fig. 2. Dorsal vertebra of a young seal, 225 
Fig. 3, Superior aspect of the axis of a human fetus, 225 
Fig. 4. Inferior aspect of the atlas of a human fetus, 225 
Fig. 5. Cervical vertebra from a human feetus, 225 
Ovisac of Hudendrium confertum, 279 
Hlectro-cuts—Impression of Etched Surface of the Meteone ae 
from Roxburghshire, : 405 
Impressions of Etched portions of the Meteorie ne 413 
Woodcut—Section of Sand-pit, Junction-Road, Leith, 422 


ERRATA. 


Page 228, top line, for 1861, read 1860. 
— 297, line 17, for polychlora, read polychloros. 
— 297, line 18, for borearea, read borearia. 
— 442, line 27, for MBean, read M‘Bain. 
— 442, line 30, for Apenhais, read Aporrhais. 
— 442, line 34, for Echinus, read Echinoderm. 


PROCHEDINGS 


OF THE 


ROYAL PHYSICAL SOCIETY. 


KIGHTY-EIGHTH SESSION, 1858-59. 


Wednesday, November 24, 1858. Professor Baurour in the Chair. 


The following Gentlemen were elected Members of the Society :— 


William Carruthers, Esq. ; Wiliam Turner, M.B., Demonstrator of 


Anatomy, University of Edinburgh. Foreign Member—Count Victor 
Motschoulsky, St Petersburgh. 


The Donations to the Library included the following, and thanks were 
voted to the donors :-— 


1. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Session 1857-58. 
From the Society.—2. Canadian Journal, Toronto, Nos. XV., XVI., and 
XVII. From the Canadian Institute, Toronto.—3. Papers read to the 
Botanical Society of Hdinburgh. By George Lawson, Ph.D. From the 
Author.—4. The Practical Naturalist’s Guide. By James Boyd Davies. 
From the Author. 


Professor Batrour then delivered the Opening Address as follows :— 


It has been the usual practice in the Society that the retir- 
ing President shall give a short address on the occasion of his 
demitting office, and, in conformity with that custom, I have 
been called upon by your Secretary to make a few remarks 
this evening when I conclude my period of probation as Pre- 
sident, ‘The task is by no means an easy one, from the diffi- 
culty of finding some new topic of interest on which to ex- 
patiate. The history of the Society has been already given 
by my predecessors, and the obituaries of the eminent mem- 
bers who have lately been taken from us (a topic which in 


most Societies occupies much of the opening addresses), have 
VOL. II. A 


2 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


already been given by Fellows of the Society, more competent 
for the duty than myself. It has occurred to me that a brief 
notice of two Edinburgh Natural History Societies, which have 
now ceased to exist, and more particularly of the Wernerian 
Society, might not be altogether uninteresting. 

Natural History studies are peculiarly fitted to call forth 
the principles of association. There is something connected 
with the prosecution of them which draws students together, 
and which binds them by ties of no ordinary kind. The study 
of the Rocks and Minerals, Plants and Animals, of our globe 
naturally leads to extended wanderings over mountain and 
plain, by river side or ocean shore, during which the com- 
panionship of friends becomes especially valuable and cheer- 
ing. ‘There is a sociality in such pursuits which insensibly 
unites men in scientific brotherhood. Those who have joined 
in natural history excursions know well the fascination of such 
rambles, and look back with pleasure to the friendships thus 
formed. The collections made become also bonds of union. 
For every naturalist knows the importance of the interchange of 
specimens. ‘The system of exchange has led to the formation 
of many associations. It was this which in a great measure 
led to the institution of the Botanical Society of this city. 

Edinburgh has been long celebrated for its Natural History 
Societies. ‘The situation of our city, the rich fauna and flora 
of its neighbourhood, its instructive geological and mineralo- 
gical features, have rendered it one of the places best fitted for 
the prosecution of natural science in its practical details. The 
student has ample opportunities of pursuing science in all its 
departments. Our museums and gardens also supply a valu- 
able means of acquiring information. Thus it is, that as a 
school of natural science, there is scarcely any city which pos- 
sesses greater advantages. It might have been expected, 
therefore, that scientific societies would spring up among us. . 
_ The Physical Society was among the earliest established, and 
it speedily acquired great eminence from the activity and zeal 
of its members. It embraced the whole range of science, both 
natural and physical, and it especially called forth the energies 
of young men who were zealously cultivating science within 
the walls of our University. It has had its reverses no doubt, 


President's Address. a 


. but it still exists, and has now entered on its eighty-eighth 
session ; and though its resources are not so large as they once 
were, the zeal of its members I trust is not abated. We have 
among us many active naturalists whose labours have advanced 
natural history, and whose original researches have increased 
the fame and reputation of our school. 

Besides the Royal Physical Society, there were other Na- 
tural History Societies in Edinburgh, especially among the stu- 
dents of the University. One of them was the Plinian Society, 
which, during its short existence, tended much to foster the 
spirit of inquiry, and to call forth the efforts of the junior 
naturalists of Edinburgh. It was essentially a students’ society, 
and met within the walls of the College. It began its ex- 
istence on 14th January 1823, and continued to meet till about 
the year 1835. It enrolled among its members many young 
naturalists who afterwards acquired eminence, such as Wm. 
Baird, now in the British Museum; M‘Viecar, now minister of 
Moffat ; Jameson Torrie, well-known for his Natural History 
labours in connection with his uncle Professor Jameson; Ains- 
worth, who published Travels in the District of the Huphrates ; 
Cheeke, the editor of a valuable Natural History Journal; 
Malcolmson, celebrated for his geological pursuits in India ; 
Anderson of Inverness, whose guide to the Geology and Na- 
tural History of the Highlands is so justly praised; Robert 
Grant, now Professor of Comparative Anatomy in London; 
John Coldstream, one of the Fellows of our Society, whose 
labours in Zoology are deservedly famous; Clouston, now 
a clergyman at Sandwick, who has done much to elucidate the 
flora of Orkney ; Woodforde, who published the Flora of 
Edinburgh ; Lombard of Geneva; John Addington Symonds, 
now a distinguished physician at Bristol; Hugh Falconer, 
the Indian Botanist and Zoologist; Browne, one of the Commis- 
sioners of Lunacy, and many others. If I were to analyse the 
proceedings of that Society, I could show that many of those 
gentlemen exhibited in their communications the early dawn- 
ings of their devotion to those departments of science in which 
they afterwards attained distinction. I feel that not a little 
of the zeal with which I prosecuted botany was due to my 
early connection with this Society. 


4 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Unfortunately, like some other societies, it had its decay . 
‘and decline, and, after a brief existence of about twelve years, 
it ceased to exist. On 6th Febuary 1841, the society was dis- 
solved, and its books and herbarium were divided between the 
Royal Medical and the Hunterian Medical Societies. 

In its flourishing days this Society was supported mainly 
by students, and it is probable that its decline may be attri- 
buted in some measure to the want of some zealous senior 
members resident in Edinburgh, who, by associating with stu- 
dents in practical natural history, would have kept up the 
vigour of the Society. 

We now come to another Natural History Society, the na- 
ture of which differed essentially from that of the Plinian and 
other student-societies, and whose period of existence ex- 
tended over more than forty years, but which has also come 
to a termination—I mean the Wernerian Natural History So- 
ciety. This Society owed its origin to Professor Jameson, 
whose enthusiastic devotion to natural history, and whose 
eminence in mineralogy rendered his name famous all over 
the world. TheSociety thus instituted by him was restricted 
to senior naturalists. While it lasted, it rendered good ser- 
vice to science, and by the publication of its valuable Memoirs 
acquired a wide-spread reputation. 

The Wernerian Society commenced in 1808, and the fol- 
lowing is the record of its foundation :— 


COLLEGE MusEeuM, Ldinburgh, 12th January 1808. 

The following gentlemen being met, viz. :— 
Rosert Jameson, F.R.S.E., Professor of Natural History. 
Wititiam Wricut, M.D., F.R.SS. L. & E. 
Tuomas Macknienut, D.D., F.R.S.E. 
Joun Barcray, M.D., F.R.S.E., Lecturer on Anatomy. 
Tuomas Tuomson, M.D., F.R.S.E., Lecturer on Chemistry. 
Col. Stewart Murray Fuiierton of Bartonholm. 

' Cuarztes Anperson, M.D., F.R.C.S.E, 
Patrick Waker, F.L.S., Advocate. 
Patrick Neiitu, A.M. 


They resolved to associate themselves into a society for the 
purpose of promoting the study of Natural History; and 


President’s Address. 5 


in honour of the illustrious Werner of Freyberg, to assume 
the name of the Wernerian Natural History Society. 

Professor Jameson having been called to the chair, the fol- 
lowing office-bearers were unanimously elected :— 


Professor Jameson, President. 
Dr Wricut, 

Rev. Dr ee a 
Dr Barciay, and 
Dr Tuomson, 


Vice-Presidents. 


; 
Mr Waker, Treasurer. 
Mr Neitz, Secretary. 


It being understood that the Society should consist of 
honorary, foreign, non-resident, and ordinary members, it was 
moved by the president, and unanimously agreed to, that 


Professor WERNER of Freyberg, 
Sir JosepH Banks, Bart., President of the Royal Society, and 
Ricuarp Kirwan, lsq., President of the Royal Irish Academy, 


be enrolled as the first honorary members of the Society. 


The following gentlemen were then chosen non-resident 
members :— 


Dr James Epwarpb Situ of Norwich, President Linnean 
Society. 

Rev. Dr Joun Stuart of Luss. 

Dawson Turner, F.R.S., Yarmouth. 

Rospert Brown, F.R.S., F.L.S. 

The Hon. Mr Grevinte, F.R.S. 

Cuartes Harcuert, F.R.S. 

Count de Bournon, F.R.S. 

Groree SHaw, M.D., F.BS. 

Wm. Henry, M.D., Manchester. 


And the following were elected foreign members :— 


M. FrepEricx Mous, Styria. 
Professor Karsten, Berlin. 
Professor Kiaprotu, Berlin. 
M. Von Bucu, Berlin. 


6 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


_M. Von Humeotpt, Berlin. 
M. FReiustesen, Thuringia. 
M. H. Meuner, Freyberg. 
M. Herper, Freyberg. 


Such then was the institution of the Wernerian Society. 

On the 20th January 1808, the laws of the Society were 
drawn up by a committee. 

In regard to resident members it is ruled that the number 
shall not exceed 100; and in regard to honorary members 
that they shall not exceed 10. 

- The meetings were held in the College Museum, or in a 
room adjoining to it, at two o’clock in the afternoon. 

All natural history specimens presented to this Society were 
to be deposited in the College Museum. 

A charter or seal of cause was subsequently obtained from 
the Town-Council, and the Society was incorporated on 10th 
February 1808, under the name of the Wernerian Natural 
History Society. 

The first meeting for public business took place on 2d 
March 1808, in the College Museum. 

The record of the proceedings of the Society from that time 
up to April 21, 1838, is printed as an appendix to the published 
Memoirs of the Society, vols. 11.-vil. 

‘In these volumes valuable papers are given on various de- 
partments of Natural History. 

Among the contributors of Papers we may notice the fol- 
lowing :—In Geology and Mineralogy—Professor Jameson, 
Mr Bald, Dr Fleming, Dr Macknight, M. Haidinger, Dr 
Adam, M. Boué, Mr George Anderson, Mr Trevelyan, Dr Hib- 
bert, Mr Witham, Mr R. J. Hay Cunningham, Mr James 
Smith, and Mr Torrie. In Chemistry—Dr Thomas Thomson, 
and Dr Murray. In Botany—Mr Robert Brown (one of 
his early papers on the Natural Order Asclepiadeze was read 
on 4th November 1809), Messrs David and George Don, Mr 
R. K. Greville, Dr Walker Arnott, Mr Macgillivray, Mr Mar- 
shall, Mr Francis Hamilton, Rev. Dr Scot. In Zoology and 
Comparative Anatomy—Mr Montague, Dr Fleming, Mr Neill, 
Dr Barclay, Mr Leach, Mr Thomas Brown, Mr James Wilson, 


Presideni’s Address. i 


Dr Traill, Dr Dewar, Mr Swainson, Mr Edmonston, Dr Knox, 
Mr Selby, Dr Hibbert, Dr Richardson, Mr Coldstream, Rev. 
David Scot, Mr William Jardine, Mr Parnell, Dr Grant, Mr 
Macgillivray, Dr Craigie, Mr J. Duncan, and Mr Edward For- 
pes. In Meteorology—Rev. Dr Scoresby. In Physical Science 
—Mr Stevenson, Dr Brewster, Mr Adie, and Mr Deuchar. 

The Society continued to hold meetings with more or less 
regularity up to 1850; and I have drawn up from its records 
the following notices, in continuation of its published pro- 
ceedings :— 

On the 11th August 1838, the Society proposed to encour- 
age the study of Natural History, by the offer of premiums 
for the best essays on certain subjects in Hydrography, 
Geology, Zoology, and Botany. These were subsequently 
advertised. | 

The thirty-second session of the Society was opened on 
24th November 1838, by Professor Jameson; and on the 
15th December of that year, papers were read by Dr Traill 
on the Cheirotherium ; and by Sir John Dalyell on a singu- 
lar mode of propagation in some of the lower animals ; besides 
communications on the Geology of Melrose and Harlston, and 
on Meteorology. 

On 12th January 1839, Professor Jameson exhibited Lab- 
rus trimaculatus and Gadus minutus, two rare fishes which 
had been found in the Pentland Firth; and the carcass of a 
large cinereous eagle, ‘“ being one of the two birds of that kind 
which had the boldness to attack a traveller near Newton- 
Stewart in Galloway.” 

On 26th January 1839, Mr Smith of Jordanhill read obser- 
vations on the elevated marine deposits in the basin of the 
Clyde, accompanied with remarks by Deshayes, Lyell, and 
Sowerby, on the shells unknown as British imbedded in 
them, from which it appeared that, out of twenty species, 
seven are at present to be found recent in the Arctic Seas, five 
in the Crag and Sicilian Newer Pliocene, and that the rest 
are peculiar to the deposit in question. Edward Forbes was 
proposed as a member by Professor Jameson, and his nomi- 
nation was seconded by Dr Neill. He was admitted on 9th 
February. At the same meeting, Professor Wallace explained 


8 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


by a model his solution of the Miner’s Problem, in reference to 
the security of the foundation of the houses in Moray Place. 

On the 23d February, Mr E. Forbes read a communication 
on the Asteriadee of the Irish Sea, which was afterwards pub- 
lished in the Society's Memoirs. This was one of Forbes’s 
early papers, and gave indications of what might be expected 
from his natural history labours. 

On 9th March 1839, Mr Cunningham read a valuable 
paper on the Geology of the islands of Eigg, Rum, and Canna, 
which was subsequently published in the Society’s Me- 
moirs. 

The session was closed on 20th April 1839; and the twenty- 
third session was opened on 23d November, when, among 
other notices, I find that Edward Forbes was made a mem- 
ber of Council. 

On 7th December 1839, Mr R. J. Hay Cunningham read 
an essay on the relations of granite and trap to stratified 
rocks, illustrating it by twenty-six large coloured sections, 
showing numerous contortions, in which there is no evidence 
of the granite having been forcibly injected so as to produce 
shifting. Mr Macgillivray exhibited a specimen of the but- 
cher bird (Lanius excubitor), shot at Whittinghame by Mr 
Archibald Hepburn. 

On 21st December 1839, a communication was read from 
Professor EKhrenberg on the calcareous and siliceous micro- 
scopic animals which form the chief component parts of chalk 
and its associated rocks. Dr Greville stated that Mr Shuttle- 
worth considered many of these organisms of Ehrenberg to be 
of vegetable origin. Mr Stevenson mentioned that, up to Ist 
December current, no snow lay upon the mountains of the outer 
Hebrides, which, in ordinary seasons, were clothed with snow 
in the end of October or beginning of November; but that 
wild swans were abundant in the lochs, indicating a severe 
winter in Iceland and Faroe. 

The Society would appear also to have extended its opera- 
tions beyond the ordinary limit of science; for I find in the 
minutes of 12th January 1840, “on the motion of Professor 
Jameson, it was unanimously agreed that the members of 
this Society will give all possible countenance and encourage- 


President's Address. 9 


ment to a Society lately formed in Edinburgh for the preven- 
tion of cruelty to the inferior animals.” 

On 25th January 1840, Forbes read an account of the En- 
tozoa of the Cydippe pileus, showing that, besides a Filaria, 
there is a curious tongue-shaped parasitic animal, which was 
first detected by Major Playfair of St Andrews, and has been 
ealled by Forbes Tetrastoma Playfairit. 

On 22d February 1840, Lord Greenock’s discovery of Sul- 
phuret of Cadmium in rocks on the banks of the Clyde is no- 
ticed, and the mineral is called Greenockite by Professor 
Jameson. Mr Cunningham read a paper on the Geognosy of 
the Island of Arran. 

On 7th March 1840, Mr Bald read a notice regarding the 
extent and commercial value of the blackband ironstone in 
Scotland; and Mr James Wilson recorded the result of Mr 
Shaw’s observations on the fry of the salmon. : 

On 4th April 1840, Professor Jameson proposed that the 
Society strongly recommend the measuring of the heights of 
the coast lines of Fuci along the shores of Scotland, the Hebri- 
des, and the Orkney and Shetland Islands; and the Soeiety 
accordingly remitted the subject particularly to Dr Greville, 
Mr Robert Stevenson, and Mr Edward Forbes; and further 
directed the Secretary to intimate the recommendation to the 
Rey. Charles Clouston of Sandwick, Dr George Johnston of 
Berwick, and Dr Edmonston of Unst. Professor Jameson 
showed specimens of compact felspar of great hardness, from 
a bed which has occurred in the deep cutting for the Edin- 
burgh and Glasgow Railway, very near Winchburgh, and 
has greatly impeded the operations. 

On 18th April 1840, Edward Forbes made observations on 
certain rare British zoophytes, illustrated by drawings. 

On 14th November 1840, Mr John Goodsir is recommended 
as a member by Professor Jameson and Dr Neill; and he 
was elected on 29th November. At that meeting, Forbes 
read a communication on the classification of Mollusca. 

On 12th December 1840, Dr Richardson sent a communi- 
cation on the frozen soil of North America. Mr Goodsir 
read an account of certain peculiarities in the structure of the 
short sun-fish (Orthagoriscus mola), as observed in a large 

VOL, Il. B 


10 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


specimen lately captured in the Firth of Forth, near Alloa; 
and on 9th January 1841, he gave an account of the ana- 
tomical structure of Ascidiw, showing that even the rough 
covering of these animals is highly vascular; and at the same 
meeting, Mr Jameson Torrie noticed traces of former glaciers 
in the south of Scotland, and mentioned the occurrence of 
fossil trees near Galashiels. 

On 23d January 1841, Edward Forbes made a communica- 
tion on the Natural History of Echiurus and Thalassema, two 
genera of Echinodermata; and Mr John Goodsir explained 
the structure of these animals. Forbes also noticed a new 
genus of British Helianthoid Zoophyte, called by him Capnea. 

On 6th March 1841, Dr Fleming gave an account of a new 
British species of Raia. 

On 17th April 1841, Mr Goodsir read a communication 
from his brother, Mr Henry Goodsir, containing an account 
of a new genus, with description of new species, of Pycno- 
gonide ; also, an account of Pelonaia, a new genus of tuni- 
cated mollusca. 

On Lith December 1841, an account of St Kilda and its 
Natural History was read, as transmitted by Mr John Macgil- 
livray. 

On 28th April 1842, Professor Jameson exhibited the follow- 
ing fishes which had been taken in the Firth of Forth, chiefly 
in Aberlady Bay:—1. Tunny, 8 feet long, and 5 feet 6 inches 
in circumference where thickest. 2. Portbeagle Shark, 7 feet 
3 inches long, and 4 feet in circumference. 3. Great Sun-fish, 
5 feet 2 inches long, and 2 feet 8 inches deep. 4. Conger 
Hel, 6 feet 6 inches long, and 4 feet 10 inches in circumfe- — 
rence. He also exhibited a beautifully spotted Seal, 5 feet 
6 inches long, by 4 feet 3 inches in circumference, accidentally 
entangled in a herring net at Inch Garvey, near Queensferry. 

On 26th November 1842, Forbes was elected Vice-President. 

On 10th December 1842, Mr Torrie read a paper by Mr 
Henry Goodsir, on two new genera of crustacea, to be called 
Bodotria and Alauna, found by him in the Firth of Forth. 
Dr Traill gave an account of Hlaps Jamesoni, a new serpent 
from Demerara. 

On 25th February 1843, Mr John Goodsir read a notice 


President’s Address. LL 


from his brother, Henry Goodsir, of the Maidre,—a vast ac- 
cumulation of minute marine animals, which precede the ap- 
pearance of a herring shoal off the Isle of May. He described 
also a new species of Cetochilus. 

Mr Goodsir continued for many seasons to give interesting 
anatomical communications from himself and his brother. 

In February 1845, Dr Traill read a paper on the arrange- 
ment and character of serpents, while John Goodsir gave a 
description of Neuronoia Monroii, a species of Entozoon, in- 
festing the nervous system of the Gadide. 

On 7th March 1846, Mr Goodsir communicated original 
observations on the organs of circulation of the Echinodermata. 

_ 28th March 1846, Dr Fleming read a paper on raised beds 
of shells occurring on the coasts of Scotland; and Mr John 
Goodsir read a paper on the anatomical structure of the Hy- 
peroodon Dalei, taken from a specimen stranded near Alloa. 
And on 19th December 1846, Professor Goodsir exhibited the 
living larva of Medusa aurita. 

On 20th February 1847, Professor Goodsir read a paper on 
the morphological constitution of the skeleton of sponges. 

od April 1847, Dr Martin Barry read a paper on the nu- 
cleus of the animal and vegetable cell. On 27th November 
1847, the completion of the bust of Professor Jameson is re- 
corded, and a statement is made as to its being placed in the 
Museum. There was no meeting from 27th November 1847 
till 22d April 1849, owing to Professor Jameson’s illness. 

Meetings became very irregular. In 1849, the forty-third 
session commenced on 24th November, and that was the only 
meeting for the session. 

The forty-fourth session commenced on 23d November 
1850, Professor Jameson in the chair. The president stated 
on the occasion that Dr Neill, the secretary, was prevented 
from attending by illness, a circumstance which he believed 
had not occurred previously in the history of the Society since 
its foundation in 1808. At this meeting Messrs Torrie, Gre- 
ville, and Hamilton, were requested to act pro tempore as 
secretaries. 

The Society then adjourned, and did not again meet for 
business. 


12 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


The minute is signed by Robert Jameson, President. 

In March 1856, a meeting of the members of the Society 
was summoned to consider its state and prospects. 

The circular calling the meeting was subscribed by Messrs 
Adie, Fleming, Traill, Jardine, and Balfour, V.P.; Greville, 
Trevelyan, Goodsir, Deuchar, Councillors; Ellis, Treasurer ; 
Torrie, Secretary ; Wilson and Hamilton, Librarians. 

Various meetings took place on the subject. Proposals 
were made to revive the Society, and many members pro- 
mised active support. But after full consideration it was 
finally resolved, in November 1857, to wind up the Society’s 
affairs, and transfer the funds and property in certain pro- 
portions to the Royal Physical and the Botanical Societies. 

Here, then, we have another instance of the failure of a So- 
ciety which had during a long period a career of no small 
celebrity and usefulness. ‘To what are we to attribute this ? 
Chiefly, I think, to the fact of its absolute dependence on one 
man, Professor Jameson. Nothing was done without his 
sanction. He was perpetual president, and no meetings were 
called except by him. Along with the worthy secretary, Dr 
Neill, he managed all the business ; and when, during the lat- 
ter years of life, the Professor was incapacitated from taking 
an active part in the proceedings, no meetings took place, and 
the Society languished; and on his death all attempts to re- 
suscitate it were found to be hopeless. - 

The connection of the Society with the Museum led, in a 
certain degree, to its dependence on the Professor of Natural 
History. Its dissolution is traced, then, to the want of an in- 
dependent council, who could manage its affairs and keep up 
its membership. It possessed ample funds, a good museum, 
many books, as well as other property ; but it wanted zealous 
and active members to carry it on, and its exertions were crip- 
pled by the ill health of its president, who was allowed to be the 
sole motive power. 

_ We have thus seen a student-society (Plinian) failing from 
want of successors to keep up the business with spirit, from 
depending on the fluctuation of natural-history zeal among 
students, and from the absence of senior men to co-operate 
with them and carry on the work; and we have seen another 


President's Address. 13°. 


society (Wernerian) fail from decline of activity among senior 
naturalists, and the want of the infusion of young blood to 
carry on the scientific circulation. 

Our own Society, the Physical, has had its times of pros- 
perity and adversity, but it has survived all shocks, and its 
success seems to be owing, in a great measure, to the well-as- 
sorted co-operation of senior and junior members. The zeal 
and enthusiasm of the young naturalist has imparted anima- 
tion to all; while rash theorising or hasty generalizations have 
been curbed by the prudent councils of such veterans as Flem- 
ing. There is a wholesome balance, which enables the Society 
to exhibit its vitality in well directed efforts for the advance- 
ment of true science. 

The Society does not confine itself to the mere reading of 
papers and communications, but encourages active practical 
operations among its members. Its Committees for dredging, 
and for the prosecution of geology and of entomology, are well- 
fitted to bring out the zeal of its Fellows, and to initiate the 
junior votaries of science in the details of field work. Such a 
system is calculated to secure the permanence of the Society, 
and to produce valuable results. Mere reading will never 
make a man a naturalist. He must touch and handle the 
ipsissima corpora, and must observe the phenomena as pre- 
sented to his senses by nature itself. Researches conducted 
under the auspices of those who have already in some mea- 
sure mastered a science are of the highest value to the tyro. 

If we wish the Society to go on prosperously, we should 
encourage young men to enter while they are studying here. 
We may thus hope to raise up naturalists who will do good 
service in after life, and who, when they visit different quarters 
of the globe in future years, may be expected to contribute 
papers to the Society, which may be published in our Pro- 
ceedings. 

On looking over the Records of the Society’s Proceedings for 
last session, I find that Zoology has occupied the most pro- 
minent place. We have had a series of most valuable ori- 
ginal papers on British Zoophytes, by Dr T. Strethill Wright, 
one of the best observers of the present day. We have also 
enlisted in our service one who devotes himself now entirely 


14 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


to natural history, Mr Andrew Murray, who has enriched our 
Proceedings by his Zoological papers, and particularly his 
contributions on the Coleoptera of Calabar, and the Ma- 
lapterurus beninensis. To Dr Cleland we owe some valuable 
anatomical papers, especially on the structure of Malapterurus ; 
and we also owe our thanks to Dr M‘Bain, and Mr Peach, 
and to Dr John Alex. Smith, our indefatigable Secretary, for 
their excellent papers. 

We have to lament the want of the contributions to Geo- 
logy which used to come to us from the pens of Fleming and 
Miller, and we have not been able during last session to in- 
duce other geologists, such as Mr Chambers, to favour us with 
papers. 

We may hope that this session will be characterized by 
greater vigour in all departments. 

For myself I must plead guilty to having done little for the 
Society, chiefly because my botanical efforts are made in con- 
nection with the kindred Botanical Society. 

I would desire to urge upon all the members the importance 
of bringing before the Society communications, however short, 
on the departments of Natural and Physical Science to which 
they are attached. There are few indeed who cannot contri- 
bute something. It is impossible for a careful observer, when 
he examines natural phenomena, not to detect some point of 
interest which has been overlooked. Brief notices are always 
useful, and no one should be deterred from coming forward by 
an idea that what he has to state is not of much importance. 
Let the young naturalist begin at once to record his observa- 
tions,—-let him get into the habit of noting facts as they 
occur,—and he will find the benefit of this mode of procedure 
in his after career. 

We have before us a noble and inexhaustible subject of 
study. None is better fitted for mental training, and none 
exercises a more beneficial effect on the observing powers. 

At the present day natural history is assuming a higher 
position in our courses of study, and as a Society we are called 
upon to aid in promoting such a system of education as shall 
render our Edinburgh school famous in the annals of science. 


The phenomena presented by the material world around us 
4 


President’s Address. 15 


are well worthy of our earnest study, whether we regard them 
as means of exercising our mental powers, or as leading us to 
higher views of Him who has created all things, and for whose 
pleasure they are and were created. 

The followers of science have sometimes been blamed for 
attempting to subvert religion by their speculations. There 
can be no doubt that in former times, and even at the present 
day, some have started theories which have a tendency to 
shake the faith of weak naturalists. But these are opposi- 
tions of science falsely so called,—vague theories not founded 
on facts. There is no fear of true science in its bearings 
on religion. It is only want of science which produces any 
jarrings. The more we investigate the wonders of creation, 
the more we shall see the harmony which subsists between the 
Word and the works of God. 


I, Contributions to the Natural History of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s 
Territories. Part I1—Mammala (continued.) By Anprew Mur- 
RAY, F.R.S.E., President of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 


ReEIn-DEER (Rangifer Caribou).—In my last communica- 
tion on this subject, I drew attention to the antlers of the 
American rein-deer,—their peculiar form, their mode of 
growth, and the habits of the animal,—as bearing on the 
question of its identity with the Lapland rein-deer, and made 
some suggestions and speculations, with the hope that they 
might lead some of my correspondents to inquire more par- 
ticularly into these points, and give us reliable information 
upon them, which might enable us to come to a correct con- 
clusion on the subject. I am happy to say, that these ob- 
servations have had the desired effect, and that, with an 
additional supply of horns and heads, I have this year re- 
ceived divers remarks on the points I indicated for inquiry. 
One intelligent correspondent, Mr J. Mackenzie of Moose 
Factory (from whose communications I have received much 
satisfaction), goes at some length into the subject, and his 
information, as to the time of the year when the horns are 
cast at the different periods of the animal’s life, clears up the 
discrepancies which have been noticed in the statements of dif- 
ferent authors on this subject. It will be seen that the casting 


16 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


takes place at different times in the young and older animals. 
I cannot do better than bring his views before the reader in 
his own words, particularly as he comes to a different opinion 
from that which I felt disposed to adopt on one or two of the 
points which I speculated upon. Mr Mackenzie says—‘ I 
have consulted one of our most intelligent natives, a man of 
about sixty years of age, who has been a deer hunter from his 
youth, and the result of our “ conference” I will presently 
give you. I send by the shipa deer’s head and antlers, which 
were received about last Christmas, and said to have been 
killed early in December; it bears some resemblance to the 
North American species, a representation of which is given 
in your pamphlet, although the brow antler, however, forms a 
small angle with the head, and does not come down parallel 
with it, as in the heads sent you by Mr Hargrave; it has also 
a second projecting prong, bent near the head, without any 
terminal points or fingers, but these it would have had, had 
the animal lived a year or two more; indeed the horns do not 
cease growing till the seventh year. I do not believe that 
the brow antler 1s intended for the purpose of clearing away 
the snow, but is intended rather as a means of defence against 
the animal’s numerous enemies. The wolf, wolverine, and lynx, 
destroy them, I am informed, in great numbers; but the ani- 
mal, on its guard, appears to me to have a good means of 
defence in his browantler. Generally, however, he is taken at 
a disadvantage ; when lying down, and off his guard, the lynx 
(of the cat tribe) moves stealthily along, and with a bound 
springs upon his back, and fastening his claws in his neck 
and throat, worries him to death. The wolf and wolverine 
are not numerous (the latter, indeed, is rarely found) in 
this part of the country, but of the three the latter is the most 
savage, and with: him the deer has little chance of escape 
when attacked. Indian opinion here is, that for clearing away — 
the snow, the animal uses his fore-legs alone ; and whether it 
is hard or soft, they are well adapted for the purpose. My 
own opinion is, that our rein-deer is the same as the Lapland 
rein-deer. The following information, collected as I have al- 
ready mentioned, may tend to throw some light on the subject. 
The rutting season is in September; the females carry 


Natural History of the Hudson’s Bay Territories. 17 


their young till the latter end of May or beginning of June, 
or till the d/ast snow is disappearing. The horns begin to 
grow in about a month; at the end of the year they fall off, 
being about 8 inches long, and not branched; at the end 
of the second year they are about 13 feet long, curved, and 
with terminal points, and are cast off in spring; the third 
year the front and brow antlers commence to grow, but are 
not large at the end of the year, and are cast off again in 
spring; the fourth year they are larger, but not full-grown, and 

are cast off in spring; the fifth year they are still growing, 
and are cast off in March ; after the fifth year they are cast 
off in November. ‘The Indian also states, that the antlers 
have a variety of shapes, and that it is rare to find two exactly 
alike. With regard to the training or domestication of the 
rein-deer I can say nothing from my own experience, nor from 
that of any Indian at this place; but I may mention, that I 
have recently seen a gentleman who passed many years near 
the head waters of the River Synauria (a river which falls into 
the St Lawrence, near the Town of Three Rivers, in Lower 
Canada), and that he had seen a young rein-deer among the 
Indians as tame as a lamb; it entered the lodge, and fol- 
lowed its master like a dog; but it was at last killed by the 
dogs.” 

Mr Mackenzie’s observations will be of use in correcting 
misconceptions on one or two of the points alluded to by me. 
It would appear that the American species uses its feet in 
clearing away the snow from its food, as much as the Lap- 
land species does; and the cup-shaped structure of its feet, 
as shown in the specimens now sent home, is admirably 
adapted for this. That it does not use the projecting shovel- 
like brow antlers for the same purpose I am less willing to 
admit; the apparent adaptation of their form to this pur- 
pose induces me to defer forming a definite opinion upon it 
until further information be obtained; the rather that, how- 
ever intelligent and truthful the Indian referred to by Mr 
Mackenzie may be, his statement is merely negative, and 
is inconsistent with the observations of such authors (few in 
number though they be) as notice the point. 

As to the identity of the Lapland species with the North 

VOL, II. c 


18 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


American, we cannot expect to arrive at any correct result, 
until we have the means of making a more complete compara- 
tive examination than has yet been done of the two species 
alongside of each other. Notwithstanding the greater dis- 
tance of its locality, we possess both better materials and 
more accurate information on scientific points regarding the 
species from North America than that from Lapland. It 
is to the latter that our inquiries should now be directed, and 
more accurate information sought for on such points as the 
periods of growth and shedding of the horns, referred to in 
my previous communication, and in Mr Mackenzie's letter. 
His statements on this point have been confirmed to me by 
Mr Hargrave, who also informs me, that the head with distorted 
horns, sent last year, which was figured in the first part of this 
paper, was that of a young animal, not more than two years old. 
He mentions, that a slight bend is common in the first year ; 
that this becomes of the distorted form above referred to in the 
second year, but afterwards disappears. I was misled, by the 
teeth being much worn, into the supposition that it was an old 
animal. These worn teeth must be the milk teeth; and we 
thus have incidental information as to the period the animal | 
carries them. 

Information on such points becomes of importance, because 
the North American and Lapland species are so closely allied 
to each other, that we cannot expect to find distinctions of a 
prominent nature, and must be content with the accumulation 
of those of a more subordinate character. I may notice, that 
I find the view which I adopted—viz., that the species are dis- 
tinct—has also been entertained by Professor Spencer Baird 
of America, who, in his recent « General Report upon the 
Zoology of the several Pacific Railroad Routes, Part [— 
Mammal,” includes two species of rein-deer as inhabiting the 
northern shores of North America (the Rangifer caribou and 
Rh. Gronlandicus), and both distinct from the Lapland deer; at 
the same time admitting that their distinctness is questionable. 


MooseE DrsEr (Cervus Alces, Lin.).—Mr Hargrave has had 
the kindness to send me a magnificent head and horns of this 
fine elk, which is another animal as to whose identity with its 


Natural History of the Hudson’s Bay Territories. 19 


European representative we are still in doubt. The Scan- 
dinavian elk is undoubtedly very near it, if not the same. 
The enormous palmation and weight of the horns in this 
species is very striking. Colonel Smith says that the horns 
sometimes weigh fifty pounds. The present specimen weighs 
32 1b., but that is inclusive of the head. Sir John Richardson, 
in his account of the animal, records a statement relating to 
the horns of deer which I think must have originated in some 
curious mistake. Speaking of the moose deer, he says,—‘“ It 
is probable, however, that La Hontan in this passage con- 
founds the Canada stag and moose deer together. He men- 
tions the animal being able to run in the summer season for 
three days and nights in succession, and the excellent flavour 
of its flesh—facts which apply to the moose deer, but not to 
the Canada stag; on the other hand, the weight of the horns, 
which he says sometimes amounts to four hundred weight, is 
true only of the stag.” Now, the Canada stag, or wapiti, is 
the representative of the red deer in America, and was in- 
deed long thought to be identical: it is a larger animal than 
our stag, but smaller than the moose, which is as high as a 
horse. Large specimens of the male moose are mentioned, 
which have attained a weight of eleven or twelve hundred 
pounds ; and is it possible that a smaller animal should have 
horns weighing four hundred weight? I suspect a cypher 
has been added, and that we should read 40 lb. instead of 
400, which would then make it clear that the animal referred 
to by La Hontan was the moose. With regard to the moose 
being able to run for three days and nights in succession, an 
instance of its doing so is recorded in the narrative of Captain 
Franklin’s second journey, where three hunters pursued a 
moose deer for four successive days, until the footsteps of the 
deer were marked with blood, although they had not yet got 
a view of it. At this period of the pursuit, the principal 
hunter had the misfortune to sprain his ankle, and the two 
others were tired out; but one of them having rested for 
twelve hours, set out again, and succeeded in killing the 
animal, after a further pursuit of two .days’ continuance. 
The cause of the footsteps being marked with blood might be 
from the phalanges of the hoof splitting, or possibly from the 


20 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


hoof becoming worn down by incessant and long-continued 
action on the icy crust of the snow. We are accustomed to 
hear of the cattle in long journeys in the Cape of Good Hope 
and Australia becoming knocked up, and the traveller being 
arrested in his journey by the failure of his beasts of burden. 
I daresay many people entertain the idea (as I did myself) 
that this knocking up was the consequence of physical exhaus- 
tion on the part of the cattle. Mr Ford, one of the best zoolo- 
gical draftsmen in Britain, first enlightened me on this point. 
He had accompanied Dr, now, deservedly, Sir Andrew Smith 
in one or more of his exploratory expeditions to the interior of 
the Cape; and he told me that this failure of the cattle was oc- 
casioned, not by exhaustion, but by the actual wearing away 
of the hoof, till blood oozed from it at every pore. The Cala- 
hari desert was particularly obnoxious, as it is composed of a 
slaty formation, highly inclined, which shivered easily off into 
sharp fragments. It was like walking on bundles of pen- 
knives, with their edges placed upwards. The cattle gave in 
sooner in this desert than in any other district, in consequence 
of the greater abrasion of the hoofs upon this slaty formation; 
and, till they grew again, the animal was useless, and scarcely. 
even to crop its food, would it stir from the spot where it was 
unyoked. I do not know what length of time would be 
necessary to incapacitate an ox,—of course, it must be vari- 
ous, according to the extent and nature of the ground tra- 
velled over; but although soft snow might protect it longest, 
T imagine the brittle fragments of a hard frozen crust of snow 
might be not much less destructive than the slaty splinters of 
Calahari. 

I have examined the hair of the moose deer, and find that 
its structure is the same as that of the rein-deer, which I 
have already described in my paper last year. 


ALPINE Hare (Lepus glacialis, Leach).—This beautiful 
hare furnishes an admirable example of the adaptation of struc- 
ture to habit. For heat and comfort nothing can surpass its 
thick, delicate, white fur, which, on the under side of the 
paws, assumes such a compact, double-plied, felt-like cha- 
racter, that one would think no degree of cold could penetrate 


Natural History of the Hudson’s Bay Territories. 21 


it. The whiteness of its colour also is so pure that it is most 
difficult to discernit on the snow. Sir John Richardson notices 
that in one of the boat voyages in which he took part along 
with Franklin, they landed on a rocky islet off Cape Parry, 
which, although not above 300 yards in diameter, was ten- 
anted by a solitary Alpine hare. The whole party went in 
pursuit of this poor animal; but it availed itself so skilfully 
of the shelter of the rocks, and retreated with so much cun- 
ning and activity from stone to stone, that none of them could 
obtain a shot at it, although it never was able to conceal itself 
from their search for more than a minute or two at a time. 

‘Its flesh is said to be better eating than either the Ameri- 
can or Huropean hare. 

QueBEC Marmot (Arctomys empetra, Schreb.)—This ani- 
mal, although recorded as being found in the Hudson Bay 
Companys territories, would appear to be confined to their 
southern parts. Ihave received none from my northern cor- 
respondents, but only from Canada, where it would appear not 
to be rare. 


Musk Rat (Fiber zibethicus, Cuv.)—This is a very com-. 
mon species in the Hudson Bay Company’s territories, and 
supplies a large portion of the furs sent to this country. Its 
skin is used as medicine or medicine-bags by the natives, in 
which state the specimens sent to me have arrived. 


BEAVER (Castor Americanus, Brandt).—Considering the 
immense number of animals both of this, and more especially 
of the preceding species, which have for a long series of years 
been taken for the purpose of supplying the wants of civi- 
lized Europe, we might have expected that specimens would 
be by no means rare in our museums. The contrary is the 
case, however, so much so that when my friend Dr J. A. 
Smith a year or two ago wished to compare the semi-fossil 
bones of a beaver found in a superficial deposit in Scotland 
with the recent skeleton of a beaver, the comparison could not 
be made in Scotland from want of a specimen of the re- 
cent animal in any of the museums in that country. I 


22 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


applied to Mr Mackenzie to assist us in remedying this 
deficiency, and he has very kindly done so by sending both 
a full-grown living beaver, and a foetus taken from the 
mother before birth. In sending a living specimen, Mr Mac- 
kenzie remarked that it would probably ultimately answer the 
purpose of a skeleton, should the climate of Edinburgh not 
agree with the animal’s constitution. I had destined it for 
the pond in the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens, where 
Professor Balfour could have given those interested in natural 
history an opportunity of studying its habits at their leisure. 
It might easily have been kept alive if it once had reached the 
gardens. There would have been no difficulty in supplying it 
with birch twigs and branches, its native and proper food; 
and Mr Mackenzie informs me that it is by no means par- 
ticular in its food, and that if it had the run of the kitchen 
(that is, I presume, the opportunity of selecting what it chose 
from the debris of an ordinary family’s table) it would do 
very well. Unfortunately, it never got the chance of trying 
the climate of Edinburgh, nor we the chance of trying experi- 
ments upon it or its food. Itreached London alive, but that 
wasall. It died next morning. It was, however, carefully 
transmitted to me, and along with the foetus received last year 
was presented by me to Professor Goodsir, who has under- 
taken to make a careful dissection of it, and to communicate 
anything he might think of interest. There are a number 
of points in the internal anatomy on which information is 
wanted, such as the castor, and the glands which produce it, and 
others which might throw light on some disputed (I cannot call 
them doubtful) points in its economy and habits. For instance, 
we know from Hearne, that the usually received notion that the 
animal uses its tail as a trowel to plaster its work, is merely a 
vulgar prejudice, arising from its flapping it on the ground 
occasionally, and more particularly when about to plunge 
into the water. Now an examination of the muscles of the 
tail might, were it necessary, throw light upon this point. 
But I imagine that the whole structure and habits of the ani- 
mal explain the use of the tail sufficiently even without ana- 
tomical assistance. On examining its external peculiarities we 
find that its fore paws and feet are short and comparatively 


Natural History of the Hudson’s Bay Territories. 23 


small and weak, and not provided with a web; the claws are 
strong, and well adapted for digging, but not equal to those 
of the hind feet. The hind feet and legs are enormously 
strong, the fingers united by a strong broad web, the claws 
excessively developed, and each in the form of a strong gouge. 
The combination of machinery in the fore and hind legs and 
feet thus corresponds with what we know of the habits of the 
animal so far as that can be observed; and the structure of 
that portion whose working is difficult to be observed in action, 
or has not been noticed sufficiently, shows what its real work- 
ing is. ‘Those who have observed the animal in its native 
haunts, tell us that it uses the fore paws for carrying the mud 
and stones used in its constructions, and that it carries this 
stuff between them and its breast, which quite corresponds 
with their attitude in my dead specimen. It no doubt uses 
the fore paws for other purposes, as digging, swimming, and 
walking (for nature seldom or never creates an organ merely to 
fulfil one purpose). As clearly, the hind paws are much used in 
digging, but most in swimming ;—the powerful hind leg, enor- 
mous web foot, and strong claws, would prove this although no 
one had ever seen the animal using them. Combine these 
different actions of the fore and hind feet together and see what 
would be the result. Suppose the animal swimming across its 
pond or river with a burden of heavy materials clasped to its 
breast by its fore paws, and powerfully propelled by its hind legs, 
and that it had no tail or only a common tail—what must inevi- 
tably be the consequence? The hind feet would propel the animal 
rapidly enough—no doubt about that—but where to !—why, to 
the bottom, for, being overloaded in front, it would be top heavy, 
and its head becoming directed obliquely downwards the more 
violent the exertions of the hind feet, the sooner it would reach 
the bottom, and the deeper its head would be buried in the mud. 
That this is the necessary and inevitable consequence of the 
want of the action of the fore paws, will be evident to every one 
if they will merely fancy what would be the result of their try- 
ing to swim with their arms folded; of course, if there is not 
only the inaction or abeyance of the fore arms to be conquered, 
but also the weight of a load of mud or stones to be counteracted, 
a counterpoising lever of more than ordinary power will be ne- 


24 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


cessary, and this is supplied by the broad flat horizontal tail, 
which is constructed on the best principles for attaining such 
an object. Were it different or differently placed, the end would 
not be answered; suppose it vertical like a fish’s tail, it would 
answer equally well as a swimming organ, but not as a 
counterpoise. It must be powerful, and it must be hori- 
zontal, so as to press broadly downwards, and as the pur- 
pose here is to increase resistance and friction, and not to di- 
minish it, it is denuded of hair, or nearly so, and covered 
with polygonal scales. A few scattered hairs occur, inter- 
spersed between them, but these are not abraded as they 
would have been had the tail been used as a trowel. That 
this is the interpretation of the structure and purpose of the 
tail igs I think self-evident from its fitness. The habit of 
flapping the tail on the ground before plunging into the water 
is probably only the mechanical repetition of the action with 
which it habitually starts into motion, and which in the water 
is essential to its progress. 

The teeth of the beaver are often quoted as good examples 
of the mode in which rodent teeth grow from the pulp at their 
base, with a hard enamel-like steel on the outer edge, and 
softer material on the inner side, and thus have their sharp- 
ness and chisel-like form always kept up by the very thing 
which at first sight would seem to be likely to make them 
blunt—viz., their constant use. The incisor teeth in the 
foetus are conical, thus showing that the chisel form in the 
adult is the result of abrasion. The specimens sent me are 
from the neighbourhood of Moose Factory. 

I have adopted the specific name Americanus given to this 
species by the Russian naturalist Brandt, who has separated 
the American animal from the European and Asiatic (the true 
Castor fiber) on osteological grounds, chiefly drawn from the 
skull. For the reason alluded to above (want of specimens 
for comparison), I can give no opinion as to the propriety of 
this separation. 


Mus leucopus, Rafin.—In his description of this species, 
Sir John Richardson says,—‘ The tail is thickly clothed with 
short hairs, lying pretty smoothly, no scales whatever being 


Natural History of the Hudson’s Bay Territories. 25 


visible.” In my specimen it is not thickly clothed with hairs ; 
it is rather sparingly clothed with hairs, and the scales are very 
apparent under them. He also says that “its” (the tail’s) 
“upper surface is of a hair-brown colour, considerably darker 
than any other part of the animal, and contrasts strongly with 
the inferior surface, which is white.” The upper surface of 
the tail in my individual is not nearly so dark as the back of 
the body; still, however, as it agrees in all other respects with 
Mus leucopus, I have no doubt that it is that species, and that 
these differences are only accidental variations in my specimen. 


SHREW-MOLE ? (Scalops Canadensis, Cuv.)—I have had no 
opportunity of comparing this animal with any named speci- 
mens, and my determination is made entirely from the descrip- 
tion in Sir J. Richardson’s ‘“‘ Fauna Bor. Amer.” My specimen 
agrees, for the most part, with the description in that work ; 
but there are one or two points on which I am not quite 
satisfied. In particular, the whole of the fore foot is said to 
have a close resemblance to that of the common mole. Now, 
although this has a general resemblance, it cannot be said to 
bear a close resemblance. It wants the sabre-shaped bone of 
the mole, and the nails are greatly smaller. The description 
of the nails of the shrew-mole is, that they are large, white, 
and have a semi-lanceolate form, with narrow, but rather ob- 
tuse points. ‘These in my specimen can scarcely (according 
to my ideas) be said to be large; but large is a word of very 
doubtful interpretation ; what is large to one person may be 
very small to another; so that, on this item, I must mark my 
species with a query. 

There is one point in the history of the shrew-mole which 
I should like to see either confirmed or expunged from our 
books—viz., that although a burrowing animal, it has the sin- 
gular habit of coming daily to the surface exactly at noon. 


Sorex parvus, Say.—This shrew may be readily distin- 
guished from other American shrews by its tail being rounded 
instead of being more or less angular. One might be disposed 
to think that this is a character of little value, depending 
merely on the greater or less plumpness of the individual; but 

VOL. 11. D 


26 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


it does not appear to be so, and other characters concur with 
this to establish the species. 

This one is certainly not well named; as, though un- 
doubtedly a small animal, it is the largest of the North Ame- 
rican species. 


Sorex Forsteri, Rich.—The tail in this species is quad- 
rangular. Itis the smallest quadruped known to the Indians ; 
and I cannot call to mind any quadruped with which I am 
acquainted, from any quarter of the world, which is smaller. 

Among the specimens which have been sent me is one 
which differs slightly from the description of S. Forsteri. 
Its colour is wholly mouse-dun, whereas that of Forsteri is 
wholly clove-brown on the back. The specimen is in spirits, 
however ; and the clove-brown being, from what we see in 
other specimens, a tinge of that colour in certain lights, it is 
probable that the darker colour is merely owing to the medium 
in which it has been sent; at all events, that the specimen is 
at most only a variety. 


AMERICAN OTTER (Lutra Canadensis).—I have received a 
specimen from the York Factory district, in the shape of a 
medicine-bag, which is a favourite use of it with the na- 
tives. 


II. On New Protozoa.—(1.) Lagotia producta. (2.) Zooteire areligata. 
(3.) Corethria Sertularie. (4.) On Stentor Mulleri and Stentor: 
castaneus. By T. Srretaizt Wricut, M.D. 


Description of Plate ITI. 
Fig. 1. Lagotia producta, group enlarged. 
. Single specimen of do. 
3. Diagram showing section of tube—a, chitinous ribbon—b and ¢, in- 


ternal and external fleshy coats. 


i 


4, 5, 6. Young of L. producta in various stages. 
7. Zooteirea religata—a, extended—b, contracted. 
8. Corethria Sertularie—a, ‘‘ cushion ”—b, “‘mop”—c, Gregarina-like ap- 
pendage. 9. Summit of ‘‘mop ”—a, external, and 6, internal coat. 
10. Summit of Gregarina-like appendage. 
ll. Salpistes Mulleri, —a, gelatinous lorica. 


1. Lagotia producta. (Figs. 1-6.) 
At our meeting of the 22d April 1857, I described Lagotia 


WH MFarlane, Lit Edin. 


Royal Physica Society Edinburg) 


PLATE IL. 
New Protozoa. 


. 


— See = i 


IP Strethity Wright etched ow stone/ 


, 
| 


Description of New Prolozoa. 27 


viridis, which I had discovered some time before, together with 
two other species, Lagotia hyalina and atro-purpurea: 
The present species, Lagotia producta, was found in great 
profusion in the tanks of Miss Gloag of Queensferry, in August 
last, and resembles Lagotia viridis in its general characters. 
It has the same long green body, surmounted by a horse-shoe- 
shaped or two-pronged rotatory organ, each prong formed of 
a membrane folded together, like the ear of a hare, and edged 
by a muscular band fringed with vibratile cilia. It inhabits 
also a similar flask-shaped cell, with bent neck and trumpet- 
shaped mouth. But the body of Lagotia producta is greatly 
prolonged in comparison with that of Lagotia viridis; the 
colour nearly black, and the gullet a wide sac, and not a 
spiral canal. In the present species, the neck of the cell has 
become a long wide tube, greatly disproportionate to the flask- 
shaped part from which it projects; the whole bearing some 
resemblance to a long jack-boot. <A careful examination of 
the anatomy of the cell reveals a structure of singular interest 
and beauty. It consists of three elements—(1.) a horny or 
chitinous case, lined with (2.) a layer of dark green sarcode, 
and covered with (3.) a thin layer of colourless sarcode; so 
that the cell is not a mere extraneous house in which the ani- 
mal lives, but is a quasi-bony framework, buried in an exten- 
sion of the living flesh of the animal, and growing with its 
growth. And this, I believe, holds good with regard to the 
tubes of other genera of Vorticellina. It is especially to 
be seen in Vagincola valvata, a species which I have de- 
scribed to the Society, and in which the layer of sarcode lining 
the tube serves to support and partly to form a valve, which 
rises and falls with the movements of the animal within. 

The chitinous case of L. producta, or that part of it cor- 
responding to the body of the flask, resembles that of Lagotia 
viridis ; but the neck or tube is composed of a spirally-wound 
ribbon of chitine, the upper edge of each spiral slightly over- 
lapping the lower edge of the spiral arising above and within 
it, and being slightly everted. ‘The edges have no chitinous 
connection with each other, but are retained in their places 
by their fleshy coverings. One might suppose that the tube 
was formed and gradually increased in length by a continual 


28 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


addition to the length of the spiral ribbon, and that with the 
increasing age of the animal the number of spiral turns would 
continually increase. Such, however, is not the case, as I 
shall proceed to show. 


Mode of Reproduction in Lagotiu. 


As I was anxious to ascertain the mode of reproduction in 
Lagotia, I was kindly allowed to take away with me several 
of the stones from the aquarium. These were placed in a 
large glass vessel of sea-water, and careful daily search was 
made for some weeks to discover larve, but without success, 
although young Lagotias were beginning to attach themselves 
to the sides of the glass. At last, I discovered several dark 
green specks swimming in the water: these were caught one 
by one, placed in large flat cells, and covered by bell-glasses, 
to prevent evaporation, where they became developed into 
Lagotias. 

The young of Lagotia producta, in its earliest stage 
(fig. 4), is a short cylindrical body, with rounded extremities 
of a dark sea-green colour. The surface of the body is marked 
by coarse striz, each of which carries a fringe of long lashing 
cilia, by the aid of which the animal urges itself rapidly 
through the water, at the same time rotating on its axis. It 
quickly assumes a more lengthened form (fig. 5), the ante- 
rior extremity of the cylinder puts forth a fringe of long cilia, 
and the posterior extremity becomes pointed, while the cilia 
of the body become much diminished in size.« A number of 
young at this stage were placed in the flat cells, and were 
found the next morning to have attached themselves to the 
surface of the water as to a solid substance, and to have de- 
veloped their tubes with all the spiral rings complete, the 
imbrication of the rings being even more marked than in the 
adult specimens. The rudiments of the bilobed rotatory organ 
had also appeared (fig. 6); while the cilia of the body had 
still further decreased in size, although the striated texture 
of the surface was still strongly marked, and formed a beau- 
tiful object under strong microscopic power. In three or four 
days, the lobes of the rotatory organ and the general structure 


Description of New Protozoa. 29 


of the animal were completed, the young Lagotia had in- 
creased in size, and its tube had become more opaque. 

The spiral structure of the tube appears to afford a provision 
for its growth similar to that found in the articulated shell of 
the Echinus. In Lagotia producta, increase in length of the 
tube would be effected by the deposition of chitine on both 
edges of the spiral ribbon, while increase in its calibre would 
take place by the gradual unrolling of the same. The chi- 
tine is probably secreted by the thick inner coat of the tube; 
while the external coat appears to act, like the ‘“colletoderm” 
of zoophytes, as a cement for attaching the cell to the rocks. 
These young Protozoa frequently assembled in clusters, and 
secreted a quantity of “‘colletoderm,” which glued all their 
cells into a single mass. 

So far, the observation as to the reproduction of Lagotia is 
in some measure satisfactory; but it still remains to be dis- 
covered how the ciliated larve are produced. In Hpistylis 
nutans, one of the Vorticellina to which Lagotia is allied, an 
encysting process takes place, according to Stein, by which 
the animal takes the form of an Acineta. The ciliated head 
is absorbed ; the body is inclosed in a tough tunic; and nu- 
merous long capitate tentacles are put forth, which have the 
property of sucking tubes, and quickly absorb the fluid con- 
tents of any animalcule coming in contact with them. Within 
this Acineta body one or more ciliated embryos are formed, 
and successively given off, until the substance of the Acineta 
is entirely exhausted, and it becomes an empty sac. A similar 
transformation into the Acineta state has been noticed in Va- 
ginicola, a still nearer ally of Lagotia. I have, however, not 
been able to detect any such change in the subject of this notice. 


2. Zooteirea religata. (Fig. 7.) 


This Protozoan is an inhabitant of deep water, and was 
dredged from the oyster-beds opposite to Newhaven. It was 
attached in considerable numbers to the concavity of the lower 
valve of an old oyster-shell, from whence it propagated itself - 
to the sea-weeds of the vessel in which it was confined. 
Aooteirea may be briefly described as an Actinophrys mounted 


30 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


on a contractile stalk. Actinophrys, again, consists of a glo- 
bular mass of sarcode, in which may be distinguished two 
tissues; an internal one, which I shall call “ endosare,” en- 
veloped by an external tissue, “ectosarc.” The endosarc is 
dense, loaded with molecular matter and nutritive granules ; 
the ectosarc transparent, and produced into tentacular ap- 
pendages. Actinophrys has no mouth. Animalcules, seized 
by the tentacles, are drawn to the surface of the body, the 
soft sarcode of which becomes depressed, closes over them, and 
envelops them. They sink into the endosare, and are ab- 
sorbed. The endogsare is the alimentary tissue; probably 
also the reproductive tissue. The ectosare exercises the 
prehensile function. The tentacular processes of Actinophrys 
are homologous with those prehensile processes of the “ ec- 
toderm ” which I have described as existing in several classes 
of aquatic animals, and to which I have given the term “ pal- 
pocils,” a term which has lately been adopted by my friend Mr 
Gosse, in his interesting paper on Sarcodyction catenata. 
In Zooteirea, when expanded, the whole of the ectosarc is pro- 
longed into long and exceedingly attenuated palpocils, until the 
animal assumes the appearance of a globular brush of spun glass 
mounted on a transparent stalk. When irritated, the animal 
slowly contracts its stalk until the body is brought close to 
the surface on which it is attached, and the palpocils are con- 
tracted to a mass of little nodules (fig. 7, 6). The stalk is homo- 
geneous, and is, as are the palpocils, a process of the ectosarc. 
A group of these animals form a very striking microscopic 
object when seen by the dark field illumination,—two cones or 
brushes of light appearing to issue from opposite sides of the 
body of each, and to pass round it in opposite directions when 
the mirror is moved. I have derived the name Zooteirea from 
Zoo and ssigeoo, a star, or rather a constellation. 


3. Corethria Sertularie. (Figs. 8, 9, and 10.) 


This remarkable animal has occurred plentifully during the 
last few summers on the Sertularia pumila, which grows at 
low-water mark near Granton. I have only found it in one 
locality, at the extremity of the first ridge of rocks which 
runs out into the sea west of the long breakwater. Although 


Description of New Protozoa. bl 


its anatomical structure is protozoan, it can be classed in no 
described family of Protozoa. It consists of three parts: 1st, 
An oblong cushion of opaque granular sarcode (fig. 8, a) 
attached to the corallum of the zoophyte, and sometimes con- 
taining a few vesicules. 2d, A long column attached to the 
cushion (6), bearing a brush of short tentacles. This column 
consists of two tissues; an outer coat thrown into numerous 
transverse folds or wrinkles (fig. 9, a), and an inner core dis- 
playing a faintly-marked longitudinal structure (6). At the 
top of the column this inner coat appears to terminate in a 
brush, or rather mop of from ten to more than forty tentacles 
(c), which have occasionally a slow and rather irregular 
waving motion, though they are generally at rest. dd, 
There exists, but not invariably, a long, spindle-shaped, and 
rather curved process of a granular tissue, similar to that of 
the cushion (fig. 8, c), also attached by one extremity to the 
upper surface of that body, and having at its unattached ex- 
tremity a clear space, which opens externally by a small oral 
aperture. This body is often absent, and I have seen it at- 
tached alone to the Sertularia. Iam therefore inclined to con- 
sider it either a gemma or a parasite belonging to Gregarine. 
Although Corethria bears no resemblance in form to any known 
Protozoan, it has anatomically all the elemental tissues of an 
Actinophrys. Let us suppose an Actinophrys in which the 
ectosarc or prehensile tissue is segregated from the endosare 
or nutritive tissue, the former, instead of forming a multitude 
of palpocils, being gathered together. into a single large 
tentacle, surrounded in greater part by a wrinkled cuticle, and 
undergoing division at its summit into a number of palpocils. 
Such a structure I have observed in the compound palpocils 
situated on the tentacles, at the extremities of the rays of 
Solaster papposa, and such appears to be the structure of 
the “mop” of Corethria. Food taken by the palpocils would 
be transferred through the soft sarcode composing the centre 
of the pillar, and digested by the granular endosare of the 
cushion below. Ihave seen the spores of Algez thus absorbed 
into and pass through the tentacles of Hphelota apiculosu. 
A like observation has been recorded with regard to the ten- 
tacles of an Acineta. From xégdgov, a mop. 


32 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


4. On Salpistes (Stentor) Miilleri and castaneus. (Fig. 11.) 


In the last edition of Pritchard’s ‘ Infusorial Animalcules” 
it is stated that Stentor Miilleri, “when kept long in glass 
vessels, fasten themselves to the sides, form a slimy covering 
around them, and die ;’’ and, further, that Ehrenberg had re- 
marked that “they would gradually congregate, select some 
particular spot, and then attach themselves, evincing, as it 
were, not only a degree of sociality, but a mental activity.” 
In their apprehension of these facts I believe the authors 
above quoted to be mistaken. It is well known that many 
aquatic animals have the power of secreting masses of viscid 
gelatinous matter, which does not readily undergo decomposi- 
tion, to serve as a nidus for the protection of their ova. Thus 
the nudibranchiate and other molluscs deposit on stones and 
weeds long convoluted ribbons of clear firm jelly filled with 
their eggs, which remain therein until hatched. Many in- 
sects, aquatic in their earlier stages of existence, adopt the 
same mode of protecting their young. In the genera Sertu- 
laria, Plumularia, Campanularia, and Laomedea, species 
also are found in which the young undergo partial develop- 
ment whilst still contained in gelatinous cases attached to the 
exterior of the reproductive cells, as I have already described 
to the Society in the case of Laomedea. lacerata. Other 
animals employ the same matter to form envelopes or lorice, 
into which they can retire protected from harm. In this way 
is formed the “house” of Appendicularia flabellum, of which 
Mertens has given so marvellous an account, mistaking it for 
a respiratory organ. Amongst the Rotifere we find Stephano- 
ceros, Floscularia, Limnias, Melicerta, and others, each liv- 
ing privately in its solitary abode, formed either of clear gela- 
tine, or of the same substance strengthened with mud or other 
extraneous matters; while in the genus Conchilos a colony 
of animals unite their efforts to form a transparent globe, 
which is rapidly rolled through the water by a multitude of 
living wheels. Descending to the Protozoa, we may see 
Ophrydium versatile, an animal scarcely visible to the unas- 
sisted eye, attaching itself to our tanks by its little speck of 


i ie tS 


Description of New Protozoa. — 33 


jelly. It then immediately proceeds to multiply itself in 
geometrical proportion by fissure until masses are formed, 
which, under favourable circumstances, attain a diameter of 
three or four inches, and consist of aggregations of many 
thousands of zooids. In this Protozoan the division is not 
complete; the zooids are united by fine threads, which permeate 
the gelatinous mass, and are homologous with the stalks of 
Kpistylis. These threads also appear to have the property of 
transmitting nervous impressions through the whole mass of 
this compound animal, and rendering the movements of the 
associated zooids consentaneous. 

-When in England some years ago, I found in one of my 
fresh-water aquariums a great number of specimens of Sten- 
tor Miilleri, each one of which was surrounded at its base by 
a flocculent deposit similar in structure to the lorica of Oph- 
rydium versatile, and into which the animal could withdraw 
itself. At first I considered that this state was the result of 
disease, but further experience showed that the deposit was 
never absent. Many of the animals inhabited a tall gelati- 
nous pillar, by which they raised themselves considerably 
above the surface on which they grew (fig. 11). Others by fis- 
sure had formed colonies, which were attached to the glass, or 
hung downwards while floating on the surface of the water ; 
others, again, were swimming naked in search of sites for fu- 
ture erections; but no fixed animals were found to be destitute 
of a lorica. I have repeatedly met with this animal since, 
and always in the same loricated state. 

In the summer of 1857, a small species of Stentor, of a 
deep chestnut colour, occurred in the pond of the Edinburgh 
Botanical Gardens, which is in the habit of secreting a lorica 
like that of Stentor Miilleri. This species, which I have 
called castaneus, selects the tips of the shoots of Myriophyl- 
lum for its abode, and glues all the opening leaflets together 
with a mass of jelly, from which the zooids protrude their 
wheel-bearing heads. The possession of a lorica removes 
Stentores Miilleri and castaneus from the family Vorticellina 
to that of Ophrydina, which (says Ehrenberg) “includes true 
Vorticelle or Stentors inclosed in a gelatinous membranous 
little box” or shell. In the last family, a new genus will 

VOL. II. E 


34 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


have to be formed for their reception, for which I propose the 
name of Salpistes, from curnioris, a trumpeter. 

Since the above was written, my friend Mr Alder has in- 
formed me that he has also discovered L. producta near Tyne- 
mouth. 


III. Observations onBritish Zoophytes.—(1.) On the Reproduction of 
Turris neglecta. (2.) On the Development of Hippocrene (Bougain- 
villea) Britannica (?) from Atractylis (Hudendrium) ramosa. (3.) On 
the Development of Hydra Tuba (Strobila) from Chrysaora. By T- 

_ StrReTHILL Wricut, M.D. 


Description of Plate Ill. 


Fig. 1. Clavula Gossii, proles Turris neglect. 
2. Hydra tuba (Strobila) in various stages. 3. Corallum of same. 


1. On the Reproduction of Turris neglecta. 


The only observations that we have as to the reproduction 
of the gymnopthalmatous Medusz are those of Mr Gosse with 
regard to Turris neglecta. He is the pioneer who first ac- 
tually witnessed, or rather caught a glimpse of, the reproduc- 
tion of a hydroid zoophyte from a recognised species of Me- 
dusa. In September 1852, he saw the oval purple gemmules 
of Turrts neglecta escaping from the walls of the ovaries, and 
dropping down to the bottom of the vessel in which they were 
confined, where they moved slowly about by means of their 
vibratile cilia. He placed a number of these gemmules in a 
properly-constructed cell, and, by watching them, ascertained 
the following facts :—“‘ The gemmule (says he) having ad- 
hered to the glass, grows out into a lengthened form, vari- 
ously knotted and swollen, and frequently dividing into two 
branches, the whole adhering closely to the glass. After a 
day or two’s growth in this manner, a perpendicular stem 
begins to shoot from some point of this creeping root, and 
soon separates into four straight, slender, slightly divergent 
tentacles, which shoot to a considerable length. The little 
creature is now a polyp of four tentacles.” At this stage 
they all died, and he never succeeded in repeating his ob- 
servations. In August last, I picked up at Queensferry a spe- 


PLATE IW. 


Edin? 


Lith 


WEM“Farlane/ 


a Strethuly Wright etched on stone/, 


British Zoophytes 


Observations on British Zoophytes. 39 


cimen of Turris neglecta laden with dark crimson ova. This 
prize I accommodated with a commodious apartment, in which 
it might exercise the duties of maternity. After a weary 
delay of nearly a fortnight, the young made their appearance 
as dark crimson ciliated larvee. These underwent the changes 
so well described by Mr Gosse; but instead of being destroyed 
by starvation in their infancy, the four-armed polyps under- 
went a further development into a zoophyte resembling Clava 
repens (fig. 1, Plate III.) The young of Turris neglecta, 
which I now place on the table, and to which I have given the 
name of Clavula Gossii, may be deseribed as follows :— 

Olavula Gossii (Proles Turris neglecte). Polypary creep- 
ing, sheathed in a chitinous polypidom. Polyps minute, 
seated on short stalks, spindle-shaped, furnished with about 
twelve tentacles ; upper row of tentacles long, filiform, four in 
number, erect; rest of tentacles scattered, shorter, inclined 
upwards ; colour crimson. 


2. On the Development of Hippocrene (Bougainvillea) Britannica 
from Atractylis (Eudendrium) ramosa. 


This paper appeared as a note to Dr Wright’s paper on 
Atractylis on page 449, Vol I., of the Proceedings. 


3. On the Development of Hydra tuba (Strobila) from Chrysaora. 


In September last, I extracted a larger number of young 
from the reproductive sacs of Chrysaora. The young in 
their first stage are (as has been repeatedly observed) swim- 
ming ciliated larve. The greater part of these attached 
themselves to the surface of the water, and hung downwards as 
globular sacs seated on long thin pedicles or stalks (Plate 
III., fig. 2). The pedicles were surrounded by a thick and 
very transparent gelatinous case, corallum, or polypidom. The 
globular sac acquired a mouth, and afterwards four, eight, 
sixteen tentacles successively. As the Hydra grew, it pro- 
duced additional attachments from its body. The bases of 
these attachments in the fully-developed Hydra appeared as a 
number of closely-aggregated circles (fig. 3), in which the 
four tissues, colletoderm (a), corallum (b), ectoderm (c), and 


36 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


endoderm (d), could be distinctly made out in those specimens 
attached to surfaces of glass. It appears, from the above 
observations, that the Hydra tuba is not a naked polyp, as 
hitherto described. 


IV. Specemens of the Lantern Fly of British Honduras were ex- 
hibited by J. A. Suitu, M.D. 


These appeared to be the Fulgora laternaria, Linn., and were sent 
for exhibition by Mr James Banxs, Prestonpans. It seemed, Dr Smith 
said, to be still undecided among naturalists whether these flies were 
really luminous at times or not. Other luminous so-called fire-flies be- 
longed to the class of beetles (Coleoptera). It was of importance, there- 
fore, that the undoubted evidence of eye-witnesses should be produced ; 
and it was suggested that Mr Banks be invited to write to his corre- 
spondents in Honduras for information on the subject. 


V. Notes of Fossils from the Old Red Sandstone of the South of Scot- 
land. By Jonn Avex. Smuiru, M.D. 


A specimen of a fossil plant was exhibited from the Upper Old 
Red Sandstone of Roxburghshire. It was found last autumn in the 
Denholm Hill quarry, in the white rock of its upper beds. The plant 
was apparently a Fucus or sea-weed ; its stem was rather more than one- 
fourth of an inch in width, and divided dichotomously into numerous 
branches, covering part of the surface of the stone for about a foot or so 
in length. The few plants found in this locality had been recently de- 
scribed by the Rev. Mr Duncan, Denholm, in a sketch of the geology 
of the district contained in a work on the ‘‘ History and Antiquities of 
Roxburghshire,” by Alexander Jeffrey, Esq., Jedburgh. Dr Smith 
believed it was the first time any of these fossils had been exhibited to 
the Society. He had much pleasure in presenting this specimen to the 
Natural History Museum of the University. 

Professor Balfour said he had no doubt the plant was a Fucus; but 
more than that he could not determine. 


Dr Smith exhibited another fossil remain from the same Upper Old 
Red, in this instance, of Berwickshire ; it was found in a Red Sandstone 
quarry, opened some years ago on the side of the Black Hill, near Earl- 
ston, and was of considerable interest, being the only specimen of a 
fossil, as far as he could learn, that had ever been discovered there. The 
specimen is a beautifully sharp and perfect impression of a somewhat trian- 
gularly shaped group of palatal teeth; it measures 3 of an inch in length 


Fossils from the Old Red Sandstone. oF 


by about 1 in its greatest breadth, and exhibits a transverse, or rathér 
radiating, series of eight depressions, gradually increasing in depth, and 
showing lines of punctures, corresponding, he supposed, to the rows of the 
projecting teeth ; and the fossil was all the more strikingly displayed 
from the colour of the sandstone being completely discharged around 
the cast, which appears as a patch of white, in the dull red of the sur- 
rounding stone. He sent the fossil for examination to Mr Hugh Miller 
a few months before his lamented death, and received, in reply, the fol- 
lowing interesting note :-— 


‘‘ SHRuBMounNT, 30th June 1856. 


“‘My pear Sir,—Your fossil is the Old Red Otenodus of Agassiz (his 
Coal Measure Ctenodus belongs to a different genus); but though he 
gives 7 (his Old Red Ctenodus) a generic standing of its own, it is in 
reality a portion of the previously described Dipterian genus. The Dzp- 
terus had two triangularly arranged groups of teeth on its palate, and 
your specimen is a remarkably distinct impression made by one of these 
I could show you groups of teeth, were you to do me the pleasure of look- 
ing in upon me here, that would fit into your impression well nigh as 
exactly as a seal would into the wax which it had stamped. Your speci- 
men is the second of Dipterus which I have now seen from the Upper Old 
Red Sandstone. The first,—a gill cover,—is in the collection of Mr 
Patrick Duff of Elgin. I have been prostrated by another attack of my 
old enemy, inflammation of the lungs, and, after being confined to my bed 
for a fortnight, am but slowly recovering. Portobello has many visitors 
at present ; but I have seen little of scientific men, and have had little 
of scientific conversation for the last three quarters of a twelvemonth ; 
and should you chance to come this way, it would gratify me much to 
have half an hour’s talk with you among my fossils. Some of my Old 
Red ones would, I am sure, cast not a little light on the detached organ- 
isms of your south-country beds.—I am, my dear Sir, yours very truly, 


“‘ Huen Minurr. 
** Dr Jonn A. Smith.” 


Wednesday, 22d December 1858.—Witx1am Rup, Ksq., President, 
in the Chair. 


J. W. Laidlay, Esq. of Seacliff, and John M. Mitchell, Esq., Mayville, 
Trinity, were elected members of the Society. 


The Office-Bearers for the session were elected as follows :— 


38 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Presidents.—Andrew Murray, Esq., W.S.; William Rhind, Esq.; 
Thomas Strethill Wright, M.D. 

Council.—W. H. Lowe, M.D.; Alexander Rose, Esq. ; George Logan, 
Esq., W.S.; John Hutton Balfour, M.D., Professor of Botany, Univer- 
sity; James M‘Bain, M.D., R.N.; John Coldstream, M.D. 

Secretary.—John Alexander Smith, M.D. 

Assistant Secretary.—James Boyd Davies, Esq. 

Treasurer.— William Oliphant, Esq. 

Honorary Librarian.—Robert F. Logan, Esq. 

Lnbrary Committee.—John L. Stewart, Esq.; Alexander Bryson, Esq. ; 
Patrick Dalmahoy, Esq., W.S. 


The following Donations to the Library were laid on the table, and 
thanks voted to the donors :— 


1. Annales des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles d’ Agriculture et d’In- 
dustrie, Publiées par la Société Royal d’Agriculture, &c., de Lyon, 
Tomes VI., VII., VIII., IX., X., and XI.—From the Royal Society of 
Agriculture and Industry of Lyons. 2. Geological Survey of Canada— 
Report of Progress for the years 1853-56, printed by order of the Legis- 
lative Assembly, Toronto ; with quarto Atlas of various lakes and rivers. 
—From Sir W. E. Logan. 


The following communications were then read :— 


I. Mr Rhind exhibited a specimen of black shale, displaying a branch 
of Lepidodendron several inches in length, with the Lepidostrobus at- 
tached to its extremity, which was found by Mr R. H. Traquair, in the 
beginning of August last, in a stratum of very fissile black shale exposed 
in the bed of the Water of Leith, a little below the church at Colinton. 
This shale abounds in the stems of Lepidodendra, in detached Lepido- 
strobi and Lepidophylli ; and in what seems to be impressions of very 
delicate bivalve shells; also in Cuprides, and detached scales of the 
Paleoniscus. Notwithstanding the abundance of the two first-mentioned 
fossils (Lepidodendron and Lepidostrobus), this specimen is the only one 
Mr Traquair had ever found exhibiting them in distinct apposition. 


II. On the Cnide or Thread-cells of the Eolide. By T. Srrerarnt 
Wrieut, M.D. 


Dr Wright, after describing the anatomy of the respiratory, digestive, 
and hepatic organs in the Kolide, stated that, in his Memoiron Hydrac- 
tinia echinata, read before the Society, November 26, 1856, he had ob- 
served, ‘‘ Hydractinia is infested by a small species of Eolis (Hols nana), 
which peels off the polypary with its rasp-like tongue, and devours it,— 
possessed, I suppose, of some potent magic, which renders all the formid- 
able armament of its prey of no avail. Now, each of the dorsal papille 


Thread-cells of the Holide. 39 


of the Holide contains at its extremity a small ovate vesicle, communi- 
cating, through the biliary sac, with the digestive system, and opening 
externally by a minute aperture at the end of the papille. This vesicle 
is found crowded with compact masses of thread-cells ; which masses, in 
Holis nana, consist of aggregations of small and large thread-cells, iden- 
tical in size and shape with those of Hydractinia,—on which this Kolis 
preys,—not contained in capsules, but cemented together by mucus. 
When we consider that each of the vesicles is in indirect communication 
with the stomach, I think we may, without presumption, suggest that the 
masses of thread-cells found in Holis nana are quasi fecal collections of 
the thread-cells of Hydractinia, which, protected by their strong coats, 
have escaped the digestive process. In corroboration of this view, I may 
mention that the thread-cells of Holts papillosa, as figured in the work 
of Alder and Hancock, have a perfect resemblance to those found in the 
<ictinias, which last animals furnish an Abyssinian repast to these car- 
nivorous mollusca.” Dr Wright afterwards found that, as to the above 
idea, he had been anticipated by his friend Mr Gosse, who, in his 
“Tenby,” after noticing the existence of the thread-cells in the papille, 
remarks :—“‘ The inquiry I suggest would be, How far the presence of 
thread-cells might be connected with the diet of the mollusc? And 
whether, seeing the forms of the missile threads vary in different genera ~ 
of zoophytes, the forms of the corresponding organs in the papille of the 
Kolides would vary if the latter were fed exclusively first on one and 
then on another genus of the former.” He afterwards found that Mr 
Huxley had also doubted, previously to Mr Gosse and himself, whether 
the thread-cells of the Holide were not adventitious. Here were three 
independent observers to whom the idea has suggested itself; Mr Huxley 
had first hinted it; Mr Gosse suggested it, and how it might be found to — 
be true; Dr Strethill Wright also had suggested it, and given two in- 
stances in corroboration of his opinion, and to-night he proceeded to de- — 
tail observations which would, he hoped, entitle it to be enrolled as a 
proved fact in the records of science. 1st, A specimen of Holts nana 
was brought home from Morison’s Haven, on a shell covered with Hydrac- 
tinia, taken from a rock-pool, in which was a profuse growth of Cam- 
panularia Johnstonit. The papille of this Kolis contained the two 
kinds of thread-cells which are found on Hydractinia, together with the 
large thread-cells which occur within the reproductive capsules of 0. 
Johnstonii, 2d, An Eolis coronata was taken at Queensferry, on a 
massive specimen of Coryne decipiens, which was very abundant there. 
The thread-cells of C. decipiens were very distinctive, being very large, 
oval, and containing a four-barbed dart. The thread-cells of the Holis 
and Coryne were carefully compared together, and were found to be 
identical. 3d, Dr M‘Bain and Dr Wright found an Holis Drunumondia 
ona fine specimen of Tubularia indivisa, They first carefully examined 


40 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the thread-cells of ‘the Tubularia, and found four kinds, two (large and 
small) of a nearly globular shape, each containing a four-barbed dart, 
and two (large and small) of an almond shape, the larger one containing 
a thread, furnished with a lengthened brush of recurved barbs, They 
then examined the papille of the Kolis, and found the ovate sacs filled 
with an indiscriminate mixture of all the four kinds of thread-cells found 
on Tubularia indivisa. 4th, Dr M‘Bain and Dr Wright found a speci- 
men of Holis Landsburgu on EHudendrium rameum. Eudendrium 
rameum was furnished, as to the bodies of its polyps, with very large 
bean-shaped thread-cells, in which an unbarbed style could be detected, 
while the tentacles of the polyps are covered with exceedingly minute 
cells. They compared the thread-cells of the Eudendrium with those 
found in the sac of Holis, and found both kinds identical. Lastly, Dr 
Wright had kept the specimen of Holts Drummondii above-mentioned 
fasting for a long time, and then introduced it to a large specimen of 
Coryne decipiens fresh from the sea. The next morning every polyp 
of the zoophyte had vanished, and the ovate sacs of the Eolis were 
packed with the distinctive thread-cells of the Coryne, mixed with a few 
thread-cells of 7, indivisa, the remains of its former feast. He also 
found the thread-cells of C. decipiens in the alimentary canal. It was at 
one time supposed that thread-cells, or Cnide, as Mr Gosse had named 
them, were only to be found in the hydroid and helianthoid polyps and 
the Meduse; Professor Allman afterwards discovered them in a species 
of Loxodes, a protozoan animalcule; and Dr Wright had the good fortune 
to find them on the tentacles of an annelid, Spio seticornis, and also on 
the tentacles of Cydippe, one of the Ctenophora, Since then he had 
observed them on the very minute tentacles of Alcinde, another of the 
Ctenophora. In all these classes of animals thread-cells were developed 
within the ectoderm or skin of the animal, and in many, such as in 
T. indwisa, each within a distinct and very apparent sac, and not in 
connection with the digestive system. The type of structure, moreover, 
of the thread-cell in the Protozoon, the Polype-medusa, the Annelid, and 
the Ctenophore, was essentially different for each class; and this fact 
alone would lead one to doubt as to the origin of the thread-cells of Eolis, 
which so exactly resembled those of the polype-meduse in their structure. 
Nevertheless, it was certainly a very strange fact, for a fact the author 
firmly believed it to be, that one animal should be furnished with appa- 
ratus for storing up and voluntarily ejecting organic bodies derived from 
‘the tissues of another animal devoured by it, and that these should still 
retain their destructive functions unimpaired; and he stated that his 
friend Mr Alder, one of the highest authorities on the Nudibranchs, 
still hesitated to assent to the doctrine sought to be proved by the pre- 
sent communication, on the ground of its extreme improbability. 


Notes on a Skull of the Troglodytes Niger. 4] 


III. Notice of a Skull of the Troglodytes Niger, Desm., the Chimpanzee, 
found in a ‘* Devil-house,’ Old Calabar, Africa. By Joun ALExr. 
SmitH, M.D. 

The skull on the table was one of those interesting objects 
of natural history, for the exhibition of which the Society is 
indebted to the zeal of our Treasurer, Mr William Oliphant, 
and, through him, to the missionaries of the United Presby- 
terian Church at Old Calabar. It was sent home by Mr 
Archibald Hewan, the Mission surgeon, and was entitled by 
him the skull of an ape, taken from an old “devil-house’’ 
at the Guinea Company’s villages, about a hundred miles from 
the mouth of the Old Calabar River. It is the skull of an adult 
Chimpanzee, indicated by its general appearance, the calva- 
rium smooth and rounded, the partially obliterated sutures, and 
the full complement of teeth, well ground down on their sum- 
mits. These teeth are similar in number to those of man. 
The skull measures 19 inches in circumference, in the line of 
the alveolar processes of the incisor teeth in front, and the oc- 
cipital protuberance behind ; and rather more than 7 inches in 
length between the same points in a straight line. The skull 
of an adult male is described as measuring 84 inches in length ; 
this is probably therefore the skull of an old female,—the 
muscular ridges being but slightly marked ; the space between 
the incisor teeth and the canines is very slightly developed, 
measuring little more than 1-10th of an inch. The charac- 
teristic high superciliary ridge of the Chimpanzee is strongly 
marked; showing at a glance the very vague character of 
any deductions as to the amount of brain, to be drawn from 
the extent of what is called the facial angle in a cranium 
such as this. This formidable animal stands some 3 feet 10 
inches high, the male reaching the height of 4 feet from the 
top of the head to the sole of the heel in a straight line. You 
are aware these creatures have been frequently described 
as reaching a much higher stature (it was believed with in- 
creasing age), but it now appears from the recent researches of 
naturalists, both in America and in this country, that there 
are at least two distinct species of Chimpanzee, inhabiting in 
one instance the same district of country, one of which is 
much larger than the other. The cranium now exhibited be- 

VOU, 11, F 


42 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


longs to the smaller species. The larger, the Troglodytes 
gorilla, stands 5 feet high and upwards. The TJ. Niger 
is found in various parts of the western coasts of tropical 
Africa, as the Guinea coast and Angola, and also between 
these distant places, as in this instance on the Calabar River, 
thus showing a pretty extensive range. The large Chimpanzee, 
or Troglodytes gorilla, has been brought from the neigh-: 
bourhood of the Gaboon River, nearly under the Line, where 
the 7. niger has also been procured; but future inquirers 
will probably give the former also a much more extended 
range, as the huge Chimpanzees, said to have been seen in 
various parts of western tropical Africa, will probably turn 
out to be the gorilla; and what have been supposed to be 
merely exaggerated tales may thus have more truth in them 
than we have been inclined to give the narrators credit for. 
The killing of one of those formidable creatures is considered 
a great feat by an African brave; and in this instance, ap- 
parently, the skull had been preserved as of great value, if not 
also for worship. You observe there is a piece of copper wire, 
1 foot 11 inches long, and 2-10ths of an inch thick, which is 
wrapped twice in a vertical direction round the skull, passing 
through the temporal fossee of each side, behind the super- 
ciliary ridge above, and the nasal fossee below. Hammered 
copper wire is the current money of this part of Africa ; so the 
amount of metal used in ornamenting this skull shows the 
high value the owner had placed on it. It was taken, I have 
already mentioned, from what is called a devdl-house, for a cer- 
tain amount of English is spoken by many of the native chiefs 
and traders. This devil-house, as I have been informed by 
Dr Sommerville, Secretary to the Mission Board of the 
U. P. Church, is. not, strictly speaking, a place of worship. 
It is, like their dwelling-houses, built of branches of trees 
and clay, and is erected at the death, especially, of a great 
‘man; after various ceremonies have taken place, and, in 
former times at least, the sacrifices of human beings, sometimes 
to the number of hundreds, according to the rank of the de- 
ceased—the slain being supposed to be thus sent as his 
slaves and attendants to the other world—their remains are. 
buried in one common tomb, and over it this devil-house is 


Notes on a Skull of the Troglodytes Niger. 43 


erected ; it is left open at one end, and in it the valuables of the 
deceased are placed—his furniture, clothes, utensils, and food. 
These, however, are shortly after, more or less damaged or 
broken, for one of two reasons, if not for both—either to kill 
the articles themselves (for in Calabar all things are supposed 
to possess life), that their spirits may go to benefit the spirit 
of the deceased,—or, to prevent people from sacrilegiously 
stealing them. The whole being intended as an offering to the 
fetish, or evil spirit, and left as sacred to the memory of the 
deceased. As in other parts of Heathendom, an evil spirit is 
worshipped, as well as a good spirit; and fear, which is the 
moving principle of their worship, naturally makes more re- 
spect be paid to the bad than tothe good, the vengeance of the 
former being most feared, and therefore greater paius are taken 
to propitiate his anger. The principal fetish, or evil spirit, 
worshipped in the houses of Old Calabar is, strange to say, a 
human skuil without the lower jaw, which is tied by bands of 
plaited leaves, crossing one another, to the top of a thick block 
of wood, the upper part of the rounded stem of which is also 
wrapped about with bands of plaited leaves or thongs. Dr 
Sommerville kindly showed me one of these in his possessiou. 
We may therefore suppose this skull of the 7. niger had been 
offered ag a highly valued propitiatory offering to the fetish, 
if not also worshipped as the representative of the much-feared 
fetish or evil spirit itself in the home of the man from above 
whose grave it was taken. 

Crania of the two species of Chimpanzee are described by 
Professor Owen in the Transactions of the Zoological Society 
of London. Captain Wagstaff, who brought them to Bristol, 
stated “that the natives, when they succeed in killing one of 
these Chimpanzees (the gorilla), make a fetish of the cranium. 
The specimens bore indications of the sacred marks in broad red 
stripes, crossed by a white stripe, which could be washed off, 
Their superstitious reverence of these hideous remains of their 
formidable and dreaded enemy adds to the difficulty which a 
stranger has to contend with in procuring specimens.” This 
quotation shows how general is the feeling of superstitious 
dread which appears to exist with regard to these Chimpanzees, 
creatures, which of all the lower animals, in their structure 
and general appearance, make the nearest approach to man, 


ae Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


IV. Notices of some of our Rarer Birds. By Jonn Auexr. Smitu, M.D. 


(1.) Notice of the Tetrao medius, T. hybridus, or Urogallus hybridus 
of Authors. This beautiful bird was formerly believed by some Natu- 
ralists to be a distinct species, and by others merely a hybrid between 
the Capercailzie and Black Cock. The specimen now exhibited was 
killed about the 23d of November, by Major J. W. Wedderburn, 
near Loyal House, Alyth, Perthshire. The bird is a male; it is 
intermediate in size between the capercailzie (T. wrogallus), and the 
black grouse (7. tetriv), measuring 284 inches in length, and weighed 
5 lbs. 10 oz. The general appearance of the plumage is darker than 
the capercailzie; the bill is black like the black grouse; the head 
and neck, which shows the bearded throat of the capercailzie, is of 
dark colour, with reddish purple reflections, especially brilliant on the 
breast ; there are a few white feathers on the lower part of the breast and 
abdomen, as in the capercailzie; and the tail has the lateral feathers the 
longest, as in the black cock,—the external ones being slightly curved 
outwards. The stomach was filled with buds of heather, and not of the 
pine, which is the favourite food of the capercailzie. Birds of this kind 
have been very rarely observed in Scotland of late years; they are said, 
however, to have been occasionally noticed in ancient times. Lloyd men- 
tions that they occur in Norway, but are not common ; and they are some- 
times sent, Yarrell informs us, with the capercailzie to the London 
markets. 

(2.) Dr Smirx exhibited a specimen of the Lantus excubitor, Penn., 
the Great Grey Shrike, which was killed a few days ago by Dr C. Nelson 
at Pitcox, near Dunbar. The bird is a young male, and may be con- 
sidered as only an occasional winter visitor to Scotland. 

(3.) Two specimens of the Pintail Duck, Dafila caudacuta, Gould, 
were exhibited by Dr Smith, the one a male, in adult plumage, sent by 
Mr Edward Hargitt. It was shot on the Fife coast, near Kirkcaldy, a 
few days ago. And the other, a young male, was killed near Preston- 
pans in the beginning of this month. The bird is of rare occurrence in 
the south of Scotland. 

(4.) Dr Smirw had also examined a fine specimen of the Buteo 
lagopus, Flem., the Rough-Legged Buzzard, which was shot a few days 
ago by a keeper of Sir Graham Montgomery, at Stobo, in Peeblesshire. 
Another individual was seen flying about in the same neighbourhood. 
It is a rare winter visitant to Britain and Ireland. 


V. Notice of a Pike, Esox lucius, Linn., in whose stomach a Water Hen 
and Water Ouzel were found. By Mr Arcuipaup Stirine. 


The stomach of a large pike was exhibited, which contained a water 


¢ 


Natural History of the Hudson’s Bay Territories. 495 


hen, Gallinula chloropus, and a water ouzel, Cinclus aquaticus, both 
apparently swallowed very shortly before the fish was captured. The 
pike weighed 30 lbs., and measured 4 feet 4 inches in length. It was 
taken on the estate of the Duke of Atholl, in Perthshire, and is now pre- 
served in the valuable Anatomical Museum of the University. 


Wednesday, 26th January 1859.—T. Srrerait, Wricut, M.D., 
President, in the Chair. 


The Donations to the Library were as follow :— 


1 Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadel- 
phia, 1857-8; Notice of some Remarks by the late Mr Hugh 
Miller.—From the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 2. 
Mémoires de la Société Imperial des Sciences Naturelles de Cherbourg, 
Tome IV., 1856. — From the Society. 38. Graduation Address, 
August 1858; On the Structure and Growth of Timber, and on the 
Dry Rot in Wood ; Notice of the Palm House in the Royal Botanical 
Garden at Edinburgh, by Professor Balfour. — From the Author. 
4. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, No. 56, 
November 1858.—F rom the Society. Thanks were voted to the donors. 


The following communications were then read :— 


I. Contributions to the Natural History of the Hudson’s Bay Terri- 
tories. Aves.—Part I. (Numerous Specimens were exhibited.) By 
Anprew Murray, Esq. 


Before commencing the enumeration of the birds, I should 
wish to make an ample preliminary acknowledgment of the 
assistance I have received in determining them, from our cele- 
brated ornithologist Sir Wm. Jardine, Bart., and also from 
Dr J. A. Smith of Edinburgh. Their extensive knowledge and 
familiarity with the subject have saved me much labour; and 
wherever the species were difficult of determination, the reader 
has the satisfaction of knowing that it is introduced in accord- 
ance with the careful examination and deliberation of these 
gentlemen as well as myself. 


Archibuteo Sancti Johannis, (Gmel.) 
Received both from Severn House and Trout Lake Station. 
Very near our own Archibuteo lagopus, or rough-footed fal- 


46 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


con ; indeed, the pale-coloured specimen scarcely differs from 
some European specimens of that bird. 
Falco peregrinus (Gmel.), (Peregrine Falcon). 

Trout Lake Station and Severn House, Hudson’s Bay. 

Sir J. Richardson says this bird is frequent in the barren grounds. 
Sir W. Jardine tells me it is the Falco anatum, Bonap., of 
the American ornithologists. Well known at New Jersey 
from the havoc it makes among the water-fowl in winter. Mr 
Ord says, that the ducks when struck by it are lacerated from 
the neck to the rump. 

Falco candicans (Gmel.), (American Gyr Falcon). 

York Factory. 

A constant resident in Hudson’s Bay territories, known as the 
‘speckled partridge hawk,” and the “ winterer.” 

Circus cyaneus (Linn.), (var. Hudsonicus) ; or it may stand C. Hud- 
sonicus, (Linn.) 

From Moose Factory and Severn House. 

The male varies from the European specimens, in the upper parts 
being darker, and in the lower breast and the belly being 
barred at wide intervals with pale sienna,—agreeing in this 
respect with the figure given by Bonaparte in his continua- 
tion of “ Wilson’s North American Ornithology.” The young 
male differs in the darker general plumage and the deeper tint 
of the sienna on the under parts. 

Nyctea nivea (Daud.), (Snowy Owl). 

York Factory. 

Two beautiful specimens received; one wholly white without a 
single dark spot. 

Surnia funerea (Gmel.), (Hawk-Owl). 
Trout Lake Station, Severn House. 
Asio brachyotus, (Short-Hared Owl). 
Trout Lake Station. 
Slightly varies in shade of colour from some British specimens. 
Chordeiles Virginiana, (Briss.) 
Trout Lake Station. 
Ceryle alcyon (Linn.), (Belted King-fisher). 

York Factory. . 

The only king-fisher that inhabits the Fur countries in Hudson’s 
Bay territory. 

Perisoreus Canadensis (Linn.), (Canada Jay, or Whiskey die 

Severn House. 

Very forward, and intrudes itself upon man, but pines away in 
confinement. 

Corvus Americanus, (Audub.) 

Trout Lake Station. Hudson’s Bay. 

The American representative of our Corvus corone or carrion 
crow, 


Natural History of the Hudson’s Bay Territories. 47 


Agelaius pheeniceus, (Vieillot.) 

Hudson’s Bay. 

This showy bird winters in vast numbers in the southern parts 
of the United States and Mexico. Its range to the north 
does not pass the 57th parallel. 

Agelaius canthocephalus, (Bonap.) 

From Hudson’s Bay. 

Turdus migratorius, (Linn.), (American Robin). 
Severn House, Trout Lake Station. 

The colour is unusually bright in the specimens received. 

Seiwrus Noveboracensis (Bonap.), (aquaticus, Sw.) 
Severn House. 

Anthus Ludovicianus, (Gmel.) 

Hudson’s Bay. 

Sylvicola estiva, (Gmel:) 

Hudson’s Bay, Trout Lake Station, Severn House. 

Known throughout the whole of the fur countries. 

Sylvicola striata (Gmel.), (Blackpoll Warbler). 
Hudson’s Bay, Trout Lake. 

Sylvicola parus. 

Severn House, Trout Lake. 

Otocorys cornutus (Sw.), (Shore Lark). 

York Factory, Severn House, &c. 

Appears common. 

Plectrophanes nivalis (uinn.), (Snow-Bunting). 
Severn House, Trout Lake Station, Hudson’s Bay. 
Only goes to the south when the snow becomes deep. 

Plectrophanes Lapponica, (Linn.) 

Trout Lake Station and Severn House. 

Like the last, is common to the northern regions of both Europe 
and America. 

Plectrophanes pictus, (Sw.) 

Severn House. 

Seems scarcer than the others. Sir J. Richardson mentions 
that he had only obtained one specimen. Three have been 
sent to me. 

Zonotrichia leucophrys, (Gmel.) 
Severn House, Hudson’s Bay. 

Zonotrichia albicollis, (Gmel.) 

Hudson’s Bay, 

This species winters in the southern parts of the United States. 
Among the Cree Indians it bears the euphonious appella- 
tion of Oochaechimmenaw-kaw-mawkaw-seesh. 

Spizella monticola (Gmel.), (Emberiza canadensis, Faun. B, Am.) 

Severn House. 

This bird winters in the United States. 


48 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Linota borealis = canescens (Gould). 

Severn House. 

The same bird known in this country as the Mealy Redpoll. 

Lowia leucoptera, (Gmel.) 

Hudson’s Bay, Severn House, and Trout Lake Station. 

Corythus enucleator (Linn.), (Pine Grosbeak). 

Severn House. 

Scolecophagus ferrugineus, (Gmel.) 

Severn House, Trout Lake. 

The most northern species,—called Rusty Grakle by Americans. 
The male is not rusty, but the female has a ferruginous 

tinge. 

Lanius septentrionalis, Gmel.= borealis of Vieillot, “ Orn. Amer. 
Sept. ;” but he unfortunately gave the same name to a Eurv- 
pean bird in his “ Faun. France. ;”? Gmelin’s name, therefore, 
should stand. It 1s very difficult to make out the birds of 
this genus; and there almost seems reason to look upon the 
American species as varieties of the European, but ornitholo- 
gists have accepted them as different. 

Trout Lake Station and Severn House. 

Tyrannus borealis (Sw.), (T'. Cooperi, Bonap.) 

Hudson’s Bay. 

(One specimen.) A rare bird, and to be seen in very few col- 
lections. 

Colaptes auratus, (Linn.) 

Trout Lake and Hudson’s Bay. 

One of the woodpeckers; but as it feeds on ants, and therefore 
does not require so much labour to get its food as the other 
woodpeckers, its bill is less suited for such work. It is only 
a summer visitant to the Fur countries. 

Apternus tridactylus, (Sw.) 

Severn House. 

(One specimen.) The common three-toed woedpecker. 

Lagopus albus(Gmel.) = L. subalpinus (Nils.),and L. saliceti(Less.), 
of Europe; and also=Z. Scoticus of Britain. (Vide Jardine.) 


In consequence of Sir William Jardine’s desire to procure 
specimens of this species in the various states of plumage, to 
assist in elucidating the question which he has started, whether 
it is not the same as the common grouse of this country, | 
begged my correspondents to furnish me with a good series of 
specimens in their plumage at different seasons of the year, 
and a fine series of lovely skins, beautifully preserved, has ac- 
cordingly been sent, which have proved of much use to Sir 


Natural History of the Hudson’s Bay Territories. 49 


William in his inquiry. The above synonymy shows the re- 
sult to which he has come. 

I also particularly drew the attention of my friends to the 
white-tailed grouse in relation to its affinity to this species, 
but no specimens of it have as yet been received. Mr A. 
M‘Donald, stationed at Little Whale River, however, writes 
me as follows on the subject :—‘<I am not aware that the 
white-tailed grouse is to be found in this locality. We 
have two sorts of the ptarmigan—the large one, which is ge- 
nerally found among the willows, is, I believe, the willow 
grouse. The other is much smaller, and confines itself almost 
entirely to the rocks.* This latter may be the white-tailed 
grouse to which you refer. I have never seen it in summer, 
and indeed they do not, I believe, make their appearance till 
after a considerable quantity of snow has fallen. ‘They are 
of about the size of the common pigeon.” He adds, “I will 
be able to procure good specimens of both these, and, if 
possible, in the various stages.” As specimens of this white- 
tailed grouse are exceedingly scarce in museums in Britain 
such a supply will be acceptable. 

Tetrao Canadensis, (Linn. ) 
Trout Lake and Hudson’s Bay. 
Tetrao phasianellus, (Linn.) 
Trout Lake Station. 
The Tetrao obscurus (Rich. and Sw.), or Dusky Grouse of the 
Northern Zoology, has not yet been received.} 
Porzana Carolina (Linn.), (Carolina Rail). 
Severn House. 
Pluvialis Virgimacus, (Borkh.) 

Trout Lake Station and Severn House. 

The American representative of our golden plover, specifically 
distinguished from it by its lesser size, and the axillary 
feathers being dusky, instead of white. Like our own golden 
plover, this bird is highly prized as food. 

Charadrius semipalmatus, (Kaup.) 
Trout Lake Station and Severn House. 
Plentiful in Arctic America. 


* This smaller bird, if not the white-tailed species, will be Z. mutus (Leach). 
or common ptarmigan of Great Britain. The white-tailed bird cannot be mis- 
taken, none of the tail feathers being black, as in the other two species. 

1 Tetrao obscurus (Say), and the Zetrao obscurus (Richard and Swain), Fauns 
B. Am., are quite distinct, and specimens of the latter from northern latitudes 
are much wanted. 


VOL. II. G 


50 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Squatarola helvetica, (Linn.) 

Severn House. 

This may be looked upon as only a northern state of our grey 
plover. My specimens are in full breeding plumage, and the 
ground colour of all the upper parts nearly white ; certainly 
appears to be influenced by climate. 

Strepsilas interpres, (Linn.) 
Hudson’s Bay and Severn House. 
A citizen of the world. 

Grus Canadensis, (Temm.) 

Trout Lake Station, 

Botaurus lentiginosus (Montag.), (American Bittern). 

Severn House. 

Numenius Hudsonicus, (Lath.) 
Severn House. 
Tringa alpina, (Linn.) 

Severn House. 

Totanus melanoleucus (Gmel.), (vociferus, Sab.) 

Severn House. 

The specimens received agree with Gmelin’s description of the 
breeding plumage, but differ somewhat from those usually 
seen, which generally come farther from the south. 

Totanus flavipes, (Vieill.) 
Severn House. 

Limosa fedoa, (Linn.) 
Hudson’s Bay. 

Limosa Hudsonica, (Lath.) 
Severn House. 

Phalaropus lobatus, (Ord.) 

Severn House. 

Anser hyperboreus (Gmel.), (Wavey ; Snowy Goose). 

Moose Factory and Severn House. 

Bernicla Canadensis (Linn.), (Cravat Goose; Canada Goose). 


There are most probably more than one species confounded 
under the old name of Anas Canadensis of Linnzeus, founded on 
the figures of Brisson, Catesby'and Edwards, which all evidently 
refer to one species. Sir John Richardson mentions two Indian 
synonymes for it—viz., Neescah and Mistehay-neescah, besides 
that of A pisteeskeesh for Hutchin’s goose, from whence we may, 
I think, legitimately infer that the Indians recognise two spe- 
cies at least, this being peculiarly a case where dependence 
may be placed on the observations of natives, the animals 
being one of the objects of their chase, and a knowledge of 
the habits and distinctions of different species being essential 


Natural History of the Hudson's Bay Territories. 51 


to their success in hunting them. ‘Three skins have been re- 
ceived, which appear to belong to three different species ; 
the one of middle size being without doubt the true Canada 
goose. The smallest one differs in the form of the bill, which 
is more Bernicle-like ; it resembles B. Hutchinsii ; and Sir 
William Jardine informs me it agrees very exactly in size, Wc., 
with a bird from Mexico, described by Cassin, from the Phila- 
delphia Museum, under the name of parvipes. And he adds,— 
“Its being from Mexico is no drawback, the Philadelphia Mu- 
seum possesses only one specimen, and that would be migra- 
tory.” The largest specimen seems also distinct, and does not 
appear to have been described; and as it is obvious that, 
whether it be really a new species or merely in a different state 
of plumage, it must, when it becomes known, be sooner or later 
described and made identifiable as a variety, if not as a species, 
I think I can do no harm in describing it, and giving it a pro- 
visional cognomen. 


Bernicla leucolema, (Murray). (Plate I.) 

Beak black; head and greatest part of the neck black; chin 
and throat white, the white extending upwards and backwards 
beyond the ear coverts, and also extending downwards along 
the under side of the neck almost to the end of the black por- 
tion, but tapermg away and becoming narrower and somewhat 
interspersed with black feathers as it extends downwards; the 
under eyelid broadly white; the white on the cheeks, &c., 
without black flecks ; the black on the fore part of the head 
and behind the white space flecked with white ; the back and 
the wing coverts, the secondaries and tertials light brown, 
with hghter coloured edges to the feathers ; primaries dark 
brown ; tail feathers black; the rump black; upper tail 
coverts white; lower part of the neck pale dirty lavender ; 
upper part of breast still paler; lower part and belly almost 
white, except a broad pale lavender-coloured band across the 
middle, just before the tops of the thighs, or, perhaps, I 
should rather express it as breast and belly pale lavender- 
coloured, with a broad white band across the breast; vent 
and under tail coverts white; legs and first phalanges pale 
brown, probably paler when in life ; remainder of the phalanges 
and interdigital membranes bright yellow, sparingly spotted 
here and there with black or brown. Length, 40 inches. 


Its general appearance is very much the same as that of the 


52 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Canada goose. The following are the particulars in which it 
differs :— 

In colour.—In the Canada goose the white cravat does not 
extend downwards along the under side of the neck, but is 
quite abruptly defined, and cut off; in B. leucolema it does, so 
as to give the appearance not only of a white cravat under 
its chin, but also a white frill or shirt appearing in front down 
its black waistcoat. In the Canada goose the white cravat is 
flecked more or less with blackish specks; in lewcolema it is 
wholly white. In the Canada goose, the black head in front of, 
and above the white cravat, is wholly black ; in leucolema it is 
flecked with an occasional white speck, and most so where it 
joins the upper mandible both m front and on each side. In the 
Canada goose the space between the rami of the lower man- 
dible is black or blackish ; in lewcolema it is pure white. The 
white on the lower eyelid is comparatively broad and distinct 
in leucolema ; in the Canada goose it is a mere line like a 
thread. 

The general tone of the plumage of the body, both above 
and below, is considerably paler in leucolema than in the 
Canada goose—the black primaries having become brown, the 
brown back having become somewhat fawn-coloured, and the 
fawn-coloured under side having become dirty white, with a 
pale bluish or lavender-coloured broad band stretching across 
the belly between the two thighs. 

The black on the neck extends rather a shorter distance 
down in leucolema than in the Canada goose. 

The legs are yellowish-brown, and the interdigital spaces 
bright yellow in deucolema, instead of being black as in the 
Canada goose. I believe that in some species of geese the 
colour of the leg changes according to the age ; but this would 
not appear to be the case in the Canada goose, because Cap- 
tain Ord informs me that the colour is constantly black, 
both in old birds and young broods, which he has reared since 
1852. 

There are also some differences in the relative proportions, 
which I shall tabulate for the sake of brevity and easier refe- 
rence, and shall include in the comparison the proportions of 
the following species supposed to be B. Hutchinsii. The mea- 


a 


- 


Te ANAT 


J fernmicla leacolenma Marr: 


2 Berniclr Canadensts. inn 


J Bernicla Hutchinsii ? hich 


Meyal 


Thystad Sowrey, Lainturgh 


Natural History of the Hudson’s Bay Territories. 53 


surements are taken from the specimens which I have received 
from Hudson’s Bay, one of each bird, and all these apparently 


full grown :— 
B. Cana- B. leu- B. Hut- 


densis. colcema. chinsi ? 


Length of bird, from tip of bill to end of ‘ches. Inches. Inches. 


tail feathers, measured along the back, 393 40 32 
Length of upper mandible, from tip to 
where the downy plumage begins, 


measured along the middle, . : 2 25 13 
Breadth of upper mandible across the 

nostrils, . 14 13 1} 
Height of upper mandible at the nos- 

trils, 4 4 3 
Length of head, from base of the middle 

of the mandibles to the occiput, 34 bd 25 
Length of wing, from carpal joint to end 

of longest wing feathers, _. bg (kOe 194 183 
Length of tarsus, ; é 34 3 3 
Length of first phalanx of middle toe, . ii 14 14 


There is also a slight difference in the arrangement of the 
scuta on the phalanges of the Canada goose and leucolema, 
though not very decided. In the next species this is much 
more marked. 

B. Hutchinsii ? Richard and Swain. (Plate 1).—The pre- 
ceding measurements show that this is a much smaller bird, 
and it will be observed that the proportions are different. The 
bill 1s proportionally much smaller, narrower, and deeper, 
than in the other two. The colour 1s much the same as 
in the Canada goose, but darker and richer on the back, 
and with a greater shade of fawn on the belly, instead of 
the lavender colour in the Canada goose, owing to the colour 
of the terminations of the abdominal feathers. The cravat- 
patch wants the black flecking which Captain Ord informs me 
he has found to be a constant character in his specimens of 
the Canada goose. 

There is a marked difference in the mode of arrangement 
of the scuta on the first phalanx of the middle toe. In the 
two preceding species there are three oblique transverse scuta 
at the distal extremity, those further back being broken up into 
polygonal plates; while in this species there are seven broad 


54 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


transverse plates so placed instead of three; the remainder are 
also transverse, though narrower. The difference in the ar- 
rangement in the different species is shown in the plates. I by 
no means say with any degree of confidence that my specimen 
is B. Hutchinsii. I have had no opportunity of examining an 
authentic specimen of that species, the specimens placed by 
Sir John Richardson in the museum of the Edinburgh Univer- 
sity being no longer to be found there; but it answers better 
to it than any other description, and therefore, although not 
wholly corresponding to it, I place it under this name, but with 
a query. 

I may add, that before coming to the conclusion that these 
two species were distinct from the Canada goose, care has 
been taken to consult every accessible authority. The spe- 
cimens have been shown to Sir John Richardson, who con- 
curs in the opinion that they are distinct. 

The want of some information as to the habits of the birds 
sent by my correspondents, deprives us of one important aid 
in determining the species. For instance, Hutchin’s goose 
differs from the true Canada goose in frequenting the sea- 
coast, feeding on mollusca, and having a fishy taste, instead 
of feeding on herbage in the fresh-water lakes, which is the 
habit of the Canada goose proper. This specimen was taken 
at Severn House. 


Anas boschas (Linn.), (Common Mallard). 
Trout Lake Station and Severn House. 
Dajila acuta (Linn.), (Pintail). 
Trout Lake Station and Severn House. 
Rhynchaspis clypeata (Linn.), (The gre 
Moose Factory and Trout Lake. 
Mareca Americana, (Steph.) 
Hudson’s Bay. 
Somateria V. nigrum, (Gray).—Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858. 
Severn House. 


This specimen was sent to me by Mr Bernard R. Ross of 
the Mackenzie River district, as the common Eider Duck, 
which he thought might be of interest from having been shot 
on Great Slave Lake,—the Eider being supposed exclusively 
a sea duck,—but its oceurrence in this fresh-water lake may 


Natural History of the Hudson’s Bay Territories. 55 


have been accidental, or it may have been there for breeding 
purposes, many sea ducks having recourse to fresh-water 
lakes for this purpose. A circumstance of greater interest, 
however, is, that it 1s not the common eider, but the Kams- 
katchan species Somateria V. nigrum, distinguished by a 
black mark in the shape of the letter V under the chin, and it 
is the first time that this species has been recorded as being 
taken east of the Rocky Mountains. Its occurrence in Great 
Slave Lake certainly does not necessarily imply that it is to 
be found in Hudson’s Bay and the east coast, but it may be 
so, and I would direct the attention of my friends there to it. 
It is so easily identified by the black V under the chin that 
if it occurs there I think we may now be certain of ascertain- 
ing the fact. 


Harelda glacialis, (Linn.) 
Severn House. 
Fuligula afinis (Eyt., Yarr.), (Amer. Scaup Duck). 
Severn House. 
Clangula albeola (Linn.), (Buffel-headed Garrot). — 
Severn House, Moose Factory, Trout Lake Station. 
Querquedula Americana, (Linn.) 
Hudson’s Bay. 


This is the American representative of our common teal. 
Sir J. Richardson remarks that the only difference he could find 
between the common teal and its American representative 
was, that the English bird has a white longitudinal band on 
the scapulars which the other wants. The American bird has 
usually a transverse broad white bar not possessed by the 
English. He makes the two species only varieties, but other 
authors have followed Pennant, and rightly (as it appears to 
me) kept them distinct. The female specimen sent me, how- 
ver, wants the transverse white bar, and Sir John refers to 
a specimen (he does not say whether male or female) in the 
Hudson’s Bay Company’s Museum which wants it. 


Dendronessa sponsa (Linn.), (Summer Duck). 
Hudson’s Bay, Moose Factory, Trout Lake Station. 
Oidemia perspicillata (Flem.), (Surf Scoter). 
Hudson’s Bay. 
Oidemia velvetina (Cassin), (Deglandii, Bonap.). 
Trout Lake Station, Moose Factory, Severn House. 


56 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Until put right by Sir Wm. Jardine, I confounded the single 
specimen received of this species with the Oidemia fusca, or vel- 
vet scoter of Britain and Europe, to which it is very closely 
allied—the specific differences consisting in the proportions 
of the bill, the form of the tuberosity on it, and in the white 
spot under the eye being larger, and extending in a narrow 
circle partially round the eyelids. Sir William suggests that 
both the American and European bird may range in each con- 
tinent, and that we may find the American form here, or if 
not, that it is just one of those very close forms which requires 
farther examination to enable us to say whether it is an ex- 
tent of variation only, or really a distinct species. 

Oidemia Americana (Linn.) ; Trout Lake. 

Mergus serrator (Linn.); Trout Lake, Severn House. 

Mergus cucullatus (Linn.) ; Hudson’s Bay, Trout Lake. 


Pelecanus erythrorhynchus (Gmel.) ; Hudson’s Bay. 
Larus zonorhynchus (Rich, and Sw.) (?) ; Hudson’s Bay. 


Sir Wm. Jardine remarks that in any specimens or 
figures of the LZ. zonorhynchus which he has seen, the black 
mark on the bill is at some distance from the tip, which is 
not the case in this specimen. It does not agree with any 
other, therefore, most probably, is a variety of this species. 


Larus argentatus (Gmel.); Severn House. 

Lestris cephus, Brunnich 1764 (Buffonw, Yarr.); Moose 
Factory. 

Xema Bonaparti (Rich. and Sw.) ; Severn House. 


Fortunately several specimens of this gull have been re- 
ceived, It is rare in collections, but would appear not to be 
so in Hudson’s Bay. 

Sterna Hirundo:(Linn.), (Common Tern.) ; Hudson’s Bay. 

Sterna arctica (Temm.) ; Moose Factory and Trout Lake. 

Sterna nigra (Linn.) ; Moose Factory, and Severn House. 

Uria grylle (Lath.), (Black Guillemot.) ; Severn House. 

Podiceps cornutus (Linn,) (Horned Grebe); Trout Lake. 

The band on the head and cheeks is much paler in the 
specimen received than in European specimens. 


Colymbus arcticus (Linn.), (Black-throated Diver); Severn House. 
Colymbus glacialis (Linn.), (Great Northern Diver); Severn House. 


Observations on some Birds from Hudson's Bay. 57 


II. Observations on some of the Birds received from the Hudson’s Bay 
Company’s Territories. By Sir Witiiam Jarpine, Bart. 


Sir William Jardine, in remarking on the species of grouse 
in the collection, observed that there were two species to which 
the name of obscurus had been applied. The true dusky 
grouse was first noticed by Mr Say in Major Long’s expedition 
to the Rocky Mountains, and was named by him as a new 
species, Tetrao obscurus, at the same time describing it “ with 
a rounded tail, having a broad terminal cinereous band.” It 
has.an extensive range, and extends to California, the speci- 
men on the table having been obtained by Mr Hepburn in the 
vicinity of San Francisco. In the beautiful ornithological 
volume of the Northern Zoology by Sir John Richardson and 
Mr Swainson, there is a bird excellently represented (Plate 
59) under the same name, but which is quite distinct from the 
San Francisco specimens. 

Some of our members will recollect that a collector was 
sent out some years since on an expedition across the Rocky 
Mountains to Oregon for the purpose of collecting the seeds 
of hardy trees and plants. This is now generally known as the 
“Oregon Expedition.” I bargained that if any birds were 
procured they should be sent to me, and among other interest- 
ing birds Jeffreys sent a specimen of a grouse exactly corre- 
sponding with Swainson’s figure above quoted., It is altogether 
a distinct and darker-coloured bird, and is at once distinguished 
by its broad tail, square at the end and entirely black, with- 
out any terminal cinereous band; the feathers individually 
broaden towards the tips, and give it a more than usual 
broad and ample appearance. It was found in the vicinity of 
Jasper’s House, lat. 53° 20’. It does not agree with any of 
the birds described by the late David Douglass, procured in 
his excursion across the Rocky Mountains, and I cannot find 
the specimen from which Mr Swainson drew his figure ; but 
being quite distinct from the T. obscurus of Say, I have 
applied the specific name of melanurus. 

In regard to the northern gulls, it was remarked that there 
were two birds supposed to be confounded under the common 
name of Larus eburneus, or Ivory Gull, and it is uncertain 

VOL. 1. H 


58 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


to which of these the few specimens recorded as killed in 
Great Britain belong. These gulls are very closely allied, and 
yet require careful comparison. The one is Pagophila eburnea 
(Phipps), (Voyage to North Pole, 1773); the other Pagophila 
brachytarsus (Halboll), (in Bruck’s Paper, Cab. Journ. fur 
Ornith., 1855, p. 287). The latter is distinguished by its 
smaller size, greater comparative length of wing, short tarsi, 
and darker bill, tipped with bronze. My principal reason for 
alluding to these is, that a beautiful specimen of the latter form 
was shot a few years since in Caithness by Mr Shearer, and 
is now in my possession (vide Proceedings of Royal Physical 
Society, vol. i. p. 4). At the time I considered it as the old 
P. eburnea, but I find it now belonging to the long-winged 
form, and as such the first recorded in this country. 

The thanks of the Society were voted to Sir William Jar- 
dine for his valuable communication. 


III. Notices of the Hen Pheasant assuming Male Plumage, with an 
Exhibition of the Diseased Ovaries. (Various Specimens were ex- 
hibited.) By Joun Auzex. Smiru, M.D. 

The bird, with the preparation of its diseased ovaries, which 

I shall first notice, were brought for exhibition from the 

Anatomical Museum of the University. It was presented to 

the Museum by Captain J. W. P. Orde of Kilmory, Argyll- 

shire, in which neighbourhood it was shot, and displayed the 
characters of the male, especially in the plumage of the head 
and neck. The injected preparation of the carefully dissected 
ovaries showed the atrophied state considered to be the com- 
mon accompaniment of this assumption of the male plumage, 
but which is also said to be dependent on age. Mr Small, 
bird-stuffer, George Street, sent for exhibition another of these 
well-known varieties. In this instance the male plumage was 
more brilliant than in the last, and the ovaries which were ex- 
hibited showed a similar state of atrophy. This bird was the 
property of W. H. May, Esq., Wellwoodhouse, Muirkirk, 

Ayrshire. Mr Sanderson, bird-stuffer, George Street, had, 

at my request, sent another specimen of the hen pheasant 

assuming male plumage (now exhibited), which, in addition 
to the plumage, showed also the red warty cheeks of the male, 


“STATE TW. 


Vol. ZZ. 


MMO De pee” : 

CE Ae Ae i a 

MNS CLES a) ST TT 
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CSS SEE 
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LD Stroll Wrighhs etched on/ stone/, 


British Zoophytes . : . 


3 


Observations on British Zoophytes. 59 


but the legs were slender, and, as in all the other instances, 
wanted the spurs of the male. This bird, however, had the 
peculiarity of its ovaries being perfectly healthy, showing as 
they did numerous ova; the mass developed were as large as 
barley, and a few nearly the size of peas. The other viscera 
appeared healthy. The bird belonged to the Bohemian or 
light-coloured variety of the pheasant. It would be of some 
interest, for the sake of comparison, that the period of the year 
should be stated when birds of this kind are examined ;- this 
one, from Peeblesshire (owing to the peculiarity of its plumage), 
was shot in the beginning of April. A very fine specimen of 
the true Phasianus torquatus, Tem., was also exhibited; it is 
the Chinese original, with the Phasianus colchicus, of our 
common ring-necked varieties, and is seldom seen in so pure 
and distinctive a state of plumage. The bird was the property 
of Mr W. H. May, Muirkirk, in which neighbourhood I be- 
lieve it was killed. 

Captain Orde stated he had examined other specimens of 
these so-called mule-birds; in one he found the ovaries en- 
larged by a tumour or abscess,—another diseased state. 


IV. Observations on British Zoophytes. (1.) Coryne implexa (Alder). 
(2.) Coryne (margarica, mihi) implewa (Alder). (8.) Bimeria vestita 
(4.) Garveia nutans. By T. Strersaitn Waicut, M.D., &c. 

Descriptions of Plates. 
PuatTe III. 

Fig. 4. Bimeria vestita; a, single tentacle, the clothed portion studded with 

parasitic Alge. 

- Garveia nutans. 

. Coryne implexa. 7. Thread-cells of do. 


Ou 


for) 


PLATE IV. 
Fig. 1. Goodsirea mirabilis. 2. Thread-cells of do. 
3. Marginal tubercle, with its two tentacles. 
4, Young of Cydippe. 
5. Hudendrium arbuscula, stalked cluster of double spermatic sacs. 
6. Section of double spermatic sac—qa, tubercle containing, ¢, barbed 
thread-cells. 


7. Psuchastes glacialis. 
1. Coryne implexa (Alder). 
Under the title of Tubularia implexa, my friend Mr Alder 
has described a zoophyte discovered by Mr R. Howse in 40 


60 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


fathoms water, 30 miles from Holy Island. Mr Alder’s de- 
scription of it is as follows :—“ Tubularia impleaa.—Tubes 
small, very slender, generally more or less contorted below, 
smooth, wrinkled or regularly annulated beneath a smooth 
transparent epidermis ; slightly and subunilaterally branched ; 
the branches going off nearly at right angles to the stem, and 
a little constricted at their base; gregarious, forming a densely- 
tangled mass of half to three-quarters of an inch in height. 

The polyp of this zoophyte had not been observed, for which 
reason Mr Alder considered that its claim to a place in the 
genus Tubularia could not be fixed very decidedly. Its most 
remarkable feature is the structure of the corallum or polypi- 
dom, which is divided into two coats, as in Plate IIL, fig. 6; a 
structure hitherto observed only in one other species, the Cam- 
panularia caliculata of Hincks. Mr Alder kindly sent me a 
specimen of his Tubularia implexa, which, after a careful ex- 
amination I concluded to be, not a Tubularia, but a Coryne; and 
I wrote to Mr Alder to that effect. Fortunately, although the 
specimen was destitute of polyps, portions of the polypary or 
coenosare still remained, and I found in its tissues two kinds of 
thread-cells, the one oval, and containinga barbed dart (fig. 7,a), 
the other cylindrical, with almost truncated extremities, in 
which the thread was not conspicuous. (6), The first of these 
resembled very closely the oval, barbed thread-cells of Coryne 
decipiens; while the second, although much larger, evidently 
corresponded to the long, slender thread-cells found on the body 
within the corallum, and especially in the tips of the growing 
shoots of the last named zoophyte. 

The internal layer of the corallum is brown and of horny 
texture; the external coat colourless and membranous. The 
first is frequently annulated ; the second not so, but is occa- 
sionally gathered in longitudinal folds. I am disposed to 
think that this coat is the “ colletoderm,” or glutinous cover- 
ing of the corallum (in this species highly developed and in- 
durated), separated from the inner coat by the action of the 
spirit in which the specimen was immersed. In all the 
Corynes I have examined, this “.colletoderm ”’ forms a thick 
layer over the corallum, especially in the neighbourhood of 


the polyp. 


Observations on Lritish Zoophytes. 61 


In September last, 1 found on Inch Garvie the beautiful 
large Coryne which I place on the table this evening ; one of 
the polyps being shown at Plate IIL., fig. 6. 


2. Coryne (margarica, mihi) inplexa (Alder). 


Corallum branched or creeping; composed of two coats, the inner coat 
horny, annulated at intervals; the outer coat membranous, smooth, longitu- 
dinally folded near the polyps. Body of the polyp cylindrical, much elongated ; 
summit truncated, very transparent, of a pearly white colour; mouth sur- 
rounded by a dense white ring. Tentacles small and slender, very numerous. 
Thread-cells on tentacles oval, barbed ; on the body of polyp, long, cylindrical. 
Both kinds of thread-cells within the corallum. 


This zoophyte, as to its polypary, bears a close resemblance 
to the Tubularia implewxa of Alder, and I have little doubt is 
identical with it; in which case Tubularia implexa is, as I 
suspected, a Coryne. It has the same double structure in the 
tube of the corallum, and the thread-cells, both in form and size, 
are identical. The polyp of the species is distinguished from 
all others of its genus which have come under my notice by 
the extreme transparency of its tissues, and the small size of 
its tentacles ; in which last particular itresembles the Coryne 
pelagica of Alder, and even approaches Myriothela artica. 
The thread-cells on the tip of the capitate tentacle are of 
very small size, as in Myriothela, with the exception of one, or 
sometimes two, of the large cells which are found in the same 
situation in other species of Coryne. 


3. Bimeria vestita. (Plate II., fig. 4.) 


Polypary minute, very slender, branched, smooth, or wrinkled near the divi- 
ion of the branches, enclosed in a transparent horny corallum; polyps vase- 
haped, destitute of proboscis; tentacles slender, alternate, as in Hudendrium ; 

coralium, body, mouth, and lower half of each of tentacles of polyp clothed in 
an opaque brown membrane; thread-cells inconspicuous. 


This remarkable zoophyte first occurred to me on the Bimer 
Rock, near North Queensferry, in August last, and afterwards 
to Dr M‘Bain and myself on Inch Garvie. It differs from all 
zoophytes hitherto described in being completely clothed—as 
the corallum, the bodies of its. polyps, and part of their ten- 
tacles—in a thick, soft membrane, which appears to be formed 


62 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


of the glutinous “colletoderm ” thickened by fine mud. The 
tentacles were frequently united together in pairs by the same 
substance. The unclothed half only of the tentacles was 
furnished with thread-cells. The bodies and clothed part of 
the tentacles were frequently studded with minute crimson 
Algz (fig. 4, a), which in some cases almost concealed the 
polyps, but did not seem to exercise any deleterious influence 
on their health. 

The male reproductive apparatus consisted of an ovate pe- 
dicled ectodermal sac (fig. 4, b), inclosing a linear unbranched 
process of the endoderm, asin Hydractinia, the whole enclosed 
by the horny corallum with its muddy covering. The female 
reproductive system was not discovered. 


4, Garveia nutans, (Plate IIL, fig. 5.) 


Polypary enclosed in smooth or slightly-wrinkled corallum, creeping or 
forming a stem of many agglutinated tubes from which the polyp stems diverge 
as branches; polyps not retractile within the corallam, decumbent when con- 
tracted; tentacles about ten, thick, in a single row, not alternate; mouth not 
trumpet-shaped; colour of polyp vermilion and yellow; thread-cells incon- 
spicuous, 


This zoophyte, which occurs on Inch Garvie, is conspicuous 
for the singular colour of its polyps; the ectoderm being of 
a fine transparent yellow, the endoderm vermilion. Conse- 
quently the tentacles are yellow, while the body of the polyp 
is red. When irritated, as by being removed from the water 
and re-immersed, the zoophyte bends all its polyps downwards, 
like flowers drooping on their stalks. 

The reproductive capsules (female), which I have ants seen 
in @ specimen after immersion in spirits, arise from the creep- 
ing polypary or the compound stem, and resemble in their ex- 
ternal characters the female capsule of Hudendrium rameum. 

This zoophyte was at first mistaken by me for an Huden- 
drium, but it differs from the latter genus in the following par- 
ticulars:—In Garveia the body of the polyp is fusiform ; in 
Kudendrium globular, with a trumpet-shaped expansible pro- 
boscis. In Garveia the tentacles are arranged in a single row; 
in Hudendrium also in a single row, but each alternate ten- 
tacle is elevated or depressed, so that they appear to be dis- 


On Peculiar Forms of Spines in Star-Fishes. 63 


posed in two rows. In Eudendrium the body of the polyp is 
studded by very large thread-cells ; in Garveia these thread- 
cells are absent. 


V. On some Peculiar Forms of Spines on two Species of Star-Fishes 
(Gen. Ophiocoma). (Drawings were exhibited.) By Cuartes W. 
Pzacu, Esq., Wick. 


During my residence at Peterhead, I met with a very delicate Ophio- 
coma,—probably O. neglecta,—which I was very desirous of naming. 
For this purpose I placed it alive in sea-water under the microscope, and 
found that one of the spines had a notch of some width running down 
the whole length of it; this, I thought, had been caused by accident. 
On farther examination, I found that each lower spine had a similar 
opening ;—the edges of the openings serrated, the whole covered with 
short pointed protuberances. I also saw the pinnated cirrhus protruded, 
as at A, fig. 1, of the sketch exhibited. Not finding this notch 
mentioned by Forbes, or any other writer on star-fishes, I have been 
led to examine others, and have been rewarded by finding on the brittle 
star, Ophiocoma rosula of Forbes, in addition to the “beautiful long 
tapering rough spine,” which, he said, ‘“‘might serve as a model for the 
spire of a cathedral,’ on the under side of each row a jaw-like hooked 
one furnished with teeth (sketch No. 2); they are transparent, and 
formed of the same material as the other spines. These jaw-like spines 
extend the whole length of the rays, and are arranged (as at fig. 2, 
where the tip and two of the under sides of the ray-plates are repre- 
sented) with the spines and cirrhi. Two of the straight spines of each 
group have also hooks on their tips, directed, as are the teeth of the 
jaw-like ones, towards the disk. No. 3 is a side-view of a jaw-like 
spine. I have seen these jaw-like spines on specimens in all stages 
of growth, some not one-fourth of an inch over. There are many other 
things as well as these spines that I might call your attention to, would 
time permit. When describing Ophiocoma Goodsiri, Forbes mentions 
“« difficulties connected with the tracing of the connection between species 
and species ;” and though he found in O. Goodsiri “ a beautiful link be- 
tween the scaly and plated brittle stars,” he farther says, ‘‘ Before I saw 
this species, I had some doubts as to the propriety of retaining these two 
variations of character in the one genus, and suspected that Ophiocoma 
rosula might be the type of a separate group.”” Had he seen these jaw- 
like spines, he would, I think, have separated it, especially as at page 
20 he farther says,—‘‘ the sources of specific character are derived from 
the spines of the body and arms.” In his work, the only hooked spines 
mentioned are those found on Comatula rosacea, and the pick-like one 
on Ophiocoma jfiliformis. Dr Carpenter, in his work, ‘‘ The Microscope 
and its Revelations,’ at page 559, gives a sketch of the hooked spine of 
the Kuryale ; and now, in all probability, the true connection between it 
and Ophiocoma rosula will be better seen. These observations were 
made on specimens found at Peterhead and Wick, N.B. I have since 
had Ophiocoma rosula from Mr King of Torquay, Devonshire. Dr 
Dickie of Belfast has also kindly sent me it from Ireland. All show 


64 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the hooked spine, and other characters, as those from Scotland. Dr 
Dickie added to his kindness by forwarding part of an arm, marked 
Ophiocoma minuta, by the late Mr Thompson, and which formed part 
of that lamented gentleman’s collection, and on this I find similar hooked 
spines of both sorts; and if this (O. minuta) is a good species, I have 
several specimens from Peterhead and Wick, and thus have another 
addition to our list. Should Ophiocoma rosula be found without these 
jaw-like spines, the one now described will be, if nothing else, a new 
species. The following reasons have induced me to lay these imperfect 
observations before you— First, to ask those who have time and oppor- 
tunity, and are placed in good localities, to work out the history of these 
spinigrade animals; for we want, in addition to the beautiful figures given 
by the lamented Forbes, each species figured with dissected sections of 
spines, body, and ray plates, &c, These new characters may lead to other 
discoveries, and a standard be arrived at by which genera and species 
may be satisfactorily made out much better than at present. Second, 
When I had the pleasure of accompanying Sir Roderick Murchison, the 
past summer, on his geological tour, he told me that some one had 
figured and described certain minute fossils found in Silurian rocks as 
jaws of animals, and which he (Sir Roderick) thought were portions of star- 
fishes. I sketched one of the jaw-like forms I had met with in Ophio- 
coma rosula—this, he thought, resembled in some measure the sup- 
posed jaws taken from the Silurian rocks. Should this be the case, by 
giving publicity to this discovery I hope to do good both to Zoology 
and Geology. 


VI. Notice of the Uxeam, a large species (probably new) of Sting Ray 
(Trygon, Cuv.), found in the Old Calabar Rwer, Africa. (Two 
young specimens were exhibited.) By Joun ALExanDER Smita, M.D. 


The Ukpam is the native African name of a species of Ray 
which is found in the rivers of Old Calabar, on the west coast 
of tropical Africa. ‘This fish appears to grow to a great size, 
and specimens have been taken which measured 4 feet across, 
and about the same length from the snout to the insertion of 
the tail, and 10 feet in length to the point of the tail. A 
full-grown individual is described as being quite a heavy 
enough load for four men to carry from the river side. li 
occurs in considerable abundance in the Old Calabar River, 
and is much sought after by the natives, who consider its 
flesh as a great delicacy, and capture the fish by striking it 
through with a barbed spear, while lying partially concealed 
in the sand or mud in the bed of the river. It has been 
taken near the bar, at the mouth of the river, where the water 
of course is salt, and also up the river as high as Uwet and 


: 


Notice of the Ukpam. a5) 


Umon, which are about 150 miles from the bar, and where, 
although the river still rises and falls with the tide, from there 
being always a strong downward current, the water is perfectly 
fresh, and never even brackish. The two young specimens 
now on the table were sent home some time since by Mr 
Archibald Hewan, surgeon to the Old Calabar Mission of the 
United Presbyterian Church, to the members of which mission 
the Society has been again and again indebted for various 
interesting additions to the knowledge of the zoology of 
Western Africa. The natives have a curious theory that 
these young fish, somewhat after the manner of the young of 
the marsupial animals, take shelter in the maternal organs, 
which they leave or enter at pleasure, until they are old enough 
and strong enough to take care of their personal safety. Mr 
Hewan, however, says that one of the natives, who prides him- 
self on his skill in capturing this rather formidable creature, 
denies this statement altogether; so that, probably the pain 
of being struck through with a spear at its capture, causing in 
some instances the expulsion of the nearly mature young, may 
have given rise to this idea (should it turn out to be false) ; 
which, however, is generally believed among the natives. Mr 
Hewan has promised to give some attention to the subject, so 
that we may hope to be favoured with more information before 
long. 

The specimens exhibited, Mr Hewan says, are very young. 
He was asked to go down to the river side, where a native had 
in his canoe a large male and female Ukpam he had just cap- 
tured. These fishes measured about 4 feet across; and while 
Mr Hewan was standing near the canoe, “the native was 
searching the body of the female, because he did not see the 
young ones (the specimens now exhibited) in the canoe 
where he had left them. He had not searched the canoe 
thoroughly, and so, not finding them in the oviduct, he re- 
peated his search in the canoe, and there they were lying. 
His searching the body was strong presumptive evidence that 
he had found them there before; but that they returned there 
seems only a theory, unless the native’s word be taken.” Mr 
Hewan states these fish were alive and active when he got 
them; and, as far as we can judge by their appearance, they 

VOL. I, I 


66 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


must both have been but recently ushered into the world. 
If the native theory is correct, the Ukpam would appear 
therefore to be viviparous, its young being hatched in the 
oviduct prior to expulsion—and to have two young ones, or, 
at least, the birth of one young one must very rapidly succeed 
the other; as I am unable to detect any difference of age, ex- 
cept in the rather greater size and bulk of one of the speci- 
mens, which, however, appear to resemble one another very 
closely in all respects. 

These young specimens of the Ukpam are of a uniformly 
rounded outline, rather longer than broad, and diminish a 
little in breadth, towards the long whip-like tail; one mea- 
sures from the slightly projecting snout to the extremity of 
the tail 404 inches ; the other is about one inch shorter; the 
body of the larger one measures 114 inches to the extremity 
of the inner lobe of the ventral fins. The tail itself is 30 
inches in length. The fish is about 103 inches in its greatest 
breadth a little in front of the middle, the smaller one 
measuring about 10 inches; the pectoral fins surround the 
head, and are produced in front in the mesial line about } of 
an inch: from this point, to the large and very prominent 
eyes, 1t measures 24 inches; and the eyes are 2 inches apart. 
The upper eyelid has a rounded adnate projection There isa 
large round-shaped fossa on each side, immediately behind and 
below the eyes, of an inch in length by about an inch in breadth, 
across the back part of which are the large temporal openings 
or blow-holes. The body above is full and thick, rising up 
from the disc at about 2 inches from the snout, and forming 
an oval rounded projection slightly contracted in the middle, 
which is surrounded by the flattened and thin margins of the 
pectoral fins; this raised and projecting part of the body 
measures about 8 inches long, by 5 across the abdomen. The 
pectoral fins are rounded along the margins of the fish, and 
posteriorly they are deeply rounded at their termination about 
4 an inch from the insertion of the tail; and, with the ven- 
trals, complete the general broadly ovate character of the fish. 
The ventrals are undivided posteriorly ; a thickish rounded 
lobe forms the inner margin of the fin, and projects beyond it 
+ of an inchs these lobes are present in both of the specimens, 


Notice of the Ukpam. 67 


and form, probably, the claspers of the male fish; the two fins 
are connected together by a frenum behind the anal openings. 
The rounded posterior edge of the ventral fin measures about 
24 inches across, and the root of the fin 1 inch across. 

There is a general rough, granular appearance over the upper 
surface of the body, which is now of a muddy yellowish brown 
colour, and this granular appearance diminishes towards the 
sides as you approach the pectoral fins, which are smooth 
above. The granules are larger and more distinct, and become 
circular in shape, as you approach the mesial line of the fish, 
which from the posterior half of the body gives indications 
of larger circular plates or shields, these become still larger as 
you approach the base of the tail, and cease in the mesial line 
a little beyond it, within an inch or so from the insertion of 
the spine. Beyond this, again, a smaller double range of oval- 
shaped obliquely-placed bony scales or granules can be traced 
for a considerable distance along the sides of the slender tail ; 
an indication, apparently, that as the fish increases in size 
with age, there will be a greatly increased development of 
these bony spines and shields on the back and tail. About 
33 inches from the insertion of the tail you find a firm bony 
moveable spine inserted into the middle line of its upper 
surface, corresponding to the barbed spine of the sting Rays ; 
it is about an inch in length, and is ths of an inch in 
breadth, but has no barbs on its sides, being smooth and 
edged with membrane, and terminates in a rounded and 
flattened button-like extremity, rather more than } of an 
inch in length. The sword in this instance is covered by a 
scabbard; what change age may make on it I am of course 
unable at present to say. Mr Hewan has promised to send 
the tails and jaws of adult individuals of both sexes for exami- 
nation ; so that I hope to be able at another opportunity to 
enter more fully into a description of its adult characters. 

The under surface of the fish is lhghter in colour and 
smooth ; the slightly arched mouth is about 24 inches from 
the extremity of the snout, and measures ,%ths of an inch in 
width; its jaws are covered with alternate rows of small 
rounded or oval-shaped teeth with transverse markings, closely 
set together. Behind the teeth of the upper jaw there is a 
deep fringed velum, and a shallower smooth-edged velum lies 


68 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


behind the teeth of the lower jaw, five small warty-like papille 
projecting behind it into the mouth. In front of the mouth 
you have the free transverse slightly-fringed margin of the un- 
divided nasal membrane, with its frenum in the mesian line, 
attaching it to the upper jaw; it is also free at its outer margins 
(leaving an obliquely placed nasal opening on each side), and 
thus forms altogether a double flap, which covers the large trans- 
versely placed nasal organs. About 14 inch behind the mouth, 
the double row of spiracles or gill openings, five in number 
on each side, run backwards in a curved direction; and about 
4 an inch behind them, but in the mesial line, at the forepart 
of the abdomen, you find a small projecting body which mea- 
sures ;8,ths of an inch in length by }th of an inch in breadth ; 
it is 3,2,ths inches distant from the mouth, and from it to the 
anal opening measures 4 inches; it appears to be the last re- 
mains of the now all but absorbed vitellus or yolk of the egg, 
the umbilical bag which nourished the fish in its younger 
stage of existence. The whole length of the fish along its 
under surface is, from the snout to the middle of the anal 
opening, 10 inches, and from the anal opening to the extre- 
mity of its slender and pointed tail 30 inches. 

The tail is rounded above; it measures about an inch in 
breadth at its insertion to the body, and tapers to a minute 
point. Nearly opposite the insertion of the spine above, there 
begins on the under surface a narrow fin without rays, which 
projects about one-tenth of an inch, and runs with a low and 
free margin for about 34 inches down the grooved under-surface 
of the tail. 

As this fish advances in age, its body and tail are described 
as becoming very rough and spiny above, and, in some 
instances, the tail is said to become comparatively short, at 
least in the old male. The fish is described as using its tail 
as a weapon of defence, striking its enemies with this for- 
midable weapon, and inflicting severe and even dangerous 
wounds. It is stated to feed on small eels, which are abun- 
dant in the mud of the river’s bed. 

It is with much diffidence I have ventured to lay before the 
Society a notice of this African fish. It belongs to the Sus- 
amity of the Trygonine ; and if the peculiarity of the 
spine or spur on the tail is a character of any importance, 


Notice of the Passer montanus, the Tree Sparrow. 69 


and not merely distinctive of an immature fish, it seems to 
occupy a middle position between the Genus Urogymnus of 
Gray—“ Tail without a spine ;” and the GENus Trygon—* Tail 
with one or more serrated spines ;” as having ‘“‘ Tail with spine 
bordered and tipped with membrane ;” otherwise I am inclined 
to place this fish under the Genus [Hemitrygon of Muller 
and Henle, which is distinguished by having a “tail with a 
hem-lke fin on the under side only.” In the British Museum 
Catalogue of 1851 there are only two species given under this 
genus, one from the Chinese Seas, and the other from the 
Adriatic ; so that this large species may possibly not have been 
previously described; and I would accordingly, while waiting 
for more information on the subject, give it the provisional name 
of Hemitrygon Ukpam. Ihave presented one of the specimens 
of this fish to the Natural History Museum of the University. 

Sir Wilham Jardine said, the account given by the natives 
of the young fish entering the maternal organs was very inte- 
resting ; the Rays were considered the analogues of the Mar- 
SUPIATA among animals, and it would be very curious indeed 
should a peculiarity of this kind be common to both. The 
thanks of the Society were voted to Mr Archibald Hewan, Old 
Calabar, for his kindness in forwarding to this country the 
specimens of the Ukpam. 


(2.) Nolice of the Passer montanus, the Tree Sparrow, shot near 
Dunbar. By Joun Atexanper Smitu, M.D. 

The Passer montanus, the Tree Sparrow (exhibited), was 
shot at Pitcox, near Dunbar, by Dr C. Nelson, and was 
the first specimen he had seen killed in Scotland. It is 
distinguished from the common sparrow by its smaller size, 
by the chestnut colour of the top of the head, which is also 
more divided from the colours of the back, by the sides of the 
neck being white, by a distinctly-defined black spot on each 
cheek, and by two white stripes on the wing, there being only 
one in the common sparrow. Our books on ornithology state 
generally that this bird hag never been observed in Scotland. 
From its considerable resemblance, however, to the common 
sparrow, it might be easily overlooked. Mr Keddie, assistant 
to Mr Sanderson of George Street, informed me he had seeu 
specimens of this bird, some five or six years ago, frequenting 


70 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


several large Scots firs near Mitchells, a hamlet not far from 
Leuchars, in Fife. The following extract from Dr Nelson’s 
letter gives some interesting details :— 

“The first time I saw this species alive was in Lancashire, 
about 10 years ago, when waiting for hawks, &c., at dusk, in 
a small plantation more than a mile from any house. For 
several nights I had observed eight or ten birds take up their 
abode under an old magpie’s nest, and their call being some- 
thing new to me, I sent some dust-shot at the nest, and down 
came three of this lively little finch—the first I had ever seen 
in the flesh. I saw nothing more of the species till about four 
years ago, when I killed a pair at my brother’s at Castleton, 
near to Tantallon Castle. I expected to find them nesting in 
the ivy which “ braves the blast” on several points of that old 
ruin; but although I looked anxiously for them dozens of 
times, I never saw any but the common species. The speci- 
men sent I killed with an air-cane about two months since. 
A colony of about a dozen has taken up their habitat in a 
wood about a hundred yards from my house, and for many 
weeks have come to feed under my windows, in company with 
the chaffinch and greenfinch. While-I am writing this, my 
little favourites are within four yards of the window; and I 
can count as many as five—all males—one evidently an old 
cock, from his bright plumage. In and about my farm stead- 
ing, which is not far from the house, the common species, 
Passer domesticus, is in hundreds; but I have never once 
seen P. montanus mixing with them. It would seem that he 
looked upon his plebeian brother with contempt, preferring 
the company of the bright liveried spink and the spring-tinted 
chloris. The food seems to be the seeds of several of our 
common weeds, and they will battle, and successfully, too, 
with the more robust greenfinch, should he trespass on their 
feeding-ground.” 


Wednesday, February 23, 1859.—Anprew Murray, Esq., President, 
in the Chair. 
The following Donations to the Library were laid on the table :— 


1. Ruminantia (from the Cyclopedia of Anatomy and Physiology.) 
sy ‘I’. Spencer Cobbold, M.D. 2. Observations on Entozoa, with notices 


On some Fossil Bovine Remains found in Britain. 71 


of several new species, &e. By T. Spencer Cobbold, M.D —From the 
Author. 1. Physikalske Meddelelser af Dr Christopher Hansteen. Chris- 
tiania, 1858. 2. Inversio Vesicee Urinarie og Luxationes femorum 
congenite. Af Lektor Voss. Christiania, 1857. 3. Forhandlinger ved 
de Skandinaviske Naturforskeres, Christiania. 2 vols. 1847-1°57.— 
From the Royal University of Christiania. Proceedings of the Literary 
and Philosophical Society of Liverpool, No. 12., 1857-1858.— From 
the Society. The Canadian Journal of Industry, Science, and Art, 
new series. No. 18. November 1858.—From the Canadian Institute, 
Toronto. ‘Transactions of the Botanical Society, vol. vi., part i., 1857— 
1858 —From the Botanical Society, Edinburgh. 


The following communications were read :— 


I. On some Fossil Bovine remains found in Britain. By Wma. Turner, 
M.B., London; Demonstrator of Anatomy, University of Edinburgh. 


The Fossil remains which I am about to bring before the 
notice of the Society this evening belong to the Bovine 
Family of the order Ruminantia. ‘They have been collected 
from various localities, and have been placed at my disposal 
for purposes cf description by several friends to whose care 
their preservation is due, and to whom I must confess my 
acknowledgments for permission to make use of them on this 
occasion. 

The largest and most characteristic of these Fossil Bones 
are from the Anatomical Museum of the University of Kdin- 
burgh, where they have formed a part of the osseus collection 
for upwards of forty years. No description of them has ever 
been put on record. I have, through the kindness of Professor 
Goodsir, an opportunity of describing them to the Society this 
evening. These bones consist of two crania, a femur, scapula, 
humerus, the second cervical vertebra, a rib, and the left horn. 
core with a small portion of the frontal bone. Unfortunately 
no account either of the locality in which they were obtained, 
or of the deposit in which they were found lying, has been 
preserved; and, from the length of time which has elapsed 
since they were discovered, it is almost hopeless to expect that 
any accurate information respecting these important and inte- 
resting particulars will ever be obtained. If one might form 
an opinion, however, respecting the nature of the deposit in 
which they had been imbedded, by the deep brown colour of 


72 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the outer surface of all these bones, with the exception of the 
larger cranium, one would be led to suppose that they had 
reposed for a lengthened series of years cither in close contact 
with a peaty soil, or in water deeply impregnated with organic 
matter. 
_ The two crania present all the characters which belong to 
that great fossil ox which has been described by Bojanus and 
Owen by the name of Bos primigenius. These are especially 
the great length and peculiar curvature of the horn-cores, their 
origin, from the extremities of the ridge which separates the 
frontal from the occipital portions of the cranium,.and the 
slightly concave forehead with which the plane of the occiput 
forms an acute angle; characters which were first specifically 
laid down by Cuvier,* and which enable the anatomist to 
distinguish the cranium of the Bos from that of the Aurochs, 
with which, at the first glance, it might be confounded. Both 
the crania have evidently belonged to fully formed animals, 
probably, indeed, advanced in years ; for the sutures are almost 
without exception obliterated by ossification, and the two last 
posterior molars which remain on the left side of the upper 
maxilla of the best preserved skull are very much worn. 
These are the only teeth which have been preserved; portions 
of the fangs of one of the other molars are still present, how- 
ever, in their sockets. In this skuil, all the bones of the 
cranium, as well as those of the face, with the exception of the 
lower jaw, are in an almost perfect condition. The other 
cranium is not in so good a state, for all the facial bones have 
been broken away, and the base of the skull 1s very much 
injured ; the ends of the horn-cores have also been broken off, 
so that their original length cannot be ascertained. In both 
crania the horn-cores are tuberculated at the base, and marked 
with long grooves on the surface. These characters are also 
seen in the single detached horn-core. Both crania exhibit 
corresponding dimensions in their several parts, so far as they 
are present in the two specimens, so that one must suppose 
that the animals to which they belonged were of equal size in 
most particulars. I subjoin some of the principal measure- 
ments, contrasting them at the same time with those of “the 


* Menagerie du Museum d’Hist. Nat. Art. du Zebu; Ossimens Fossiles, t. iv. 
p. 109. 


On some Fossil Bovine Remains found in Britain. 73 


magnificient specimen of an entire skull from near Athol, 
Perthshire, now in the British Museum.’’* 


British Museum. E. U. Museum. 


Inches. Inches. 
Length of Skull, p . 386 26 
Breadth of Forehead between hoe a yelOx 93 
Breadth of Occipital Condyles, 6 6 
Length of series of Upper Molar Teeth, 63 63 


Whilst the skulls agree pretty closely in several of their 
measurements, there appears to be a considerable difference 
between them as regards their length. Professor Owen does 
not state what were the extreme points between which he 
measured. In the most perfect of the two crania in the Kdin- 
burgh University Museum, the length of which is above given, 
the line was drawn from the frontal ridge between the horn- 
cores to the tip of the intermaxillary bone. If the line be ex- 
tended backwards, however, as far as the occipital foramen, 
the measurement is increased to 33% inches. The span be- 
tween the tips of the horn-cores is thirty inches, and the cir- 
cumference of the cores at the base 15 inches; between the 
orbits the skull measures 12 inches. 

If, as may very reasonably be conjectured, these crania were 
found in Scotland, they add another to the many previously 
existing examples of the existence of this large Bos in this 
country. In addition to the instance already quoted from 
Professor Owen’s work, Dr Fleming} has recorded instances of 
the existence of large bovine crania in the marl-pits of Scot- 
land, “ exhibiting dimensions superior to those of the largest 
domesticated breed.”” These, however, he refers to the Bos 
taurus. I have had an opportunity of seeing the cranium par- 
ticularly referred to by Dr Fleming. It is a remarkably fine 
example of the Bos primigenius, the teeth, especially, being 
well preserved. It is now in the Museum of the Free Church 
College. In the Museum of the College of Surgeons in this 
city is a well-marked specimen of the cranium of this animal. 
In the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries there are three 
erania, two of which are in very good condition, they were 

* Owen—‘ History of British Fossil Mammals and Birds,” p. 501. 
{7 History of British Animals, p. 24. 
VOL, I, K 


74 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


obtained in the southern counties of Scotland. Dr J. A. 
Smith informs me that about forty years ago many crania 
were discovered in these counties by the diggers for marl. 

Mr Parkinson also, in his “ Organic Remains,”* states that 
he has in his possession specimens of Bovine Fossils obtained 
in Dumfriesshire. Professor Owen is of opinion that the Bos 
primigenius ‘ maintained its ground longest in Scotland before 
its final extinction.”? This opinion is founded on the very 
recent character of the osseous substance. 

It is probable that the femur, scapula, humerus, rib, and 
vertebra, were found in the same deposit, and along with the 
least perfect of the above-described crania; for they present 
in their deep brown colour corresponding appearances exter- 
nally. If such is the case, we shall be justified in regarding 
them as bones belonging to the Bos primigenius. On con- 
trasting them with the corresponding bones of the modern 
Bos inhabiting this country, I find that they present the 
same anatomical characters, only on a much larger scale, on 
account of their greater size, This is seen especially in the 
spines, trochanters, tuberosities, and other ridges and promi- 
nences for the attachment of muscles and ligaments, which 
are all developed in an exaggerated form, and indicate most 
prominently what the great muscular development of the 
animal must have been. These bones are all in an admirable 
state of preservation, the osseous characters being distinctly 
marked, and the various articular surfaces smooth, and pre- 
senting their divisions into distinct facets as clearly as in the 
recent bones. As a means of arriving at a proper estimate of 
the great size of these bones when contrasted with those of 
the common ox, I subjoin certain comparative measurements 
which I have made, premising that the bones of the common 
ox which I have taken, although obtained from a young speci- 
men in which the epiphyses are only partially united to the 
shafts by ossification, have yet, from their size, evidently be- 
longed to an animal of a large breed. The fossil bones, on 
the other hand, have all belonged to an adult animal, for the 
epiphyses are completely ossified to the shafts. 


* Vol, iii. 


On some Fossil Bovine Remains found in Britain. 75 


? Fossil. Existing, 
Right Femur. Inches. Inches. 
Extreme length, : 203. 17. 
Circumference of middle of shaft, Wt 53. 
Diameter across condyles posteriorly, 6 4.3 
Greatest diameter of upper end of bone, 7 6 
Left Scapula. 
Extreme length, : 19 154 
Extreme breadth, . é : 104 91 
Length of spine, .. i 15 13 
Longest diameter of glenoid fossa, : 34 23 
Right Humerus. 
Iixtreme length, , 174 13 
Fossil. Existing. 
Right Humerus. Tnchés: eee 
Circumference of middle of shaft, . 9 
Breadth across condyles, . 4 a4 
Greatest diameter of articular surface of head, 5 = 


The rib is most probably the seventh on the right side. Its 
length is 28 inches, and its greatest breadth 23 inches. 
The vertebra 1s the second cervical or axis. 


Inches. 
Tixtreme height, 
Extreme antero-posterior diameter, : 7 
Circumference of anterior ar ipiles surface, 14 


The bulky nature of the spine and other processes of this 
vertebra point to the great size of the head of the animal to 
which it belonged, and indicate a corresponding development 
of the muscles and ligamentous structures which must have 
been connected to it. 

From some further measurements that I have made, I have 
endeavoured to arrive at some estimate of the size of the entire 
skeleton of this great extinct Bos; this has been done by com- 
paring the length of certain of the bones of the common ox 
with the height of that animal’s skeleton, and then contrasting 
them with corresponding bones of the fossil animal now be- 
fore us; this comparison has led me to the conclusion, that 
the skeleton of the extinct animal must have stood nearly six 
feet in height at the shoulder. If we now imagine this skele- — 
ton clothed with a thick coating of powerful muscles and 
hairy integument, having appended to the anterior extremity 


76 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


of the spine an enormous head with a pair of large and widely 
curving horns, we may form some idea of the formidable ap- 
pearance that this extinct animal must have presented when, 
in the full vigour of its existence, it roamed unfettered through 
its native forests. | 

The other fossil remains, of which I have specimens, were 
found at different periods in the north-western division of the 
county of Lancaster. They were not obtained in the same 
locality, but at places several miles apart from each other ; 
some being found in the district of Pilling, in the immediate 
neighbourhood of the mouth of the river Wyre, others close to 
the town of Preston. From information with which I have 
been supplied, I think it probable that the stratum in which 
they were imbedded was of the same nature, consisting of sand 
and gravel, lying immediately beneath the peat. 

The specimens from Pilling consist of a large vertebra and 
- a tooth. They were transmitted to me by the Rev. J. D. 
Banister, the incumbent of that district, a gentleman who, for 
a long series of years, has paid great attention to the natural 
history of the locality, and who carefully preserves any object 
of interest which may fall in his path. I have been favoured 
by Mr Banister with the following particulars of the deposit 
in which they were found:—‘ Pilling Moss is an extensive 
post-tertiary fresh-water deposit, situated between the mouths 


of the rivers Wyre and Cocker. It forms the present coast- 


line between these rivers, and is bounded on the land side by 
an ancient sea-beach, distant, on an average, two miles from 
the present sea-beach. The surface consists for the most 
part of fine corn land, and beneath this the following layers 
may be observed :— 

“Ist, Grey bog moss, generally the growth of Sphagnum. 

‘2d, A darker and more solid bog, towards the bottom of 
which there is much wood. 

“3d, Carre, or original soil, in which are the roots of the 
trees of the ancient forest. In this numerous ancient im- 
plements have been found 23 feet deep. 

“4th, Clay, varying in thickness from two to six feet. 

‘Sih, Blue silt, or finely comminuted sand. 

‘It is in the last of these deposits that the bone and tooth 


— 


On some Fossil Bovine Remains found in Britain. 77 


were found. In different parts of the same layer numerous 
bones, horns, and teeth of the red deer have at various times 
been discovered.” 

The vertebra is the fifth cervical, and in its shapes and gene- 
ral anatomical characters, especially the concavo-convex na- 
ture of the articular surfaces of the centrum, and the foramina 
at the roots of the transverse processes, bears a closer resem- 
blance to the cervical vertebre of the larger members of the 
order Ruminantia than to those of any other mammalian order. 

Thinking, in the first instance, that it might belong to the 
Megaceros hibernicus, I made a close comparison between it 
and the fifth cervical vertebra of the skeleton of that animal 
preserved in the Natural History Museum of the University 
of Edinburgh. It differs, however, in several of its measure- 
ments, more especially in the antero-posterior diameter, in 
which it is considerably shorter. On the whole, it may be 
said to possess a much more elegant shape than the vertebre 
of the Megaceros. In its characters it corresponds much more 
closely to the fifth cervical vertebra of a bovine animal; and, 
from its size, it has probably belonged either to the Bos pri- 
migenius, or to the great fossil Aurochs, Bison priscus. In 
confirmation of this opinion, I have the high authority of 
Professor Owen, to whom I presented a cast of the vertebra 
some months ago. It may be interesting to contrast for a 
moment this vertebra with a human cervical vertebra, when 
the difference between the relative size of the neural canals 
and the bony processes is at once apparent, the neural canal 
of the fossil bone being very little larger than the correspond- 
ing canal in the human vertebra, whilst the processes of the 
former are many times larger than those of the latter. The 
circumference of the fossil, measuring it around the tips of 
the processes, is 265 inches. From the almost perfect state 
of the bone, it must have reposed quietly in the position in 
which it was found, and have been subjected there to very 
slight external influences. 

The tooth found in the same stratum, and in the immediate 
neighbourhood of the vertebra, is the last pre-molar of the 
right side of the upper jaw of a bovine animal, probably the 
Bos primigenius. It has three fangs. The inner surface of 


78 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the crown is convex, the outer concave and sinuous, the ex- 
tremities projecting into considerable points. A crescentic 
enamel island lies in the centre of the tooth, the concavity of 
which is turned towards the sinuous outer surface of the crown, 
the extremities of the crescent project to the pointed extre- 
mities of the outer surface. At the first glance, it might ap- 
pear as if this tooth were too small for the cranium of so large 
an animal as the great extinct Bos; but it was found, on trial, 
exactly to fill the empty socket of the corresponding tooth in 
the large cranium of this species in the University Museum, 
already described. On referring to the cranium which be- 
longed to Dr Fleming, I found the corresponding pre-molar 
tooth still in its socket, and presenting exactly the same ana- 
tomical characters. 

_ The bones which I have obtained from the neighbourhood 
of the town of Preston were found in the year 1836, by the 
workmen employed in digging the foundations for the piers 
of the railway bridge over the River Ribble. They were pre- 
served by Mr Joseph Thornber, and by him presented to S. B. 
Worthington, Esq., the engineer to the Lancaster and Carlisle 
Railway, who deposited them in the Museum of the Lancaster 
Mechanics’ Institution. 

Mr Thornber, in a note which he has furnished me with, 
states that the bones were found in a stratum of gravel and 
sand beneath the peat. This stratum rested on a bed of new 
red sandstone. One of these bones is an undoubted relic of 
the Bos primigenius.. It was found 26 feet 10 inches below 
the surface. It consists of the left frontal bone, with the 
horn-core still attached to it, and springing from the left 
extremity of the great posterior ridge. The bone has evi- 
dently belonged to a young animal, for it has separated from 
the adjoining bones along the lines of the different sutures, so 
that it could not have been permanently connected to them by 
ossification. Its dimensions, also, are much less than those 
. of the corresponding bone in the adult crania, already de- 
scribed, its length being only mine inches, and the circum- 
ference of the root of the horn-core nine inches. The core is 
much less tuberculated, and not so strongly grooved as in the 
adult specimen. ‘The other bones consist of a portion of the 


On some Fossil Bovine remains found in Britain. 79 


base of of the cranium, a portion of a rib, and the left innomi- 
nate bone. Of these, it is probable that the first-named only 
has belonged to a bovine animal. This consists of the basilar 
process, occipital condyles, and the remaining portion of the 
ring of bone which surrounds the foramen magnum. It is 
difficult to say with absolute certainty what animal the other 
bones had formed a part of. The rib scarcely appears to be 
bovine, for it is thicker and more massive; the ridge upon its 
outer surface is proportionally much stronger, and there is 
only a trace of a groove upon its inferior margin. 

The innominate bone is much more slender than the pelvic 
bones of the existing species of Bos. On comparing it with the 
corresponding innominate bone in the skeleton of the Mega- 
ceros in the Natural History Museum, so many points of sim1- 
larity were found between them, that I felt inclined to pro- 
nounce it to be the innominate bone of the great extinct Irish 
elk; but, on closer inquiry, I learnt that it is very doubtful if 
many of the bones in that skeleton are genuine bones of the 
Megaceros, no less an authority than Cuvier, in the fourth 
volume of the ‘Ossemens Fossiles,’”’ stating, in some critical 
remarks which he makes upon an engraving and measurements 
of the skeleton transmitted to him by the late Professor Jame- 
son, “that it is doubtful whether the pelvis is well authenti- 
cated, seeing that it 1s not so altered as the rest of the bones.” 
I find that the innominate bones have been painted dark brown, 
so as to give them the same colour as the other bones of the 
skeleton ; and on scraping off the paint, a clear white osseous 
surface is seen beneath. 

It is probable that this innominate bone belonged to an 
animal of the genus Equus, for both in size, shape, and osseous 
markings, it corresponds most closely with the left pelvic bone 
of the horse. If this be the case, it adds another to the loca- 
lities, cited by Professor Owen, in which the remains of this 
animal have been discovered, and from having been found in - 
the same stratum as, and in the immediate neighbourhood of, . 
the frontal bone of the Bos primigenius, it establishes the co- 
existence of these different genera in our island. 


Mr David Page stated instances of the occurrence of the 


80 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Bos primigenius in the north of Scotland; and Dr J. A. 
Smith mentioned that its remains had been found in Selkirk- 
shire and Roxburghshire, and referred to notes he had col- 
lected some time ago, in regard to the skulls preserved in the 
Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, which he 
might lay before the Society at another meeting. ° 


II. On Goodsirea mirabilis, an undescribed Gymnopthalmatous Medusa. 
By T. Srreruitt Wricut, M.D., &e. 

Three specimens of this medusa were taken in the Firth, near 
Queensferry, in September last, one of which the author placed 
on the table this evening. In general form it resembled the — 
Plancia gracilis of Forbes; but it differed from that animal 
in the shape of its smaller tentacles, the absence of eye-specks, 
and the presence of auditory organs. The disc was hemisphe- 
rical, depressed, in some specimens elevated in the centre, and 
about an inch in diameter. Its margin was furnished with 
two large colourless tentacles, which were capable of being 
produced to the length of about two and a-half inches. For 
about one-third of their length they were hollow, and per- 
meated by the circulating fiuid of the lateral canals. The 
proximal portion of the large tentacles was covered with long, 
narrow, curved thread-cells, arranged in clusters or cones, 
like the piled muskets of a regiment of soldiers. These, to- 
wards the distal ends, became mixed with large, scattered 
thread-cells, of an ovate, or rather almond shape, in the inte- 
rior of which a long, loosely-coiled, smooth thread was very 
distinctly visible. The tips of the large tentacles were almost 
entirely furnished with the last kind of thread-cell. In addi-. 
tion to the large tentacles, the margin of the disc bore ninety- 
six small tubercles, each of which was connected with two ex- 
ceedingly minute and delicate tentacles, of very complicated 
structure. The tubercles themselves were covered with the 
long, narrow thread-cells above-mentioned. ‘The proximal 
ends of the smaller tentacles, for about one-third their length, 
were destitute of thread-cells, but were furnished with very 
thick, short palpocils. This portion of the tentacle terminated 
in a knob or swelling, which was covered with exceedingly 
minute thread-cells; then succeeded a portion formed of 


On Goodsirea mirabilis. 81 


nucleated cells, joined end to end in a single row, which por- 
tion terminated in a long ovate head, closely set with the 
large almond-shaped thread-cells, which were found on the 
tips of the larger tentacles. All these tubercles and their 
tentacles were destitute of ocelli. Eight otolitic sacs were 
attached to the exterior of the circular canal, each containing 
about four otolites. The sub-umbrella was formed by four 
lateral canals, with their connecting membrane. Its upper 
part dipped downward so as to form a funnel, from the end 
of which the peduncle or alimentary polype was suspended. 
The peduncle, about an inch and a half in length, was very 
extensile, and of a greenish white colour. It was terminated 
by a quadrangular campanulate mouth. The peduncle in the 
female was rendered quadrangular by the four band-like 
ovaries, which passed along its whole length, and contained 
countless eggs. In the male it was cylindrical, and inéluded 
a mass of spermatozoa between its ectodermal and endodermal 
layers. The whole of the lateral and circular canals were 
powdered, as it were, with dark purple pigment granules. 
When floating in the sea, or jerking itself along by the rapid 
strokes of its disk, this medusa was only rendered visible by 
the snake-like motions of its peduncle and tentacles. All the 
rest of its body was as transparent as glass. In a well-lighted 
jar of sea-water, the outer surface of the umbrella glowed 
with tints of blue, purple, and amber, reflected from the thin 
ectodermal membrane, which covered the gelatinous umbrella. 
With regard to this gelatinous structure, Dr Wright had 
come to the conclusion that it was not the homologue of the 
ectoderm of the polype, but rather a true corallum, homologous 
with the horny plate of Velella and the corallum of Hydrac- 
tinia. Did it consist of ectoderm, it would be rendered opaque 
by alcohol, which was not the case, as might be seen in the 
specimen on the table. In captivity these animals floated near 
the bottom of the jar in which they were confined, supporting 
themselves on their tentacles and peduncle, with which they 
were constantly searching the bottom, as if for food. One of 
the females discharged a large number of ova, which were 
carefully preserved in a proper vivarium, and watched, but no 
farther development took place in them. Dr Wright had 
VOL. . L 


82 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


denominated this animal Goodsirea, after the distinguished 
anatomist of that name. 


Dr Wright placed on the table specimens of the Gromia 
oviformis of Dujardin, a gigantic Rhizopod, which ‘he had 
Just discovered in his tanks, and which were displaying the 
long and intricate branching of their pseudopodia extended 
along the glass. 


III, Notice of some Birds observed in the Island of Heligoland, in a 
Letter from W. H. Giitke, Esq. Communicated by Professor Batrour. 
(Specimens were exhibited.) 


We give the following extract from this communication :— 


‘“‘T have ventured upon sending a few birds obtained on this island 
(Heligoland), which probably may prove acceptable to your College Mu- 
seum. They are a female of a species labelled in the College Museum, 
if I recollect right, Sylvia Tytleri, obtained somewhere in India; it is 
the Muscicapa parva of continental ornithologists, a bird visiting this 
island almost every autumn, and very early in spring. The specimen 
in the College Museum is an old male bird,—the one I send an old female. 
To my great regret, I have not been able to obtain a more perfect 
sample of this pretty little flycatcher.” [The specific term of Rubecola 
Tytlert was given to the bird referred to above by the late Professor 
Jameson, when he exhibited it at a meeting of the Wernerian Natural 
History Society in April 1835. He considered that in the form of the 
bill it presented as it were a link between the genera Rubecola and 
Phenicura, The bird was sent to the University Museum by Lieutenant 
Tytler from the Himalayan Mountains, It is also a bird of eastern 
Europe, and is very rarely seen in collections. The sexes are described 
by Gould in his “‘ Birds of Europe” as being similar in colour. This 
specimen resembles that figured by Gould as a young male.| ‘‘ The rest 
of the birds contained in the box belong to Sylvia cerulicula of Pallas 
(i. p. 480). Ihave furnished a sufficient number to exemplify all changes 
of plumage occasioned by age, season, and sex. This form of the blue- 
throated warbler frequents Heligoland rather abundantly every autumn ; 
in spring its visits depend much on the weather; a warm and wet May 
brings great numbers of the finest adult birds, whereas with dry cold 
weather only some solitary individuals make their appearance,—unfor- 
tunately the month of May is generally cold and dry in this island. 
The common blue-throated warbler, with the whzte spot in the blue (Yar- 
rell, i. p. 24), is here a very rare bird, scarcely one specimen turning up 
in every five years, in spite of its being quite a common species on the 
adjacent coast of North Germany.” [It is apparently the Phenicura 
suecica of British naturalists with the white spot, which is believed to 
become red with age, as in some of the specimens exhibited; and is a 


nl i Ke 


Notice of Birds observed in the Island of Heligoland. 83 


rare bird in England, only a very few instances of its occurrence being 
on record.] ‘‘I have added these few observations, as they perhaps may 
interest your ornithological friends. For the same purpose I have en- 
closed a catalogue of the birds that have, according to my observations, 
visited this island during the last fifteen years. If the small area of 
this place (scarcely half a square mile English) is borne in mind, the 
number of its feathered visitors will be admitted to be wonderful. As 
this catalogue (including some 520 species) contains the names of several 
specimens hitherto not known as European, it will, I trust, prove wel- 
come to all who take an interest in the ornithology of our part of the 


globe.” 


Falco peregrinus 
5,  subbuteo 
»  candicans 
»  1slandicus 
»  gyrfalco 
»> salon 
»,  cheuchris 
»  tinnunculus 


»  rufipes 

»  palumbarius 
sy oy) muisuis 

», rufus 

5  cyaneus 


5»  cineracius 
»  milvus 


i ater 

»  buteo 

», lagopus 

5»  apivorus 

»  nevius 

»  albicilla 

»,  haliaetos 

brachydactyla 

Strix otus 


», brachyotus 

», tengmalmi 

55 hoctua 

», fammea 
Strix nyctea 

» hisoria 
Corvus corax 

»» f cornix 

», | corone \ 

»  frugilegus 

»,  Mmonedula 

y apica 

»»  glandarius 

»,  Infaustus 

caryocatactes 

Lanins excubitor 

», mimor 

»,  collurio 

»»  pheenicurus 


Lanins rufus 
Muscicapa grisola 
As luctuosa 
parva 
Bombycilla garrula 
Sturnus vulgaris 


»  roseus 
Turdus viscivorus 
»,  musicus 
», solitarius 
>> lliacus 
»  pilaris 


»  ruficollis 
»  torquatus 
»  merula 
varius 

Ae Saxatilis 


ee BUS 
lividus 

Sylvia philomela 

;» Lucinia 

»» (cyanecula 

. {leueveyanc 

», \ruficyanea 

» Tubecula 

fo ELS 


»» pheenicurus 
», erythrogastra (?) 
» hortensis 

», atricapilla 

»» orphea 

»» nisoria 

5, cinerea 

» provincialis 
,, turdoides 

», arundinacea 
», palustris 

», locustella 

», certhiola 

» aquatica 

5, Phragmitis 
,, caligata 

5, familiaris 


Sylvia hypolais 
,, sibilatrix 
», icterina (?) 
» trochilus 
, rufa 
», bonelli 
», jJavonica 
,, bifasciata (mihi 
Regulus modes- 
tus 
(This bird I have 
obtained ezght times 
in this island; four 
specimens being still 
in my possession.) 
Sylvia virens (Wilson) 
(Oct. 19, 1858) 
Regulus pyrocephalus 
»,  Havicapillus 
Troglodytes parvulus 
Cinclus aquaticus 


»  pallasi 
Accentor alpinus 

A modularis 
Saxicola cenanthe 

a aurita 

»  stapazina 

a leucura 

5s rubicola 

rubetra 


Anthus Richardi 
5, campestris 
5,  arboreus 
»  cervinus 
», pratensis 
,,  ludovicianus 
»,  littoralis 
aquaticus 
Motacilla alba 
;, . lugubris 
5 sulphurea 
»  eitreola 
9 flava 


84 


Motacilla citrinella 
3 melanocephala 

Alauda arvensis 
alpestris 
arboreus 
cristatus 
brachydactylus 

‘. .ealanara 
Emberiza miliaria 
citrinella 
cirlus 
aureola 
hortensis 
czesia 
melanocephala 
schoeniclus 
pusilla (above 

15 times) 
rustica (twice) 
lapponica 
nivalis 
Frin gilla ceelebs 
montifringilla 
nivalis 
carduclis 
citrinella 
chloris 
canabina 
montium 
linarea 
spinus 
coccotraustes 
domestica 
montana 
Pyrrhula vulgaris 
rosea 
erithrina 

»  enucleator 

Loxia ecurvirostra 

», leucoptera 
Parus major 
ater 
coeruleus 
palustris 
biarmicus 
caudatus 
Picus major 
Certhia familiaris 
Cuculus canorus 
Yunx torquilla 
Alcedo ispida 
Merops apiaster 
Coracias garrula 
Oriolus galbula 
Upupa epops 
Caprimulgus europzeus 
Hirundo rustica 


”) 


29 


9? 
99 


Hirundo rufula 
urbica 
riparia 
melba 
apus 
Charadrius auratus 
virginicus 
longipes 
squatarola 
vanellus 
cedicnemnus 
morinellus 
asiaticus 
(Pall.) 
hiaticula, 
cantianus 
es minor 
Tetrao cothurnix 
Columba palumbis 
cenas 
livia 
55. BELT EME 
Rallus aquaticus 
Crex pratensis 
porzana 
pusilla 
Do eet! 
Fulica atra 
» chloropus 
Grus virgo (once) 
Ardea cinerea 
purpurea 
stellaris 
minuta 
ciconia 
» nigra 
This falcinellus 
Numenius arquatus 
> pheeopus 
e tenuirostris 
Limosa melanura 
o wula, 
Scolopax rustica 
major 
gallinago 
»  gallinula 
Totanus fuscus 
calidris 
glottis 
glareola 
ochropus 
hypoleucos 
(Tringa) rufes- 
cens 
Phalaropus rufus 
fe cinereus 
Tringa alpina 


17 
”? 


99 


29 


99 


99 


09 
99 


99 
7 


29 


7? 
9) 


99 


Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Tringa minuta 


3° 


9 
99 


Temminckii 
subarquata 
islandica 
maritima 
calidris 
interpres 
platyrhincha 
pugnax 


Recurvirostra avosetta 
Heematopus ostralegus 
Cygnus musicus 


i] 


minor 


Anser cinereus 


segetum 
albifrons 
minutus 

hy perborea 
leucopsis 
torquatus 
boschas 
strepera 
penelope 
acuta 
querquedala 
crecca 
tadorna 
fusca 

nigra 
perspicilata 
marila 
fuligula 
ferina 
nyroca 
clangula 
glacialis 
stelleri 
molissima 
spectabilis 


Mergus merganser 


99 
39 


serrator 
albellus 


Carbo cormoranus 


99 


graculus 


Sula alba 
Larus marinus 


99 
99 
39 


9) 


fuscus 
glaucus 
leucoptherus 
argentatus 


Larus canus 


99 


39 


trydactylus 
eburneus 
ridibundus 
minor 
Sabinii 


Notice of Birds observed in the Island of Heligoland. 85 


Larus Rossii Lestris parasitica Podiceps minor 
Sterna cantiaca »  erepidata Colymbus glacialis 
», anglorum Procellaria glacialis »,  arcticus 

»  caspia s Leachii »  septentrionalis 
» Dougallii Ae pelagica Uria troile 
»,  hirundo 5 cinerea ,, tringria (?) 
>, macroura x anglorum 5) arra 
»,  leuceparia Podiceps cristatus » grylle 
>» nigra ruficollis Alea arctica 
», minuta 95 cornutus » torda 
Lestris cataractes Ms auritus » alle 
»»  pomarina 


IV. On the Danger of Hasty Generalization in Geology. 
By Avexanper Bryson, Esq. 

After deducing examples of hasty generalization, and show- 
ing the frequency of erroneous conclusions drawn from scanty 
data, he gave the following example, of which he was him- 
self guilty :—“ In the summer of 1856, a few friends joined 
me in a yachting expedition, to geologise among the islands of 
the Firth. Among other islands we visited Inch Mickery, 
and spent some hours in examining its structure. On the 
southern summit of the rock, a quantity of lead was found, 
filling up many of the interstices of the trap, which had, be- 
sides, a very scorched appearance. This circumstance natu- 
rally excited our curiosity, and many theories were formed 
to unriddle the enigma, but in vain. We carefully examined 
the island, but could not find a trace of a fire by which the 
lead could have been melted, except at such a distance from 
the rock as to render the idea of lead being carried so far 
without cooling inadmissible. Then the lead had run into the 
crevices of the rock, showing that it must have been very 
fluid when it fell. The absence of every trace of carbon 
around the lead, or at all near the rock itself, was very puz- 
zling. About this time our talented member, Dr Heddle, had 
announced the occurrence of native lead embedded in meteo- 
ric iron, and I at once held my Inch Mickery lead as truly 
meteoric in its origin. This idea was rendered the more 
probable, as Dr George Wilson, who kindly analysed it, failed 
to detect in it any trace of silver. Professor Fleming, al- 
though he scouted the notion of its meteoric origin, kindly 
accompanied us on a second visit to the island. After a per- 
sonal examination, he was unable to throw any light on the 


86 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


subject, but advised us to wait patiently, and time might clear 
up the mystery. We would have rejoiced had he lived to 
learn the simple explanation only obtained a few months ago. 
The Board of Fisheries some years since took it into their 
heads that garvies were young herrings, and passed an act 
forbidding nets to be used the meshes of which were smaller 
than those employed in catching full-grown herrings. The 
officers of the Board happening to detect a boat using the 
illicit nets just off Inch Mickery, they, according to statute, 
took the offending nets to this rocky knoll and burned them. 
The leaden sinkers attached to the nets supplied my meteoric 
lead, and the twine yielded sufficient fuel to fuse it. 


V. Notes on some points in the Natural History of the West Coast of 
Ross-shire. By Joun AtEex. Stewart, Esq., Lochcarron. 


The first part of this paper was occupied with an inquiry into 
the food and some points of the natural history of the limpet. 
Besides the common species, Patella vulgata, Mr Stewart had 
detected the finer species, P. athletica (which had hitherto 
been chiefly found in the southern coasts of Britain), in 
great abundance upon the coasts of Ross-shire and Skye. He 
satisfactorily proved that the food of the common limpet 
was not confined to sea-weeds, as was generally supposed, 
but that it also fed upon Balani; and that the chief food 
of the P. athletica was the Corallina officinalis. Wher- 
ever that plant was in abundance, there A thletica was to be 
found; and it was not confined to the low-water zone, as it is 
said to be in the south of England. Mr Stewart described - 
the process of feeding on the Balani and Corallina, and ex- 
hibited specimens of the half-digested remains taken from their 
stomachs. Mr Stewart also exhibited and described a species 
of Comatula, which he considered different from the common 
C.rosacea. He had, however, been anticipated in this disco- 
very, Mr Barrett having published this species in the “ An- 
nals of Natural History,” in 1857, under the name of Com- 
matula Woodwardii. Mr Stewart farther exhibited a mag- 
nificent Ophiura, new to Britain, which he had discovered in. 
the same locality. It was 24 inches across, and differed mate- 
rially from any even of the genera of this family hitherto found 


Natural History of the West Coast of Ross-shire. 87 


in our seas. It belonged to the genus Asteronyz, described by 
Muller and Troschell in their work on star-fishes. It seemed 
doubtful whether it was the same species which they had de- 
scribed under the name of A. Lovenii from Norway. In the 
main, it very closely corresponded with their description, but 
there were one or two discrepancies, which might either be 
specific, or variations dependent upon the age of the animal. 
Mr Stewart had only found one specimen; therefore, in the 
meantime, he was not in a condition to give an opinion upon 
this point. Mr Stewart, in conclusion, gave some interesting 
notices regarding the pulsation of the snail as compared with 
that of other animals; and also some notices of peculiar 
geological features which he had observed in Ross-shire. 


VI. A beautiful Sertes of Varieties (in plumage) of the common Phea- 
sant, were exhibited, the property of Walter May, Esq. By AnpREw 
Murray, Esq. 


Wednesday, March 23, 1859.— Wittram Ruinp, Esq., President, 
in the Chair. 


Joun 8, Livinesron, Esq., Leith, was elected a Member of the Society. 


The following Communications were read :-— 


I. Extract of Letter from the Rev. Hugh Goldie, Old Calabar, to Dr 


Greville, respecting some singular Silk “ Bags” formed by Insects 
in Africa. Communicated by W. H. Lows, M.D. 


The following extract of the letter was read by Dr Lowe, 
and specimens of the very curious ‘“ Bags” therein described 
were exhibited :— 

“Last year a brother of King Heyo undertook a trading 
expedition to Efeet. [This is a country lying on the side of 
the Camaroons Mountain, nearest the Old Calabar River.] In 
the smaller box you will find something which he brought to 
me as a curiosity, it being quite unknown in Calabar. The 
articles are small bags, woven by what would appear to be an 
insect of the same family as the silkworm. The insects are 
said to form these on trees, many working at one bag; and, 
having completed their task, each one rolls himself up in his 


88 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


own shroud and dies. The people of Efeet sometimes take a 
number of insects and put them in one of their native pots, 
when they commence to work, and line the interior of the pot 
with their bag, by which means the people obtain large ones, 
which they use to put cloth in, or any light article, and which 
are said to be waterproof.” 

Dr Lowe regretted that, while the objects were of themselves 
of the highest interest, he was able to offer so little in the way 
of information respecting them. ‘There was no doubt, how- 
ever, that they were the production of lepidopterous insects, 
and this belief was confirmed by Mr Andrew Murray, who 
brought to the Society an excellent drawing of some bags ex- 
tremely analogous to those exhibited, and which are known 
to be the production of a gregarious butterfly in Mexico, a de- 
scription of which, together with an illustrative plate, will be 
found in the Transactions of the Entomological Society of 
London, vol. i. p. 38, published in 1836. As one of the bags 
from Africa was much. more dense in its texture than the 
others, Dr Lowe was led to think that two species of insect 
had been employed; but Mr Logan thought both might be 
produced by the same butterfly or moth. Mr J. T. Syme 
added some remarks ; and all the members joined in the hope 
that specimens of the insect, in any state of transformation, 
or however roughly preserved, might at a future time be pro- 
cured by the kind agency of Mr Goldie. 


II. A Series of recently-discovered Eyeless Beetles from the Caves of Car- 
niola and Hungary were exhibited—By AnprEw Murray, Esq. 
Mr Murray exhibited a fine series of eyeless beetles from the 
various caverns, &c. where these curious and rare animals 
have been found. There were twenty-six different species 
shown, of which there were a number which had been only 
discovered and described within the last two years, the pos- 
session of which he owed to his friend Herr Dohrn of Stettin. 
He pointed to the two new genera—Pholeuon and Drimeotus 
—as being of special interest, as filling up a blank between 
the genera of Leptoderus and Adelops, and proving that the 
former of these genera truly belonged to the family of the 
Cholevide, instead of being allied to the genus Mastigus, as 


Notice of the Tenacity of Life in Buccinum coronatum. 89 


‘was supposed by Lacordaire and other authors. Mr Murray 
mentioned a number of interesting facts relating to the eco- 
nomy and structure of these blind insects. 


III. Notice of the Tenacity of Life mm Buecinum coronatum. 
By AtexanpDER Bryson, Esq. 

On the 6th September 1857 we reached Marseilles on our 
way to Naples. Havinga full day to spend before the steamer 
sailed, we drove to the Prado la Mer to search for shells on 
the shores of the Mediterranean. On the sandy downs, close 
by the margin of the sea, we found many Helices which were 
new to us (Helix vermiculata, virgata), and others well 
known to the south of Europe. They seemed very gregari- 
ous, and we could collect them by handfulls. The shores of 
the Mediterranean do not afford a fertile field for the concho- 
logist, as the tides scarcely ever vary more than three feet. 
We picked up a few Vatice, and also a specimen of Buccinum 
coronatum, the tenacity of life in which is the object of this 
notice. We placed the Buccinum along with our Helices, 
and packed them all carefully in boxes, where they lay until 
May 1858. On opening up the packages we found the Bucci- 
num closely adherent to one of the Helices, but thought at the 
time that it was dead. We threw them all into a basin of tepid 
water, and found shortly that most of the Helices were alive, as 
wasalso the Buccinum coronatum. We lost no time in placing 
it in the marine aquarium of a friend, where he seemed quite 
at home and lively. Unfortunately, however, in a few days 
he came too near a hermit crab, who soon devoured the poor 
Buccinum. The Helices lived in the conservatory for some 
months, until the cold weather killed them. Ag this is the 
first instance of which I have heard of the tenacity of life ex- 
hibited by a marine molluse, I thought it should be recorded. 

While we were strolling along the shores we saw a novel 
method of fishing for sardines and anchovies. The fisherman 
wades into the water nearly to the middle, and is furnished 
with a large cireular net, round the periplery of which is 
attached a series of leaden bullets. A long rope is attached 
to the centre of the net, which he throws out in a very skilful 


manner to the full extent of his line. The resistance of the 
VOL. II. MM 


90 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


air and the centrifugal force causes the net to expand like a 
flat old-fashioned umbrella, in which shape it reaches the 
surface of the water. The weight of the bullets causes the 
descent of the circumference, and the net assumes an oval 
form, and the tiny fish are caught by the meshes in their 
attempt to escape. 

Mr Bryson also took the opportunity of reading the following 
note he had received from his friend DrJames M‘Bain, R.N.:— 

“ As an additional instance of the tenacity of life in cer- 
tain species of the mollusca, I may mention that in the 
spring of 1857 a small Helix was picked out from amongst 
some dried raisins, and handed over to me by one of my fa- 
mily. As it had the thin, transparent, glistening film cover- 
ing the aperture, it occurred to me to repeat the experiment 
related by Dr Baird, in reference to the Egyptian desert snail 
in the British Museum, and included in the examples of 
tenacity of life in these animals given by Mr Woodward in 
his ‘Manual of the Mollusca.’ The following day our shy 
friend made his appearance in the glass vessel, and lived with 
us for five months. It was occasionally supplied with a little 
water, and portions of green vegetables, such as cabbage and 
lettuce, and seemed to give a preference to the latter. It was 
precisely identical with specimens of Helix virgata got at 
Shotover Hill, near Oxford, along with our friend Dr Mel- 
ville in 1847. This species is widely spread over the south of 
Europe, and, although having no objection to the interior, 
yet, like ourselves, has also a strong attachment for the neigh- 
bourhood of the sea. It is not surprising, therefore, to find it 
in company with Malaga raisins; but those singular excep- 
tions to the general laws, in the marked examples of torpidity 
in various animals, living for indefinite periods without food, 
and almost without air, are surprising.” 


Observations on British Zoophytes. ot 


IV. Observations on British Zoophytes. By T. Srreruitt Wrieurt, M.D. 


Kionistes retiformis (xiwv-lornus). 


Polypary retiform—alimentary polyps minute, white, with single row of short 
tentacles—reproductive polyps columnar, thickened towards apex, with- 
out tentacles, bearing many generative capsules. 


A male specimen of this zoophyte was found growing in an 
old shell at Granton in May 1857. The oe consists of 
a close network of flattened chi- yo 
tonous tubes, from out of which 
the alimentary and reproductive 
polyps spring at intervals. The 
sperm-sacs (one of which is = 
shown in the marginal woodcut) oe 
attached to the reproductive polyp 
differ from those of Hydractinia, te 
in having the endoderm attached _ eter 
to the ectoderm at their distal ex- ae 
tremities, as I have figured in the Reproductive polyp of K. reteformis 

: : with single sperm-sac; @, endo- 
sperm-sac of Hudendrium. This germ, 3, ectoderm, ¢, cavity con- 
zoophyte approaches the Sertu- taining spermatozoa. 
lariadz in the simple columnar form of its untentacled re- 
productive polyps, and forms the connecting link between the 
Tubulariade and Sertulariade. Thus we have :— 


Sperm or egg sacs attached to ordinary alimentary 
polyps, as in 
Sperm or egg sacs eaached ao eoproduetine | 


Clava, Coryne, &ce. 


Podocoryna fucicola, 


mentary polyps, which differ from ordinary ali- (Sars.) 


mentary polyps in having fewer tentacles, as in 
Sperm or egy sacs attached to reproductive polyps 
with rudimentary mouth and tentacles, as in 
Sperm or egg sacs attached to reproductive polyps, 
without mouth or tentacles, as in 


d \ Hydractinia. 


} Kionistes, Sertularia. 


V. (1.) On the Vomer in Man and the Mammalia, and on the Sphenot- 
dal Spongy Bones. By Joun Cretranp, M.D., Demonstrator of 
Anatomy in the University of Edinburgh. 


The remarks which I am about to make will be confined as 
much as possible to matters of observation. I shall resist the 
temptation to enter on the question of the constitution of the 


92 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


vomerine segment of the skull, although it is one on which 
the statements to be made have an important bearing; I shall 
content myself with exhibiting the relations of this bone in 
different mammalia, and, founding upon these and on deve- 
lopment, shall show how the vomer in man corresponds in its 
relations to those of other animals, and what is the nature of 
the sphenoidal spongy bones. . 

Last autumn, while disarticulating the skull of a lamb, it 
came prominently under my notice that the central plate of 
the sphenoid bone adhered without marks of separation to the 
presphenoid, while the lateral masses of the ethmoid and the 
vomer formed one other single piece. On further examination 
I found that in mammalian skulls the formation of one piece 
by the vomer and lateral masses of the ethmoid was the gene- 
ral rule, and their separation a rare exception. This isa cir- 
cumstance so easily seen that one would think it could hardly 
escape the notice of any one in the habit of disarticulating 
mammalian skulls, yet I can find no description of it by 
authorities on human and comparative anatomy. It is, how- 
ever, as we shall see, the most important of all the connections 
of the vomer, and throws some valuable light on human ana- 
tomy. With respect to the other articulations of the vomer, 
we shall see, that that with the central plate of the ethmoid is 
by no means a primary one, and that the most constant of those 
of its inferior margin is that with the intermaxillary bones. 

In the ruminantia it is a well-developed elongated bone. 
Let us take that of the lamb as an example. It consists 
principally of two lamin united inferiorly so as to form a 
groove; deepest posteriorly where the lamin are most de- 
veloped, and shallowing away to a scooped extremity in front. 
In this groove lies the cartilaginous septum of the nose, which 
is continuous behind with the presphenoid bone. The pos- 
terior extremity of the vomer is bifid and slightly dilated, as 
it is in man, and in front of the dilatation the lines of mar- 
gin begin to approach, and seem as if they would pass directly 
forwards; but they are almost immediately lost as fissures in 
two lateral expansions, which, springing from the vomerine 
lamine, pass outwards to the outer and back part of the 
ethmoid, and are continuous with the principal arches of the 


On the Women in Man and the Mammalia. 93 


framework of that bone. On the upper aspect there is a sharp 
angle between the lamine that lie against the cartilaginous 
septum and their lateral expansions, and the former are pro- 
longed in many animals beyond the angle. Where the eth- 
moid is joined by. the ethmo-vomerine lamina—for so we shall 
call the expansion just described—it forms the upper part of 
the nasal foramen of the palate bone, in human anatomy 
called the spheno-palatine foramen. In the lamb there is not 
much development of the vomer as a mesial plate below the 
level of the groove. It articulates inferiorly by a rough 
sutured edge with the superior maxillary bones, and in front 
of that its scooped anterior extremity lies for about an eighth 
of an inch or so on the groove formed by the mesial processes of 
the intermaxillary bories—the universal method of articulation 
of the mammalian vomer with the intermaxillary bones (fig. 1). 

The vomer of the eat is proportionally less elongated than 
that of the sheep, but like it has little development of the 
mesial plate beneath the vomerine groove. It articulates by 
a rough surface with the superior maxillary and palate bones, 
but with the intermaxillary bones by an elongation forward 
upon them of the laminze which bound the groove. These 
laminze are connected towards their back part with the lateral 
masses of the ethmoid, exactly as is the case in the sheep; 
and at the point where the vomer passes into the ethmoid, the 
latter presents a minute orbital surface, which les between 
the two ascending processes of the palate bone, and completes 
by a point in its inferior margin the almost perfect nasal 
foramen of that bone. The sphenoid process of the palate- 
bone lies between the ethmo-vomerine lamine and the ptery- 
goid bone. The central plate of the ethmoid does not at all 
touch the vomer in early life, but the cartilaginous septum of 
the nose passes back beneath it to the presphenoid bone. 

It may be mentioned at once that the nasal foramen of the 
palate bone is completed by the ethmoid in all the animals 
examined. 

The relations of the vomer in the fow and the pig are the 
same as in the cat. In the case of the hedgehog, as in the 
sheep, it does not articulate with the palate bones. In the 
horse also it does not articulate with the palate bones. But the 


94 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


superior connections of the vomer in the horse are peculiar, 
inasmuch as the inferior surface of the leaflets of the ethmoid, 
instead of lying in contact, as is usual, with the ethmo-vomerine 
lamina for a considerable extent, is completely floored in by 
the upper part of the palate bone, which is expanded for that 
purpose. Even in the horse, however, a slender lamina, im- 
mediately in front of the palate bone, and in contact with its 
nasal foramen, passes downwards and inwards on each side 
from the framework of the ethmoidal turbinations to the mar- 
gin of the vomer; but the vomer and it are not anchylosed 
until other sutures also have begun to be obliterated. 

The vomer in the rodentia is remarkable in having very 
little tendency to come in contact with the superior maxilla- 
ries. As far as I have observed, it is always continuous with 
the lateral masses of the ethmoid. 

In the skull of the rabbit there is only one great anterior 
palatine foramen ; for, although the mesial processes of the 
intermaxillaries project well backwards, the palate plates of 
the superior maxillaries do not come far enough forwards to 
meet them. ‘The vomer does not at all approach the superior 
maxillaries; its posterior margin terminates inferiorly»in a 
thickened angle, which articulates with the intermaxillaries in 
such a manner as to make their inferior aspect continuous with 
the posterior margin of the vomer. In front of this, the lamine 
bounding its groove are prolonged on the upper surface of the 
intermaxillaries, as we have seen in other animals (fig. 4). 

In the porcupine and squirrel the vomer is not in contact 
with the superior maxillary bones; in the rat and the beaver 
it 1s. 

In the quadrumana the mesial process of the intermaxil- 
laries is so slightly developed that the anterior extremity of 
the vomer frequently falls short of it by a slightinterval. In 
monkeys the vomer and orbital plates of the ethmoid are con- 
tinuous; but in the skull of a young Chimpanzee in the Uni- 
versity Museum, the arch of bone which unites them is sepa- 
rated at one extremity from the ethmoid by a suture, and at 
the other only touches the vomer. This piece of bone has all 
the essential characters of the sphenoidal spongy bones of the 
human subject. 


OO 


On the Vomer in Man and the Mammalia. 95 


The vomer and sphenoidal spongy bones in man.—Having 
found the vomer and lateral masses of the ethmoid so univer- 
sally connected, we naturally inquire how they are related in 
man, They are not in contact. Their only connection is 
that the expanded portion of the vomer which grasps the 
rostrum lies beneath the sphenoidal spongy bones, and that 
these articulate with the lateral masses of the ethmoid. Now, 
seeing that the sphenoidal spongy bones are recognised as 
ossifications distinct from the sphenoid, I think we have 
already sufficient evidence to prove that they represent the 
ethmo-vomerine lamin, by aid of what we have noticed in 
the Chimpanzee’s skull; for it is impossible to doubt either 
that the distinct bone which les between the orbital plates of 
the ethmoid and the vomer in that skull corresponds to the 
ethmo-vomerine lamina of other monkeys; or, on the other 
hand, that it corresponds to the sphenoidal spongy bone in 


man. But the correspondence becomes much more distinct 


when we study the early condition of the sphenoidal spongy 
bones. The most interesting condition of these bones is when, 
in the skulls of young children, they can be got completely 
ossified and not yet destroyed by amalgamation with the 
neighbouring bones. In this state the sphenoidal spongy 
bone is somewhat of the shape of a hollow pyramid with the 
apex directed backwards, its inner aspect parallel to its fellow, 
and its cavity (the first form of the sphenoidal sinus) opening 
at its base into the nasal cavity in front (fig. 2). This pyramid 
is constructed by the union of at least three distinct pieces of 
bone. Firstly, there is an orbital piece, forming a portion of 
the wall of the orbit between the ethmoid and sphenoid, an 
element, I believe, in the formation of the orbital wall not 
hitherto observed. It articulates with the orbital process of 
the palate bone, and, together with the inferior piece, com- 
pletes the nasal foramen of the palate-bone, namely, the fora- 
men called spheno-palatine, but which we have seen to be 
invariably ethmo-palatine in other animals. The superior 
piece bounds the sphenoidal sinus above and on the inside, 
and ultimately becomes incorporated with the sphenoid bone. 
The inferior piece is the largest of the three; it forms the 
floor of the sphenoidal sinus, and the under half of its opening 


96 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


in front, and includes the greater part of what has hitherto 
been recognised, and described under the various names, 
sphenoidal spongy bone, sphenoidal cornu, and bone of Bertin. 
Its inner margin is joined by the superior piece at an acute 
angle, and is prolonged downwards and forwards so as to lie 
edge to edge with the corresponding lamina of the vomer, im- 
mediately in front of the thick dilated part of that bone. 
Beneath and behind is the sphenoidal process of the palate- 
bone, and behind that is the internal pterygoid process. In 
man, therefore, as in other mammalia, we find three processes 
in succession from behind forwards, viz., the pterygoid bone, 
the sphenoidal process of the palate-bone, and an arch passing 
from the ethmoid to the vomer, adapted to it edge to edge; 
and moreover, this arch completes the foramen which divides 
the ascending part of the palate-bone. It in every respect, 
therefore, corresponds with the ethmo-vomerine lamina. The 
reason why the arch formed by the vomer and ethmoid is 
broken up in the human subject into so many separate pieces 
is to be sought in the characteristic peculiarities of the human 
subject, particularly in the very slight development of the 
organ of smell, and the rapid curvature of the cranio-facial 
arch. But on this subject I hope to speak more fully on sonte 
future opportunity. The inferior edges of the sphenoidal 
spongy bones, which in childhood he edge to edge with the 
vomer, are in the adult state smoothed down to a mere ridge, 
and considerably separated from the middle line by the ex- 
pansion of the sphenoidal sinuses. ee 

We have nowseen that the relations of thevomer to the lateral 
masses of the ethmoid in the human subject are essentially the 
same as in the mammalia generally. In early life the human 
vomer resembles those of other mammals in form likewise, and 
seems to be connected in the same manner with the intermaxil-_ 
lary bones. In the skulls of foetuses and young children the 
vomer mainly consists of two lamine extending upwards on the 
sides of the cartilaginous septum of the nose. The inferior edge 
exhibits a flat surface with a raphe in the middle line, which 
articulates with the superior maxillaries proper, i. e., with the 
part behind the anterior palatine foramen ; and which narrows 
to an edge behind, where it comes in contact with the palate- 


Pic Ave = 295 
Vol. I. Royal Physical Socuety, Edinburgh. 
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Zhe 


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J Cleland etched or/ Stone, WH. MFarlane/ Lit? Baa 


On the Vomer in Man and the Mammalia. 97 


bones. But this surface ceases abruptly in front, and only 
the lamina bounding the groove for the cartilage is prolonged 
on the intermaxillary part of the palate (fig. 3). In the adult 
state both the scooped projection lying on the intermaxillaries, 
and the remains of the surface for articulation with the supe- 
rior maxillaries, can be seen, when the vomer still admits of 
being accurately disarticulated. But this is not often, as it 
soon becomes anchylosed with the neighbouring bones; and 
even when this has not happened, it requires that portions of 
the other bones be sacrificed for the sake of removing it en- 
tire. As the face elongates, the upper part of the vomer 
undergoes much alteration; not only is there a considerable 
development of lamina in the mesial plane beneath the groove, 
but usually the lamine bounding the groove deviate from the 
mesial line, and one of them becomes more developed than the 
other, and is more extensively anchylosed with the central 
plate of the ethmoid, which, growing downwards, replaces the 
cartilage between them. In consequence of these changes 
taking place at a comparatively early period, the specimens 
which are sold with disarticulated skulls, and from which the 
descriptions in text-books are drawn up, are seldom complete, 
and have most frequently more or less of the central plate of 
the ethmoid adherent to them. Thus the vomer is described 
as exhibiting at its upper and back part a cul-de-sac for the 
rostrum. Such a cul-de-sac is often seen, but the central plate 
of the ethmoid invariably enters into its formation, for it 1s 
only the ethmoid, and never the vomer in the slightest degree, 
which replaces the cartilaginous septum. 


Explanation of Plate V. 


Fig. 1. The vomer and lateral masses of the ethmoid of a lamb, seen from 
below. a, The inferior margin of the vomer, rough posteriorly, for articulation 
with the maxillaries, and smooth in front, where it comes in contact with the 
intermaxillaries; bb, the grooves which complete the nasal foramine of the 
palate bones. The spaces between the grooves and the margins of the vomer 
represent the ethmo-vomerine lamine, and on the outer aspects of the grooves 
are the small orbital surfaces of the ethmoid. 

Fig. 2. The vomer, ethmoid, sphenoidal spongy bones, and left palate and 
maxillary bones, from the skull of an infant; seen from behind (slightly en- 
larged). a, Orbital plate of the ethmoid; 6b, posterior extremity of the vomer ; 
¢, sphenoidal process of the palate bone; d, orbital surface of the palate 
bone, and immediately above it is the orbital portion of the sphenoidal spongy 

VOL. Il. N 


98 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


bone. Between the two processes of the palate bone is the spheno-palatine 
foramen, completed above by the inferior portion of the sphenoidal spongy 
bone. e, The superior portion of the sphenoidal spongy bone. 

Fig. 3. Another view taken from the same specimen: a, 6, ¢, The parts of 
the inferior margin of the vomer for articulation with the palate, maxillary, 
and intermaxillary bones respectively ; d, inferior aspect of the sphenoidal 
spongy bone; ¢, orbital plate of the ethmoid seen in perspective; /, inferior 
turbinated process of the ethmoid. 

Fig. 4. Wlustrates the articulations of the vomer in the rabbit. Above are 
the vomer and ethmoid forming one bone. Beneath are the bones of the upper 
jaw of the left side, and a portion of the intermaxillary bone of the right side 
adhering to it. a, Anterior extremity of the vomer, grooved for the cartila- 
ginous septum of the nose; 6, the part of the vomer which articulates with ¢, 
the extremity ef the expanded mesial procésses of the intermaxillary bones, 
forming turbinations in connection with Jacobson’s organ. 


VI. On the Discovery of Nullipores (Calcarcous plants) and Sponges in 
the Boulder Clay of Caithness. By Cuartes W. Peacu, Esq., 
Wick. (Specimens were exhibited.) 


In a paper read to the Society in March 1855, “On the 
Calcareous Zoophytes of the Boulder Clay of Caithness,” I 
intimated that, at a future time, it was my intention to give 
you one on the flora of that formation. I have delayed from 
time to time, that I might search in wide localities, and thus 
have succeeded in procuring several specimens at Wick, and 


the burns of Haster and Freswick.* Mr Cleghorn has also. 


found specimens at Wick, and Mr Dick in and around Thurso. 
Although pretty widely distributed in the country, nowhere is 
it found in abundance. At times it is quite soft when first 
taken out of the clay ; it hardens on exposure, and cracks in 
the drying, and then, should an attempt be made to make a 
section, it crumbles to pieces. In one taken from the clay on 
the side of Wick harbour I got a pretty good slice, and have 
made out under the microscope the cellular structure ; it agrees 
with that of the Melobesia polymorpha of Harvey, as may be 
seen by the specimen herewith sent, mounted in Canada bal- 
sam, and a specimen on stone, also from Wick. In one spe- 
cimen, I noticed, as well as the spreading base, the papillary 
eminences peculiar to this species; and in another the indenta- 
tions made by saxicavous creatures. When passing Freswick 


* Since this paper was read I got, on the 18th May (Queen’s Birth-day) 
1860), splendid specimens in the Burn of Strath, near Watten. 


Nullipores & Sponges of the Boulder Clay of Caithness, 99 


Burn on one of my official visits, 1 noticed the sections of 
boulder clay exposed there; not having time then to devote 
to their examination, I thought that, although fourteen miles 
distant from Wick, I would try my pedestrian powers and do 
so, on the day kept for the Queen’s birthday (1855), should 
the weather prove fine. It did, and I was off early in the 
morning, so that I might have a long search, not only in the 
exposed sections of the boulder clay on my route, but every 
quarry and place of interest. On searching the Burn of Fres- 
wick, | commenced immediately at the bridge, and in the blue 
clay there found several flints, evidently from the chalk, 
hinges and portions of Cyprina, fragments of Turritella, Den- 
- talia, &c., all more or less broken and rubbed. These were 
firmly embedded, and so were all the specimens taken by me 
from the boulder clay. After examining the sections above 
the bridge, I retraced my steps, passed over the road and down 
the burn towards the castle, and m a nice section worn by the 
stream, as well as the usual stones, shells, &c., I met with a 
white mass, which at first, from its yielding freely to the 
knife, I thought chalk. After digging it out and washing it 
in the stream, I was surprised to find that 2¢ would swim like 
cork, and therefore could not be chalk. I put it carefully 
into one of my boxes, and searched again, and at some distance 
from the spot where I found the first | got a smaller piece of the 
same description. They are the only pieces I have met with. 
I have forwarded the smallest piece with this paper, enclosed 
in glass, and hope that you will excuse my jealous care in 
thus preserving the precious relic. As soon as I had fully 
examined all the exposed clay, I turned my steps homeward, 
wondering all the way what my swimming prize could be. As 
soon as possible, after washing and taking my tea, I out with 
a microscope, and placed a small portion of the mass under it, 
when, to my delight, bundles of spicule, and quantities of 
siliceous globules, were beautifully shown, as well as straight 
spicula, triradiate, and other shapes; the spicula hollow in the 
centre. I fancied it might be a Pachymatisma; but then 
the stellate forms were absent. It effervesced freely in dilute 
muriatic acid. In order to be set right, I forwarded a portion 
of each piece to Mr Bowerbank of London, who, with his usual 


100 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


kindness, examined them, and informed me that they were 
Geodia; the species he could not tell. He farther added, 
“that he had found Geodia in a flint in the chalk; therefore 
this sponge appears to be more ancient than had been sus- 
pected.” We have Geodia zetlandica in our northern seas 
(see Johnston’s “ British Sponges,” pl. ui., figs. 3 and 4, and 
described at page 195). I also met with that species in Corn- 
wall. The piece mounted in Canada balsam will show the 
spicula and siliceous globules. Here, then, was a reward; 
for not only did the walk of at least thirty-two miles prove 
beneficial to the body—the mind truly enjoyed a feast; the 
numberless objects of beauty that stud the path of the na- 
turalist makes all roads cheerful; and if I were to add a list 
of the attractions of that day, it would, though interesting, be 
along one. It will be sufficient for me to say, that the excite- 
ment caused by every new beauty drove weariness from the 
body—mind triumphed over all—and to me this was a 
“Queen’s day” indeed! The pleasure did not cease with the 
day, for my collection of stores has given me much useful 
employment since. Add to this, the satisfaction of knowing 
that I had turned up a new leaf in the history of this long- 
gone period. Long gone as it may be, its history is hnked 
to the present; for the ancient organisms of the seas of the 
clay period have direct descendants now living in our seas, and 
although from our present knowledge some may be wanting, 
either of the past or the present, the advancing march of re- 
search is fast lessening the number, and filling up the gaps. 
Geodia is not the only sponge from this formation which has 
come under my notice, for in many fragments of sheils the 
excavations of Clionia are frequent. 1 send portions of a 
Cyprina and Buccinum burrowed by it. At present I have 
seen only a single spiculum, the colouring, and probably very 
minute portions of the sponge, and as well the peculiar small 
indentations in the excavations. ‘“ These indentations,’ Mr 
Hancock says, “are a very certain character which never 
fails to determine the habitation of the burrowing sponge, 
even though every particle of the animal be removed.” Un- 
fortunately small fragments of shells only are met with ; these 
have been so much rubbed and washed, that the delicate por- 


Nullipores § Spouges of the Boulder Clay of Caithness. 101 


tions have been destroyed; there 1s, however, no dowbt about 
the genus. Many species “ existed during several geological 
periods; for instance, in the Crag, in the London Clay, in the 
Paris Basin, in the Chalk, in the Greensand, and in the Oolite. 
Mr Alder has detected it in a specimen of Pecten islandicus 
from a raised beach at Bute,” and to this list is now to be 
added the boulder clay of Caithness. Many species of Clionia 
also now exist in our seas, as shown in Mr Hancock’s delight- 
ful paper, published in the 3d vol., second series, 1849, of the 
« Annals and Magazine of Natural History,” from which the 
above quotations were taken. I again beg to apologise for so 
long delaying this paper. I trust that the additional matter 
and facts collected by that delay will plead an excuse for me. 
It is pleasant, when working in this once said to be barren 
field, to be rewarded by adding to the shells of the age, first 
zoophytes, and now sponges and plants. 


Wednesday, 27th April 1859.—T. Streruirt Wriert, M.D., 
President, in the Chair. 


Thomas Boyle Grierson, Esq., surgeon, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, 
was elected a non-resident member. 

The usual Committees were appointed for conducting special investi- 
gations during the recess, 


The following donations to the Library were laid on the table :— 


Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester, new 
series, vols. iii, to xiv., and part 1 of vol. xv.—F rom the Literary and 
Philosophical Society of Manchester. Mémoires de la Société Imperiale 
des Sciences Naturelles de Cherbourg, tome v., 1857.—From the Society. 
The Canadian Journal of Industry, Science, and Art, new series, No. 
xix., January 1859.—F rom the Canadian Institute, Toronto. Premiére 
Centurie de Longicornes du Vieux Calabar. Par Auguste Chevrolat. 
Paris, 1858.— From the Author. 


The communications read were as follow :— 


I. Report on the Pearl Banks of Arippo, Ceylon, for Season 1858. By 
KR. F. Ketaart, M.D. Communicated by Dr R. K, Grevitte. 


In this paper the author states that he found in most of the 
pearl-bearing shells a worm (a species of jilaria), which he 


102 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


considered had much to do with the formation of pearls. This 
worm he found in large numbers in the liver, ovary, mantle, 
and other parts of the oyster. He also considered, from his 
researches into the subject, that the ova of the oysters and 
the ova of worms form the nuclei of many pearls found in the 
soft parts of the animal, according to the doctrine of Sir 
Everard Home. This theory has, however, been called in 
question by many authors. Dr Kelaart had sent for examina- 
tion specimens of ovaries, containing pearls of various sizes, 
to the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, London, 
which he considered tended to prove the truth of these views. 
In pearls adherent to the shell he found the nuclei to he sand, 
portions of sea-weed, and larve of insects, &c. In conclusion, 
Dr Kelaart recommended that only the larger and more 
matured oysters should be fished, and that portions of the 
banks should be reserved for breeding purposes. 


Mr Alexander Bryson believed pearls to be the result of 
disease or of irritation, caused by the presence of foreign 
bodies. He stated that, in all his experience, he had found a 
nucleus of foreign and structureless matter, generally siliceous; 
also, that he could, by examining the microscopic structure of 
a pearl, at once infer what shell had produced it. 


II. Note on the Lantern Fly of Honduras. By Mr James Banks. 
Communicated by Dr J. A. SmitH. 

At a previous meeting a specimen of the lantern fly (Ful- 
gora laternaria) of Honduras, from Mr Banks, was exhibited, 
and doubts having been cast on Madame Merian’s statements 
as to its being really luminous at times or not, Mr Banks was 
requested to get farther information, if possible, on the subject. 
Dr Smith said he had been favoured with various letters, ex- 
tracts of which were read. These Mr Banks had received from 
correspondents in Belize, and they bore testimony to the truth 
of the statement of this fly really emitting a light. One from 
Mr Alex. Henderson, Belize, gives the following details :— 
“In answer to the question ‘Is it really luminous? Cer- 
tainly the fly possesses light, and therefore emits it. The 
light is evidently under its control, for it increases and dimi- 
nishes it at pleasure. When the wings are closed, there are. 


Note on the Lantern Fly of Honduras. 103 


three luminous spots, one on each side of the head part, on the 
upper part (like a cat’s staring eyes), of a beautiful sulphur- 
coloured light, in rays that spread over the room. ‘The third 
luminous spot is seen when the fly is on its back, half way 
down the abdominal part of the insect. When quiescent, the 
lumination is least ; in daylight the upper spots are nearly 
white, emitting no light whatever (its lively time is at twi- 
light). Immediately on being agitated, or moving about, the 
spots become sulphur colour, and radiate forth streams of light, 
clearly seen, although the sun be shining into the room, as it 
now does at the moment I write, with the creature in the glass 
tumbler before me. We put out the lights, and to test the 
power of the fly, I took up my psalm-book and read two verses 
of Psalm cix. Mr Robert Gegg also took up a book at random, 
and read by its light. I hope this will satisfy all that the 
lantern-fly is indeed luminous.” He had also a letter from 
Dr John Young, Belize, kindly offering to make any observa- 
tions the Society might desire. A published statement, in 
the “History of the West Indies,” by R. M. Martin, 1837, 
vol. 11. p. 104, being vol. v. of British Colonial Library, corro- 
borating the truth of the lantern-fly being luminous, was also 
referred to. 


Ill. (1.) Notice of a Fossil] Nautilus from the Isle of Sheppy. By 
James M‘Barn, M.D., R.N. 


Dr M‘Bain said, that the specimen of a fossil nautilus which 
he exhibited to the Society was obtained from the Isle of 
Sheppy, along with other fossil remains, and presented to 
him by his friend Dr Easton, of H.M.S. Pembroke. Before 
placing the specimen in the public museum of Edinburgh, 
which, under the present energetic management, was rapidly as- 
suming a highly scientific character, he considered it advisable 
to give a short description of the state of preservation of the 
shell, and the locality whence it was derived. The species 
agreed with the description of the Nautilus Sowerbyi, given 
in a monograph of the Hocene Mollusea, by F. E. Edwards, and 
published by the Paleontographical Society. The specimen 
he exhibited was seven inches in diameter by four inches 
across, measured from one umbilical space to the other. It 


104 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


had lost the whole of the outer or inhabited chamber, but the 
triangular shape of the aperture was distinctly shown by the 
compressed ventral margin of the remaining part of the shell. 
The position of the siphuncle—said to be close to the dorsal 
margin—seemed to be indicated by a small deposit of iron 
pyrites, probably caused by the organic matter having been 
longer retained in that canal. The interior of the shell was 
filled with a ferruginous clay, containing a large proportion of 
carbonate of lime, a stalagmitic layer of which was seen en- 
crusting a portion of the mass. Defoliation of the outer 
porcellanous coat of the shell had taken place, but what 
remained of the inner nacreous layer showed the strie of 
srowth bending sharply backwards in well-marked undula- 
tions. If the proportions of the fossil specimen were similar 
to those of the recent Nautilus pompilius, the shell, when 
entire, would have measured about fifteen inches in diameter. 
Dr M‘Bain stated that the Nautilide were in some respects 
the most interesting family in the molluscan sub-kingdom. 
They formed the type of the second order, Tetrabranchiata of 
Owen, in the class Cephalopada, of which upwards of 1400 
fossil species have been disinterred from the Paleozoic and 
Mesozoic rocks. Of all the genera constituting the Tetra- 
branchiate order of mollusca that existed in the ancient seas, 
the nautilus was the only one that had been found to pass into 
the tertiary formations, and there were at least two species 
still existing in the seas of the tropics. Six fossil nautili 
were stated by Mr Edwards to have been found in the older 
Eocene deposits of England, and four of these had been ob- 
tained from Sheppy—the WV. centralis, NV. urbanus, N. impe- 
rialis, and NV. Sowerbyi. That island was well known to 
paleontologists as a rich depository of organie remains. It 
was situated on the south side, at the mouth of the Thames, 
and separated from the county of Kent by the East Swale, 
and estuary of the river Medway. The greatest length of 
the island, from the garrison at Sheerness to Warden Point, 
the easternmost extremity, was about ten miles, and it was 
from five to six miles in breadth. The geological structure 
consisted of a vast deposit of dark gray or brownish clay, 
rising to the height of nearly 500 feet above the sea, with 


Notice of a Fossil Nautilus from the Isle of Sheppy. 105 


interstratified layers of concretionary nodules, commonly 
called septaria or cement stones. This clay belonged to the 
lower tertiary formation, and formed a part of the London 
basin—one of those isolated fluvio-marine deposits which took 
place in hollows of the chalk subsequent to the cretaceous 
epoch. On the north side of the island, and eastward from 
Sheerness, the cliffs rise to the height of from one to two 
hundred feet, and, chiefly from atmospherical causes, were 
constantly crumbling down in large prismatic masses, which 
gradually broke up, and formed a flat shore of fine silt. Mud 
banks extended off shore for about half a mile, and at low 
water workmen were employed in procuring the cement stones. 
The beach was not more than from ten to twenty yards wide, 
on which were strewed abundance of fossil fruits, wood, crus- 
tacea, and mollusca, which had fallen out of the clay. Dr 
M‘Bain said, he had frequently obtained upwards of a hundred 
. Hocene fossils in a single excursion, and that the remains of 
fish and reptilia were also of frequent occurrence in the Lon- 
don clay of the Island of Sheppy. He added, that many of 
these Hocene fossils became mixed with recent organisms, and 
were buried together in the re-composed silt, which the hasty 
generalization of some paleontologist, in a future new geolo- 
gical epoch, might consider as a sufiicient proof that they also 
lived together at the same time in the Cainozoic period. 


(2.) Notice of the Nucula decussata, found in the so-called Raised Sea- 
beach Bed at Lett). By James M‘Bain, M.D., R.N. 


The members of the Society, Dr M‘Bain said, were no 
doubt familiar with a bed of sand and gravel extending along 
the shores of the Forth in a more or less continuous manner, 
and generally known as the raised sea-beach bed. This de- 
posit had been considered by several eminent geologists to re- 
present an ancient sea-beach, which, in consequence of a gene- 
ral elevation of the land, had been raised twenty feet or more 
above the level of the sea, at a comparatively recent geologi- 
cal period. This view was strenuously opposed by the late 
Professor John Fleming, who maintained that this so-called 
raised sea-beach bed and other accumulations of a similar 

VOL. I. o 


106 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


structure, at still higher levels, derived their origin from 
“ground storms” or sudden risings of the sea, by which shells, 
sand, and gravel, had been placed in situations now consider- 
ably removed from the influence of the tide. Professor Flem- 
ing had arrived at this conclusion as early as 1806, from ex- 
amining a bed of shells, chiefly composed of the common 
oyster shell, to the westward of the town of Borrowstounness, 
in the county of Linlithgow, and stretching along the banks 
of the Forth into Stirlingshire. The raised sea-beach contro- 
versy forms nearly the whole of the last chapter of his last 
work—‘“ The Lithology of Edinburgh.” Any new fact, there- 
fore, connected with this distinct marine deposit would be of 
interest. This raised sea-beach bed is well exposed in many 
parts of the coast between the sandstone quarry at Granton 
and the Magdalen Burn near Fisherrow. It varies in thick- 
ness from two to ten feet, and contains abundance of com- 
minuted shells, with many in a more or less perfect state 
of preservation. The horizontal position of the bed in re- 
spect to the present high-water level is by no means equal. 
At Granton quarry, the base of the bed is about ten or twelve 
feet above high-water mark, and rests upon the sandstone and 
boulder clay; whereas a quarter of a mile to the eastward, at 
a ledge of rocks projecting sea-ward, 1t is only two or three 
feet above high-water level. The bed is then interrupted by 
a sea-wall, until at the east end of the village of Newhaven. 
at the collection of boulders that form a boat harbour, it is 
again observed nearly on a level with high-water. 

From this point eastward the bed gradually rises in height, 
and at an interesting geological section of the boulder clay 
called the Man-trap, the base of the bed is seen to rest on the 
clay, 15 feet above the high-water line. Itis then lost sight 
of by the sea-wall in front of the artillery barracks; but Dr 
M‘Bain had lately an opportunity of seeing it exposed in a 
digging for a drain, at the north end of Albany Street, where 
it appeared about seven or eight feet above high-water. 
Nearly in a line with this digging, and south of the road op- 
posite the west end of Leith Docks, a foundation for a large 
building was begun a month or two ago; and in watching the 
progress of the work, after the removal of two or three feet 


Notice of the Nucula decussata found at Leith. 107 


of artificial soil, the continuation of the sand and gravel bed 
was observed to cover the boulder clay at six or eight feet 
above high-water level. In a section made for the foundation 
of the east wall of the building, the boulder clay was cut down 
to the depth of 12 or 14 feet; and in the sand and gravel-bed 
overlying the clay at this part, amongst other shells usually 
found in this bed, a detached right valve of a Nucula was 
obtained, having the sculpture and characters of Nucula de- 
cussata. The epidermis was well preserved, and of an olive- 
green colour. It was marked with concentric wrinkles, and 
strongly raised radiating strize, with short but distinct trans- 
verse plice on the dorsal area. The inner surface was pearly 
white, and had a crenulated margin, with twelve pectinated 
teeth in front of the cartilage-depression, and about double 
that number behind. The valve was rather more elongated, 
and larger than the ordinary examples of the common Nucula 
nucleus. 

The WV. decussata is not recorded as having been found in 
the Firth of Forth, but it lives on the west coast of Scotland, 
and in the Hebrides, and is said by Liven to be a Swedish 
shell. The specimen was accidentally broken, and the fact of 
the valve having been found is only recorded to direct atten- 
tion to a closer scrutiny of the marine contents of this depo- 
sit, especially in sections inland from the present high-water 
level ; as the lateral extent of this so-called raised sea-beach 
bed, and its relation to other accumulations of a similar litho- 
logical structure, but destitute of any trace of marine remains, 
had not been satisfactorily determined. 


IV. Contribution to a Monograph of Iceland Spar. By ALEXANDER 
Bryson, Esq. — Part I. 
This communication will be given complete (along with 
Part I1.), in a future fasciculus of the Proceedings. 


V. On a Method of constructing Polarizing Prisms of Nitrate of 
Potash. By T. Strernint Wricut, M.D. 


Dr Wright stated that many doubly-refracting substances, 
when immersed in dense and transparent fluids, had, as was 
well known, the property of polarizing light. This polariza- 


108 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


tion of light was not effected by the whole surface of the sub- 
stance, but only by inclined parts of it which intersected the 
ray in an oblique direction. In passing through such parts a 
beam of light was divided into two rays polarized in opposite 
planes. The one ray continued its original course, while the 
other suffered deflection proportionate to the inclination of the 
polarizing surface, and was thus entirely thrown out of the 
field of view. It occurred to the author that large crystals, 
having their surface artificially inclined, might, when 1m- 
mersed in a highly refractive fluid, be used as polarizing 
prisms, and he had succeeded in thus forming polarizers, one 
of which he placed before the Society, and which was found 
to be well adapted for application to the microscope. It con- 
sisted simply of a wedge of nitrate of potash, cut from one of 
the angles of a large crystal, and put up in a cell filled with 
eastor oil. 

Dr Wright stated that very beautiful objects for the polari- 
scope might be formed of clear plates cut from the surfaces of 
large erystals of nitre, and grooved in various designs. These, 
mounted on a colouring plate of mica, and enclosed im a plate- 
glass cell filled with oil of turpentine, gave rich effects of 
changing tint when traversed by light reflected from a glass 
plate or from the northern sky. Large planes of parallel 
polarizing crystals might be produced by crystallizing muriate 
of morphia on shghtly inclined plates of glass, and might be 
removed so as to leave designs. These figures, when mounted 
in Canada balsam, with colouring plates of mica, gave curiously 
dazzling binocular effects, or when viewed with both eyes, as 
the two images differed in colour for each eye. In examining 
objects of this class. 1 was necessary to stop off all rays but 
those passing at right angles to the polarising plate. 


VI. Notes on the Geology of Swellendam, South Africa. By Wittiam 
Carrutuers, Esq. (Specimens of the rocks and fossils were ex- 
hibited.) 


The specimens which formed the subject of this notice were 
gathered and sent to this country by Mr Robert Douglas, a 
self-educated and enthusiastic geologist. They were intended, 


Notes on the Geology of Swellendam. 109 


the author said, for his late friend, Mr James Brown, a young 
chemist, who, by his labours and discoveries in the science to 
which he had devoted himself, gave promise of an active and 
useful life, which was, however, cut short by an attack of 
cholera, that in a few hours proved fatal. His retiring manners 
and devotion to his work made him unknown, save to a few 
friends, who were thus unexpectedly called to mourn the loss of 
one who seemed destined by his labours to command the respect 
of the scientific world; and the collection was some months 
ago placed in the hands of the writer by his father. It con- 
sists of nearly 1000 different specimens, with accompanying 
manuscripts, drawings, and sections, most elaborately exe- 


cuted. Valuable memoirs had been published by Mr Bain on 


the geology of South Africa; but he did not seem to have 
visited Du Toit, the locality where the fossils on the Society’s 
table had been gathered, as it was not mentioned by him. 
Du Toit is about thirty-five miles north-west from Swellen- 
dam. It is situated on the further side of the Lange Bergen 
Mountains, on the oldest beds of what, from paleontographical 
evidence, seems to be the Old Red Sandstone. The fossili- 
ferous beds are composed of coarse sandstones and shales. 
The fossils are chiefly brachiopod mollusea, and include 
Spirifer antarcticus, and Orbignit, Terebratula Bainii, Orbi- 
cula Bainii, &c., Solinella -antiqua, and other bivalves. 
Besides these there were only some Enerinite stems, and the 
cast of a Trilobite, neither of which could be more specifically 
described, owing to their bad preservation. Mr Carruthers 
noticed the remarkable condition in which the clay slates of 
the metamorphic series exist in the vicinity of Swellendam, 
where they have little more consistency than dried alluvial 
brick clays, so soft as to have permitted Mr Bain to drive a 
tunnel of 400 feet through them by the aid of the pickaxe and 
spade alone. The induration increases, however, until in 
other localities the rocks become, as Mr Douglas says, “ ex- 
ceedingly hard, siliceous, and splintery, so as to cut the hand 
when incautiously griped.” 


110 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


VIL. Ornithological Notes. (Specimens were exhibited ) 


(1.) The Gadwall, Anas strepera, Linn. By P. A. Dassavvitte, Esq. 


This species being of rare occurrence in Scotland, Mr 
Dassauville thought it might be of interest to show the two 
specimens now before the Society. They were shot on the Tay, 
near Newburgh,.1n the beginning of April, and are a male ana 
female, as was proved by dissection, the ova of the female being 
numerous, but not far advanced. Mr Dassauville was aware 
of the danger that specimens obtained, as these were, in the 
_ poulterers’ shops, might not be actually procured in this 
country, since importing wild fowl from the continent was 
so general; but the specimens under notice were evidently 
so recently shot—the feet and webs being quite soft and 
flexible—that he had no hesitation in believing they were 
killed in this country, without other evidence; however, he 
had been obliged with a sight of the invoice which accom- 
panied them, dated from Perth, and felt satisfied there was no 
room to doubt that they were procured from the locality men- 
tioned. One or two sessions ago Dr J. A. Smith exhibited 
to the Society specimens-of the gadwall, and these were the 
only others he had seen that were killed in Scotland. 


(2.) The Shoveller, Anas clypeata, Linn.; the Great Grey Shrike, 
Lanius excubitor, Linn.; the Shore Lark, Alanda alpestris, Linn. 
By Joun ALEXANDER Situ, M.D. 


Dr Smith said, he was disappointed in not being able to 
exhibit a very fine pair of Shovellers (Anas clypeata), male 
and female, which he had examined; they were shot near 
Kincardine, on the Forth, about the Ist of April. The birds 
were now the property of Robert Chambers, jun., Esq., and 
as they were rare in this neighbourhood, their capture was 
worth putting on record. He exhibited an adult male Cine- 
rious Shrike, Zanius excubitor, which was one of our occa- 
sional visitors, and far from common ; it was noticed to occur 
generally in the beginning of winter. This bird was got on 
the 30th of March at Tulliallan, near Kincardine, on the 
Forth. Mr James Miller, the gamekeeper who shot it, had 


Notes on the Crania of the Bos primigenius. 111 


never seen a specimen of the bird before, although he had 
lived for many years in the district. 

The last bird Dr Smith had to notice was the Shore Lark, 
Alauda alpestris, Linn. It is a bird of very rare occurrence, 
being apparently only an accidental straggler in this country ; 
in the north of Asia, Europe, and especially America, it 
abounds, and migrates southwards in the autumn to more 
temperate regions. The first specimen noticed in England 
was in 1830, and only one or two have been observed since. 
He had not been able to find any recorded as taken in Scotland. 
This bird was killed by Mr Evans, Tynefield, about the 10th 
of January last, near the mouth of the Tyne, and its plumage 
was unfortunately much destroyed by the shot. Itisa fine old 
male, having the back brown; tinted on the head, neck, and 
shoulders, of a rich vinaceous colour; the streak over the eye, 
the forehead, and the ear-coverts, yellow; and with the lore 
and a gorget of black; under parts dull white, and flanks pale 
reddish brown; axillaries white. It is the property of Dr C. 
Nelson, Pitcox, near Dunbar, to whom it was presented. 


VIII. Notes on the Crania of the Urus (Bos primigenius) in the 
Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. By Joun 
ALEXANDER SmitH, M.D. 

Some years ago, when gathering up various details in refer- 
ence to the ancient small short-horned cattle of this country, 
my attention was also directed to the large cattle (Bos pri- 
migenius), and to the specimens of crania in the Museum of 
the Society of Antiquaries. I took various measurements of 
these crania, and searched the early records of the Society 
for such information in regard to the places where they were 
found, and any other details that might be of interest; and 
as Mr ‘Turner has favoured us this session with some details 
of the specimens of this great ox in the Anatomical Museum 
of the University, I have thought it might interest the mem- 
bers if I produced my old notes on the subject. 

There are three specimens of these crania of the Bos primi- 
genius in the Museum of the Society, marked Nos. 2, 4, and 
5 of the “ Fossil Skulls,” &c., in the printed Catalogue of the 
Museum, and the following table gives some of their measure- 
ments :— 


112 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


2. 4, 3. 


JRivee ss Gop Wes) Ing Ft. In. 


Intermaxil- 
1 lary bone Pes 2 3 


awanting. 


Length of skull from supra occi- 
pital ridge to front of inter- 
maxillary bones, 


Length from do. to upper part of me 


apg Le 


bol 
_ 
Le) 
dH 


nasal bones, : 
Length from middle of supra- 
occipital se to ne Sal 


— 
oS 
_ 
pul 
— 
—) 


of orbit, . 

Length of orbit, 

Breadth of do. : 

Breadth of skull between roots 
of horn-cores, 

Breadth across middle ae orbits, 

Horn-cores—circumference of at 
base, 

Length, following outer ciavaioee’ 

Span of horn-cores from tip to tip, 

Across greatest width of horn-cores, 

Length of alveolar sockets for 
teeth, 

| Breadth across occipital candle) 


i 
— 
CS NW) eS GOO (eS 
bt 
i 
~~ 


S 2S Stow Se 4S FO BOee 
S Geb we SS Oo -© 42 
=) 
dhe 


| 
a 
| 


The cranium No. 4 was the one first presented to the 
Museum of the Society, by the Rev. Thomas Robertson, 
minister of Selkirk, in 1781. The donation was made through 
a Mr Cairncross, and the following letter accompanying it is 
preserved in the library of the Society :— 


~~ 


To Mr George Cairncross, Writer, Parliament Close, 
Edinburgh (with an ox's skull and flints). 


SELKIRK, July 14th, 1781. 

“ DEAR StR—Among other curiosities dug out of a marle 
moss at Whitmuirhall in this parish, the skull and flints of 
an ox which I have sent you attracted my attention. You, I 
know, are fond of anything that tends to throw light upon the 
ancient state of this country, and therefore I used the freedom 
to transmit this, not merely on account of its uncommon size, 
but as a proof of the large breed of cattle with which this 
country abounded in the last century. I found five skulls, 
evidently larger, but not so entire. I found also several small 
axes, resembling those used by coppersmiths, but did not 


i a 


Notes on the Crania of the Bos primigenius. 113 


think it worth while to trouble you with them. If anything 
deserving the attention of your Society occurs in this part 
of the country, I shall assuredly transmit it to you. Mrs 
Robertson joins me in best compliments to Mrs Cairncross 
and the family—with, dear Sir, your humble servant,— 
Tuomas Ropertson.—First Letter-book of Soc. Ant. Scot., 
p. 628. 


The skull was presented to the Society at its meeting on 
the 17th July 1781; and the following reference to it is re- 
corded in the Minute-book, vol. 1., p. 72:— 

“ Mr George Cairncross presented, from the Rev. Thomas 
Robertson of Selkirk, the bones of the head and flints of 
the horns of a large animal dug out of a marle-pit near Sel- 
kirk, at a place called Whitmuirhall. The circumference of 
each flint at the base is 143 inches; the length of that on the 
right 27 inches, of the other 28 inches; the distance between 
the sockets of the eyes 114 inches; the breadth of the front, 
which is quite flat, from the sides immediately over the sockets 
of the eyes, 124 inches; the depth from the top of the front 
to the top of the sockets of the eyes, 10 inches; and from the 
top of the front to the upper part of the insertion of the car- 
tilage of the nose 13 inches. This appears to be the animal 
described by Julius Cesar in his “‘ Commentaries,” Book vi. 
c. 5, by the name of Urus.” And the Secretary, Mr James 
Cumming, in a letter dated 25th July, informs the Rev. Mr 


Robertson that the skull was presented to the Society, and 


‘in the opinion of some able naturalists among us, it is 
believed to belong to that species of animal described by 
Julius Cesar in his ‘Commentaries,’ Lib. vi. c. 5, by the 
name of Urus.” 

The cranium No. 2 is tolerably entire, but, like all the 
others, the lower jaw is awanting. It was dug out of a moss 


in the county of Galloway, and was presented to the Museum 


of the Society by the Rev. David M‘Robert, in the year 1782. 
In this cranium two of the molars remain in the alveolar 
sockets. Itis referred to in the Minute-book, p. 205, July 
12, 1782, as follows :— 


“There was presented, from the Rev. David M‘Robert, the 
VOL, II. P 


114 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


skeleton of the head and flints of the horns of a large animal 
dug out of a moss in the county of Galloway, similar in species 
to the one described in page 72, paragr. ult., and nearly of the 
same dimensions; the whole length of the front measuring 
2 feet 2 inches ; two of the Dentes molares remaining in the 
upper jaw, each having one deep furrow in the middle, and 
measuring on the under surface 14 inch the one way, and 
% of an inch the other.” No letter relating to this skull 
seems to have been preserved, as, unfortunately, a gap occurs 
in the letter-books at this period; and from ‘the same reason 
we learn nothing of the last specimen presented, No. 3, except 
what is stated in the Minute-book, July 9th, 1782, p. 220: 
—‘‘There was. presented from Thomas Scott of Hapsburn, 
Esq., the skeleton of the head and flints of the horns of a large 
animal similar in species to the one described in page 72, 
par. ult., and in page 205, paragr. 4, and nearly of the.same 
dimensions, but more entire than either; the whole length of 
the front measuring 2 feet 4 inches, four of the Dentes 
molares remaining in each side of the upper jaw, of the same 
size and shape with those in the head described in page 205.” 

As far as I am aware, these are the earliest instances on 
record of this large-sized ox being observed in Scotland, and 
it is interesting to find the conclusions come ’to in regard to 
them by the naturalists of this generation forestalled by a 
small body of quiet students of the Antiquities and Natural 
History of Scotland meeting in Edinburgh so early as 1781; 
identifying these large cattle as being the same as the URwus, 
the gigantic ox described as occurring on the continent of 
Europe, by Julius Cesar, in his “ De Bello Gallico.” I need 
scarcely refer to the mistake made by the Minister of Selkirk 
in his letter accompanying the first donation, that they were 
the remains of cattle of what he calls the “last century.” The 
general opinion has been that they were extirpated in Britain 
before the invasion of the Romans, as historians are altogether 
silent on the subject of their existence. They had, however, 
apparently abounded, at least in Scotland, probably at a some- 
what more early period, which seems to be shown by another 
part of Mr Robertson’s letter, where he refers to various small 
brass axes being found along with the numerous crania of 


Notes on the Orania of the Bos primigenius. {115 


these large cattle. Unfortunately he considered thése axes 
as of very little consequence, from some supposed similarity 
to the tools of coppersmiths, though what work coppersmiths 
could have had to do in the wilds of Selkirkshire, so as to 
have left their axes lying about in such numbers, it is not 
very easy to understand. He apparently mistook the nature 
of these weapons, which were in all likelihood the ordinary 
bronze axe-heads or celts, now so well known as having been 
the weapons and tools of the early races who inhabited the Bri- 
tish Isles, and which have been found over the whole country, 
as well as in the stone cists the tombs of the ancient people. 
I exhibit various specimens of these bronze celts, palstaves, 
and socketed celts, which, I doubt not, correspond to the 
coppersmith’s axes of the letter referred to. The accom- 
panying woodcut shows various types of these axes. 


It has been stated, that bones of the Bos primigenius 
have been found indented with the primitive stone javelin of 
the aborigines of the north of Europe; here we apparently 
have them in close relation to the bronze weapons of a possibly 
still later age, showing that these animals roamed in our forests 
and marshes, and were hunted by the inhabitants of these 
early times in at least our northern kingdom of Scotland. 
Professor Owen says, “from the very recent character of the 
osseous substances in the remains of these cattle, it may be 
concluded that the Bos primigenius maintained its ground 


116 Proceedings of the Royul Physical Society. 


longest ‘in Scotland before its final extinction. And Pro- 
fessor Nilssen of Lund believes that the Bos primigenius was 
found in a wild or half-wild state in the forests of central 
Europe down even to the beginning or middle of the sixteenth 
century. (See papers on the Extinct and Existing Animals 
of Scandinavia,” in “Annals and Magazine of Natural 
History,” 1849.) 


Dr J. A. Smith exhibited the skull of a sheep (a wether) 
which, from the singular variety in the form of its horns, had 
been sent by Mr Sanderson, bird-stuffer, George Street. The 
horns were closely adjoming each other at the base, in the 
centre of the forehead, as in the buffalo, and from this point 
they were bent outwards and upwards like those of the ox. 


The Society then adjourned to next winter session. 


PROCEEDINGS 


OF THE 


ROYAL PHYSICAL SOCIETY. 


KIGHTY-NINTH SESSION, 1859-60. 


Wednesday, November 23, 1859.—Anprew Murray, Esq., President, 
in the Chair. 


Ramsay H. Traquair, Esq., 30 Clarence Street, was elected a member 
of the Society. 

The following donations to the Library were laid on the table, and 
thanks voted to the donors :— 

Proceedings of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Liverpool, 
for Session 1858-59, No. 13.—From the Society. Canadian Journal, 
Toronto, Nos. 20, 22, and 23, for 1859—From the Canadian 
Institute, Toronto. Journal of the American Geographical and Statistical 
Society, Nos. 1, 2, 3, January to March 1859. New York.—F rom the 
Society. Conservatory Journal (Newspaper), No. 7; Boston, U.S.A.— 
From the Editor. Recherches Experimentales sur les Effects du Courant 
Hlectrique, appliqué au Nerf Grand Sympathique. Par M. Phillippe 
Comte Linati, et par M. Prime Caggiati, M.D. Parme, 1859.—From 
the Authors. 


Anprew Murray, Esq., President, then delivered the Opening Ad- 
dress, as follows :— 

GENTLEMEN,—It is the custom of this, as of most other 
Societies, to open the business of the session with an address 
from one of their Presidents; and our rule is that this duty 
shall be performed by the senior President on the occasion of 
his retiring from office, it so happening that the terminal 
period of that office coincides with the commencement of our 
session. The term for which I was elected President now 
draws to a close; I am about to lay down the honour with 
which you invested me; and the duty of addressing you on 

VOL. II. Q 


118 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the present occasion therefore devolves upon me. The occa- 
sion, although an opening one as regards you, being thus a 
closing one as regards me, naturally suggests that the subject 
of my address should be of a retrospective nature; and so it 
has usually been considered by my predecessors in this office. 
The kind of retrospection, however, which of late years has 
formed the subject of their addresses, has, alas! almost exclu- 
sively been the funeral orations of eminent members removed 
from us by death during the previous year. Year after year 
death has gone on picking one by one the best (though not 
always the ripest) fruit from among us. One year it was 
Edward Forbes; the next year it was Hugh Miller; the year 
after, Dr Fleming; and it was clear that no President would 
have well fulfilled his duty who, in his address, had passed 
over the deaths of such eminent members of our body without 
a suitable record and eloge. Owing to the importance of these 
losses, this species of retrospection has necessarily been pre- 
vented from falling into arrear. And now, when, thanks be 
to God, we have had a momentary respite, and have passed 
over another year without having such another limb lopped 
off, the President of the day can turn to another kind of 
retrospection, which has fallen into arrear, or, I should rather 
say, which has never, since the revival of the Society, been 
begun to be brought up. Not that we have no losses during 
the past year to deplore, but that those which have been 
sustained are of members who, however able and regretted by 
us all, have not occupied that space in the public eye, nor 
achieved that amount of eminence in science which distin- 
guished the members whose names I have just mentioned. 
Thus had I written, gentlemen, when, on entering this room, 
I find my congratulations dashed to the ground by the melan- 
choly intelligence of the death of Professor George Wilson, 
which has just been communicated to me. Although not now 
one of our working members, we cannot forget that Professor 
Wilson was formerly one of our Presidents, and that of late 
he has been one of the foremost men in our scientific world in 
Edinburgh. The loss will be felt both as a public and a 
private one. His genial and amiable disposition endeared 
him to his friends and acquaintances; his abilities and attain- 


The President’s Address. 119 


ments secured the regard and admiration of the public. The 
direction in which these have been exercised of late years lay 
more peculiarly in the walks followed by other societies, 
which he more frequently honoured by his presence and 
valuable contributions, and by them his loss will be more 
severely felt, and from them we may look more fittingly for a 
narration of his life and labours. To them I will leave it then, 
and at once proceed with what I was about to say regarding 
a summary or view of the progress made during the previous 
year or years in the sciences cultivated by the Society. The 
desirableness of such periodical reviews or reports will not be 
disputed; and the general persuasion entertained of their 
value is sufficiently indicated by three-fourths of the annual 
Presidential addresses professedly aiming at giving such 
reviews. And yet the practical results of such attempts are 
far less satisfactory than might be expected. The student of 
any department of science might naturally expect that, by 
referring to an address of this nature, he would find a resumé 
or abridgment of the most important work that had been 
done in that department during the previous year. But he 
will generally find himself disappointed; he will find refer- 
ences to such proceedings and discoveries as he already 
knows, but seldom to much beyond this. And the reason of it 
is this: the scope of the address is usually too wide; it 
embraces too much; and as the writer cannot omit notice of 
the main discoveries which have been the ornament of the 
year, by the time he has gone over these his space is ex- 
hausted, and more minute details are impossible. It is only 
in societies having a very restricted, single, and direct object, 
that it can be possible to give a comprehensive summary of 
all the progress made during the past year. In a society 
embracing so many, so large, and so well-laboured fields as 
this does, it would obviously be impossible to compress into a 
single address (even supposing any one individual were com- 
petent to do so), a full or satisfactory resumé of the progress 
of the sciences in which we are interested during any one 
year. It has, however, been suggested to me by our excel- 
lent Secretary, that a less ambitious attempt might be more 
within reach of success; and that, by restricting the field 


120 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


of operations, a more useful, in so far as a more complete, 
review might be given. In this Society, although we are 
all bound by a common bond of union, and all feel an in- 
terest in every one of the departments of science which are 
treated of here, we are not equally proficient in them all. 
Each has usually some particular branch of our common study 
in which he feels a greater interest than in the rest. Each 
has made greater progress in the knowledge of some one 
special department ; and without in any way depreciating the 
extent and the value of his general knowledge of the whole, 
each 1s undoubtedly better qualified to give a review or sum- 
mary of the progress of that branch with which he is him- 
self most familiar. It has been suggested to me, then, that if 
those of our Presidents who in their address should wish to 
cast a retrospective glance over the progress of science were 
to confine themselves to a report upon the branch with which 
they are most familiar, we should in the course of a few years 
have a series of summaries which might be really practically 
useful to the student—at all events, more so than any merely 
general retrospects could possibly be. In my present address 
I propose to act upon this principle ; and taking that branch of 
science, Entomology, which is my favourite department, and 
that branch of it (Coleoptera) which I specially affect, I shall 
endeavour to lay before you a view of what has recently been 
done in this science, both at home and abroad :— | 


Beginning with the works on systematic entomology published during 
the last three years or so, facile princeps, whether in extent and import- 
ance of subject, or in the mode in which it is executed, stands Lacordaire’s 
Histoire des Genres des Coleoptéres,—a work now in course of being pub- 
lished as one of the Suites d Buffon. For a long series of years, ever 
since the days of Fabricius, Latreille, Olivier, &c., when the whole number 
of insects known did not exceed many hundreds, down to the present 
day, when 100,000 species but faintly represent the number actually known 
(there are 90,000 species of insects of all orders in the Berlin Museum), en- 
tomology has been going on constantly increasing, without any systematic 
work or general treatise upon it having been executed. An enormous 
number of species have been separately described in transactions ar 
periodicals ; numerous combined descriptions of new species peculiar to 
individual districts have been published; and also a number of local 
faunas, such as those of Hrichson, Stephens, Redtenbacher, Mulsant, Heer, 
Rossi, &c. Many most valuable monographs and treatises upon special 
groups of Coleoptera have also been executed, such as Dejean’s Carabide, 
Aubé’s Hydrocantharide, Erichson’s Staphylinide, Burmeister’s Lamel- 
licornes, Schonherr’s Curculionidae, and a host of others. To attempt to 
lick these into shape—to throw them all into one common systematic 


The President's Address. 121 


treatise, embodying at their proper places the thousands of independent 
notices scattered through a crowd of transactions and periodicals—dispos- 
ing of questions of disputed synonymy—deciding the great questions of 
disputed arrangement, and where these appear wrong correcting them, 
or offering a new solution of the difficulty,—is a task requiring the pa- 
tience of Sisyphus and the powers of labour of Hercules, combined with 
talents, attainments, and facilities possessed by very few. Such is the 
task which is now being successfully carried out by Professor Lacordaire. 
Five volumes have already appeared: the first is occupied with the 
Carabide ; the second, the Staphylinde and Clavicornes; the third, 
the Lamellicornes; the fourth, the Buprestide, Elateride, and Malaco- 
dermata; and the fifth, with the Heteromera. The manner in which 
a systematic view of the subject is given is this:—The characters of 
the different groups, larger and smaller, are separately detailed; a 
full exposition of the characters of each genus, with its synonymy, 
is then separately given; a notice of its geographical distribution, 
or any specialty relating to it, is added; and in a note, a list of all the 
species hitherto described is given in the shortest space possible, with 
occasional synonymical corrections. A beautiful atlas or volume of plates, 
giving figures and details of the rarer genera, is to accompany the work ; 
and here, as ‘in the text, every care is taken to save unnecessary expense. 
In the lists of the species given in the notes, for instance, instead of bur- 
dening them with the species which have been described in the chief 
monographs on the subject, Professor Lacordaire assumes that these are 
already in the library of every entomologist, and merely says, “ To the 
150 species (or whatever the number may be) described by Dejean, add 
the following.” So in the plates, nothing that is to be found in works 
-easily accessible is here repeated. ‘This has been carried so far as even 
to assume the aspect of a defect—at least | am sure that the majority of 
purchasers would gladly have paid a little more for a larger series of 
figures of rare genera than has yet been given. The result of Professor 
Lacordaire’s labours, however, is that this is undoubtedly the most useful 
entomological work of the present day. It is a perfect storehouse of 
information, and forms a new starting-point from which entomologists 
may take a fresh departure. In according to it so much commendation, 
I am far from implying that it is perfect, or implicitly to be trusted to. 
It is ew necessitate in great part a compilation, and, as in all compila- 
tions, the accuracy of the work depends upon the accuracy of the original 
deseriber, not of the compiler. 

Next in importance to this work of Professor Lacordaire we have a 
number of very valuable monographs. The concurrent opinion of ento- 
mologists has been of late years expressed so strongly against the prac- 
tice, once common, of giving isolated specific descriptions of individual 
insects in transactions or periodicals, that such descriptions are now be- 
coming proscribed, unless where some special reason exists for signalizing 
an individual—as, for instance, its being of a very anomalous character, 
so that its true position may be matter of doubt, or its supplying a vacant 
gap, or furnishing an interesting unknown representative in one country 
of a group peculiar to another country. Except under such circum- 
stances, one does not now often meet those isolated descriptions with which 
the young beginner used to essay his flight. Something connected is 
now looked for, and entomological writings either assume the form of 
monographs or local faunas. I shall first glance at the recent monographs. 
One very important one is a monograph of the Hlateride by M. Candeze 
of Liege (a pupil of M. Lacordaire), which has been executed with a care 
and skill worthy of his great master. M.1l’Abbé de Marseuil’s mono- 
graph of the Histerida@, lately published in the Annales of the Entomo- 


122 Proceedings of the hoyal Physical Society. 


logical Society of France, is another most admirable specimen of what a 
monograph should be. In addition to a good description, an engraved 
outline of every species is given—an assistance which those who have 
puzzled over the great number of species apparently alike, and only dis- 
tinguished by their delicate seulpturing and punctuation, will know how 
to appreciate. 

Another important monograph has been brought to a close within the 
last three years—Boheman’s Monographia Cassididarum. ‘The first 
volume has been before the public for some years; the second is now 
also, and the favourable verdict which had been pronounced upon the first 
is confirmed on the second. So many additional species have since been 
discovered, that he informs me that a supplement has become necessary, 
and will be published. 

Two other monographs have appeared or been commenced upon other 
families of the subpentamerous Phytophages. One a monograph upon the 
African Cryptocephalt, published by M. Suffrian in the Linnea Entomo- 
logica two years ago. M. Suffrian had previously monographed the 
Cryptocephalide of Europe, and also those of North America. He is 
now engaged upon those of Australia, to which, although Mr Wilson 
Saunders’ papers in the 4th volume of the Transactions of the Entomo- 
logical Society of London formed a valuable contribution; much still 
remained to be done. 

The other monograph lately published, in this group of families, 
is the Catalogue of the Hispide in the British Museum, by Dr Baly— 
first volume. In accordance with the enlightened course followed by 
Dr Gray in publishing lists of the contents of the British Museum, 
these, from originally consisting of a mere list of what was im the 
museum, have gone on improving, first into a list both of deseribed spe- 
cies already in the museum, and of the desiderata not in the museum ; 
then advancing into a description of new species in the museum besides 
those already described ; and at last assuming the form of perfect mono- 
graphs by the first authorities, containing their newest views of arrange- 
ment, the deseriptions of species both old and new, and this not merely 
the new in the museum, but all the new that can be collected from every 
quarter; so that, while practically the interest of the museum im it is 
limited to the letters B. M. appended to the species it possesses, its real 
interest extends to the whole scientific world. Dr Baly’s work is the pro- 
duction of a careful and acute naturalist, and is a credit to the science of 
this country. 

Herr Gerstacker has commenced a work under the title of Entomogra- 
phien, of which the first volume, lately published, contains a careful mono- 
graph of the Endomychide; and as M. Guerin-Meneyille has also given his 
views'on that family, firstin Mr Thomson’s Archives Entomologiques, and 
afterwards in his Revue de Zoologie, we may approach the study of that dif- 
ficult family without fear of suffering from imsuflicient advice. I confess, 
however, that it is rather an embarras de richesses. It is possible to have too 
much of a good thing; and two monographs on the same subject, published 
by two eminent men at the same time, is a case in point. With the poet we 
may say—‘‘ How happy could I be with either, were t’other dear charmer 
away.” We have seen the same thing happen before. It happened with 
Kirby and Latreille. When Kirby brought out his chiefest work, the 
Monographia Apum Anghe, Latreille’s Genera appeared within a few 
weeks of it; but there the competition only shed lustre upon both. Work- 
ing upon a nearly new subject without communication with each other, 
they hit upon the same divisions, established families and genera upon 
the same characters, and, generally, the results to which they came were 
s0 identical, as to give confidence to men of science that the subject had 


~The President’s Address. 123 


been carefully and conscientiously investigated, and that the conclusions 
to which they had come were to be relied upon. One fortunate accidental 
circumstance in that case prevented the embroilment of synonymy becom- 
ing so great as it would otherwise have been: Kirby, instead of giving 
separate generic or subgeneric names to his minor sections, indicated them 
merely by a greater or less number of asterisks or Greek letters, so that 
the generic names which had been given them by Latreille stood and 
answered both for his own sections and for those of Kirby. In this in- 
stance the same coincidence does not occur. Gerstacker has taken his 
generic characters chiefly from the parts of the mouth ; Guerin-Meneville 
from the elytra, the legs, and the prosternum—which latter, however, has 
also been made use of by Gerstacker ; but fortunately, before Gerstacker’s 
work issued from the press, he had the opportunity of seeing Guerin’s 
papers, and he points out the differences between them in an appendix. 

Some other valuable monographs have appeared in various periodicals, 
or in occasional works which are issued by one or two zealous entomolo- 
gists—in the Opuscules of Mulsant, the Archives of Thomson of Paris, 
and the Etudes Entomologiques of Motschoulsky, &e., &c. In his Opus- 
cules, Mulsant has published several valuable monographical papers, con- 
tributions to the history of the Pedinites, and others of the Heteromera. 
M. Motschoulsky has given a monograph of the Lampyride or glow- 
worms, and of the Malacodermata, in his Htudes. Mr Thomson is 
publishing a monograph of the Cicindelide, with coloured figures of 
every species, in a style of ‘‘luwe’’ (we have no word which expresses 
the meaning so well) hitherto unequalled. He has also, with equal 
magnificence, in his Archives, monographed the Anacoli, Tragocephali, 
&c., limited but beautiful tribes of Longicornes. Several lesser mono- 
graphs have also lately appeared, such as that of M. Bouldieu on the 
Ptim (Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr.); and of M. De Bonvouloir on the Thros- 
cide, &e. 

Let us now turn to the special additions to our knowledge of insects 
and of their geographical distribution. We naturally turn our eyes first 
to our native country, and inquire what advance British Entomology has 
been making. From various causes, the zeal of our entomologists has 
of late chiefly taken the direction of the Lepidoptera. Mr Stainton, by 
his personal energy, as well as by his work on the Tineina, has given a 
great impulse to the study of the Microlepidoptera; and his Entomolo- 
gust’s Annual, which has been the chief outlet to the votaries of British 
Entomology, has naturally been principally occupied with the department 
which its editor most affects. Mr Jansen, however, in that annual has 
done good service to the Coleoptera, by placing upon record the capture of 
such species as were not previously known to be British—or rather, not 
recorded in Stephens’ Manual as British. This record of additions, which 
is prepared with much care, comes at a most suitable time to aid Mr 
Waterhouse in his unpretending but most laborious construction of a 
catalogue of all the British species of Coleoptera. As this is not merely 
a catalogue of all Stephens’ species, with the addition of such novelties as 
Mr Jansen and others may have recorded, but a careful examination of 
every specimen in Stephens’ collection, and an unravelling and compari- 
son with continental names of his and Kirby’s synonymes, so as to give 
us a true list of what is really native (no doubtful species being admitted), 
it is obvious that it is a work which could only be undertaken by a con- 
summate entomologist. He has published about the half of it; and as, 
for the sake of certainty and harmony with the continental nomenclature 
in such difficult families as the Staphylinide and Nitidulide, he has ex- 
pressly visited the continental collections, so as to see the true types of 
Erichson and others, we have a work of European value. I can truly 


124 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


say, that there is-no work falling within my present subject which com- 
prises so much skilled labour in such small space. This catalogue is the 
first step towards our procuring a good manual or entomological work in 
the English language, giving descriptions of the species found in Britain. 
Members are aware that we have no such work, and that at present, for 
good working books of reference, we must have recourse to the Continent, 
although even there they are not far ahead of us, no good work on the 
subject having been yet completed, although some are in progress. The 
British works which we do possess are Curtis’s British Entomology, 
Wilson and Duncan’s Entomologia Edinensis, and Stephens’ Illustra- 
tions and Manual. Of these, Curtis’s British Entomology gives a valu- 
able series of coloured plates, which are so judiciously selected as to 
represent almost every one of our modern genera. The text is certainly 
not equal to the plates, and I do not think that Mr Curtis would now so 
consider it himself. Entomological descriptions are very different things 
from what they were when he wrote that work. The arrangement also 
is confused, owing to the plan adopted—bringing out the work in parts 
containing a little of each department at the same time, or nearly so; 
and the work generally would require to be revised to suit the modern 
state of the science. The plates, however, are unsurpassed: they have 
been published separately, and other use will yet be made of them. In 
the meantime they give what is equivalent to the genera of most of our 
British insects, and that not only in the Coleoptera, but in all the other 
orders. The book, however, is cut of print, and, besides, was so expen- 
sive as to put it beyond general reach. There is now an equivalent to 
this book publishing in Paris, so far as the Coleoptera are concerned. It 
is styled the Genera des Coleopteres d’ Europe, by M. Jacquelin du Val, a 
very accurate entomologist, who first distinguished himself, some years 
ago, by publishing a revision of that most perplexing family, the Bem- 
bidia of EKurope. His present work gives a beautiful coloured figure, 
with details, of every genus known in Kurope. The other English works 
capable of assisting him in this object are the Entomologia Edinensis, 
by the late Mr James Wilson and Mr W. Duncan, applicable only to a 
small portion of British species, and, moreover, out of print. Stephens’ 
Illustrations and Manual, although of the highest value when they 
first appeared, are now felt to be so cumbered with blunders and inac- 
curacies, that many think it better not to use them at all. A few more 
monographs of British species of certain groups, which are everything 
that one could wish, so far as they go, but only embrace a small part of 
the subject, will not supply the deficiency. I refer to Dawson’s British 
Geodephaga, Walton’s British Curculionide, Wollaston’s Atomarie. 
If I had not praised them, I would have added my own Cercyonide and 
Catopside. By getting British entomologists to take up special groups 
in this way, we may at last obtain materials sufficient to make it easy for 
a compiler to throw the whole into one work. Until that is done, we 
must look abroad ; and although we do not obtain even there anything 
complete which I could recommend, we shall there find what we want in 
progress, either in French or German, as our inclinations may lead us. 
On the one hand, we have Fairmaire and Laboulbéne’s Faune Frangaise, 
of which the first volume only is published—a large duodecimo at a cheap 
price ; on the other hand we have the Insecten Deutschland, which was 
commenced by Hrichson, resumed, in a spirit and with an ability worthy 
of Hrichson himself, by MM. Schaum, Kraatz, and von Kiesenwetter. 
M. Schaum has taken the Geodephaga and Hydradephaga in hand; M. 
Kraatz has supplied the Staphylinide ; M. von Kiesenwetter is engaged 
upon the Buprestide and Elateride. This is the work which I would 
recommend for British entomologists. The fauna of Germany is in many 


Bt des di a 


r 
4 
? 
a 


The President’s Address. 125 


respects so similar to our own, that any new discoveries in Britain may be 
reasonably expected to be species already known there ; and we thus have 
not only a most careful guide to the species already known in Europe, but 
the means of deciphering any novelties. There is another book of a simt- 
lar nature which would be very useful to British entomologists, but is in a 
manner superseded by the two preceding works—a series of volumes, by 
M. Mulsant, descriptive of different sections of Coleoptera in France. 
It is a good many years since he published the Lamellicornes of France, 
the Palpicornes of France, the Longicornes of France, the Securipalpes 
of France, and now we have the Heteromera of France in progress. 
very one must admit the value of M. Mulsant’s works; but their 
extreme minuteness of description renders them less popular than they 
deserve. 

So far as regards the Huropean fauna, a great many additions can 
scarcely be expected. A number of new species from the Llandes and 
the Pyrenees have been described by M. von Kiesenwetter and others ; and 
some interesting small species, constituting new genera, have been dis- 
covered by M. Jac. du Val, near Montpelier, and described in his Genera 
des Coleopteres. Spain has done a little by the hands of Professor 
Graells of Madrid, and Dr Rosenhauer of Erlangen has described some 
new species from Andalusia. But the chief novelties of interest have 
been drawn from two sources not thought of till of late years—namely, 
ants’ nests and subterranean grottoes; the additions drawn from the 
former source have been chiefly Staphylinide, and will be found in a 
paper by M. Kraatz upon the Termitophila (both those in the nests of 
termites and ants) published in the Linnea Entomologica last year. The 
Troglodytes or subterranean families have produced several interesting 
new eyeless species, and one or two genera. The most interesting points 
are the fact, that every new cave, or cave-district, produces not the old 
previously known cave-animals, but new species, peculiar to itself. A 
curious blind new genus, Leptomastax hypogeus, has been found on 
the sands of the Bay of Besika, near Constantinople, and described first 
by M. Pirazzoli, and afterwards by M. Leon Fairmaire. It is peculiarly 
formed, allied to the Scydmenide, and has no affinity to any of the cave- 
insects we have yet seen, but has considerable resemblance to a small ant ; 
and although found at large, as it were, 1 have no doubt it is an ant’s- 
nest species, and will yet be found in its proper residence. 

Few new additions have been made to the fauna of the north of Europe. 
Prince Napoleon’s expedition appears only to have produced one new 
' species, described by Reiche under the name of Patrobus Napoleonis ; 
but a good deal of useful geographical material relating to that quarter 
will be found in two papers by Maklin and Osten-Sacken, published in 
1857 in the Stettiner Ent. Zeitung, which continues to go on prospering, 
and I trust long to prosper, under the able headship of its perpetual presi- 
dent Herr Dohrn (one of our foreign members), and nowise injured by 
the rise of its newly established formidable rival the Berliner Entomol. 
Zeitschrift, in which are to be found some very valuable papers. Among 
the more important original papers which have appeared in this Journal 
falls here to be mentioned a fauna of the Coleoptera of Greece, by Dr 
Kraatz and M. von Kiesenwetter. 

Many Russian and Siberian species have been described by Count 
Motschoulsky in his Htiudes Entomologiques, and the Bulletins of the 
Imperial Society of Moscow. A considerable number of species taken 
during the Crimean war, in the Dobrudska, Crimea, and other shores of 
the Black Sea, have been described in the Annales of the Entomological 
Society of France, and elsewhere. The Baron Chaudoir continues to 
enlarge our knowledge of the Caucasian and Mingrelian regions; and 


MOI: EI. R 


126 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


M. Kolenati, in his Meletemata, has also contributed to our knowledge of 
this district. 

Passing round into Africa by the shores of the Mediterranean, we have 
received from Messrs Reiche and Saulcy a considerable addition to our 
knowledge of the entomology of Palestine, a district of which we knew 
comparatively little. The materials from which this contribution has been 
derived were collected during the expedition by M. de Sauley, who, the 
Society may recollect, published an interesting account of his visit to the 
Dead Sea a few years ago. 

Continuing our course round the Mediterranean, we find in Count Mot- 
schoulsky’s Htudes Entomologiques the description of a number of the 
minuter Egyptian species overlooked by previous explorers. M.de Mot- 
schoulsky has extended his travels into a good many districts both in the 
Old and New World; and, as he is an assiduous collector as well as a 
rapid describer (too rapid, most entomologists think), we have a good 
many species from his pen from all parts of the world. 

Continuing along the north coast of Africa, a number of new species 
from Algeria have been described by M. Lucas; but this applies less to the 
Coleoptera than to some of the other orders. Madeira should come in here. 
Mr Wollaston has published in the form of a catalogue, consisting of a 
complete series of the species of Madeiran Coleoptera in the British Mu- 
seum, presented by him to that institution, a number of new species 
detected since the publication of his great work on the Insecta Ma- 
derensia. He returned last summer, with an immense amount of 
materials for a fauna of the Canary Isles; but I grieve to say that 
his state of health has been too bad to allow of his putting them into 
shape. 

Little new has been recorded on the west coast of Africa until we come 
to Old Calabar. My descriptions of new species from that district, which 
by a sort of legal fiction have been read here, have gone on appearing in 
the Annals of Natural History from time to time, as suited my own con- 
venience. M. Chevrolat, to whom I confided the Longicornes, published 
a century of new species, among which are some of singular beauty. Dr 
Baly has also described some of the new genera of Phytophages in the 
Annals of Natural History. 

Possibly, stimulated by the number of novelties sent home by our 
friends in Old Calabar, and distributed among continental entomolo- 
gists, two eminent entomologists resident in Paris, Count Mnizscheck and 
Mr James Thomson, organised an expedition to the neighbouring territory 
of Gaboon, and sent out M. Henry Deyrolle, son of the highly esteemed 
dealer in Paris, on an expedition to that country. The results of his col- 
lecting, at least those species which are new, are described in the second 
volume of Mr Thomson’s Archives. From his descriptions it appears that 
a considerable number of our Old Calabar species are found in Gaboon, but 
that a large proportion -also is distinct; and looking to the relative num- 
ber of species found, I should say that our unpractised amateurs need not 
hide their heads in point of collecting with this crack collector of Paris. 

To the south lies the kingdom of Angola, of whose Coleopteral fauna 
little more is known than what is contained in Erichson’s fauna of that 
district, published in Wiegman’s Archiv. in 18438. 

The next zoological district which meets us as we journey round Africa 
is the Cape, and we may include under that head the whole coast from 
the Cape itself north to Natal, both inclusive. A good fauna of the Cape 
was greatly wanted. Several authors, as Klug, &c., had described a 
certain portion of its Coleoptera; and other authors, as Burmeister and 
Schonherr, in their great works on the Lamellicornes and Curculionide, 
have of course described many which fell within the scope of their subject ; 


The President's Address. 127 


but there was no general systematic work until Prof. Boheman, of Stock- 
holm, four or five years ago, commenced his Insecta Caffraria. The first 
volume was then published; and the second, containing the Lamellicornes, 
has appeared during the last year. Like all Boheman’s works, this is most 
satisfactory. I find a general impression among working entomologists, 
that Boheman’s descriptions come nearer to what an entomological descrip- 
tion should be, not only in acuteness and discrimination, but also in attain- 
ing the proper medium, in point of length, than those of almost any other 
living entomologist. 

Madagascar stands blank. Nothing has been done to it during the 
period J am reviewing, either in the way of collecting or describing, unless 
we reckon as something the unsuccessful attempt of Madame Pfeiffer. 
The cruelty and atrocity of the queen have made it forbidden ground, and 
it is like to continue so, at all events during her life, unless some fortu- 
nate political squabble with some of our ships shall rouse our Government 
to interference, or a lack of other openings shall tempt some of our 
missionaries to that wondrous land. ; 

Signor Bertolini has supplied the collections of Europe with a fair 
sample of the productions of Mozambique, and has also given descrip- 
tions of the most striking. 

Passing Abyssinia, the Red Sea, Arabia, Persia, and the Himalayas, 
which have produced little or nothing new during the last few years, we 
shall find that a good deal has been done in India, more especially in its 
southern portion and Ceylon. M. Nietner has discovered and described 
a good many new species from Ceylon, particularly a number of minute 
species generally overlooked. Count Motschoulsky, in his last two years’ 
HKiudes Entomologiques, has also described a great many minute species, 
some of them of very singular and abnormal appearance. A very con- 
siderable number of species of Coleoptera from Ceylon have also been 
described in the Annals of Natural History, during the last year, by Mr 
Francis Walker, well known for his papers on the Chalcidites ; for his 
two volumes on British Diptera (Insecta Britannica) ; and tor his Cata- 
logues of Moths in the British Museum. Unfortunately, Mr Walker has 
sacrificed everything to shortness, so that, without their apology, his 
descriptions, so far as regards decipherableness, must rank with those of 
Linnzus and Fabricius. Nagpore has its name, which was already dis- 
tinguished in natural science, rendered still more so during the last few 
years through the exertions of two Scottish missionaries, our friends Mr 
Hislop and Mr Hunter. It is chiefly to geology that their studies have 
been directed, and they have brought home with them a number of fossil 
parts of insects, which, through their kindness, were placed in my hands 
for examination and description. These, so far as they were in a condi- 
tion to allow of its being done, I described in a paper which formed part 
of Mr Hislop’s general geological work, now in course of publication by 
the Geological Society of London. The materials were tco few and im- 
perfect to generalize from ; but they all belonged to the great families still 
common on the Indian continent—Buprestide, Curculionide, &e. The 
structure, however, of some of them seemed to have more affinity with 
certain modern Australian forms. This, however, rests on a mere hazy 
resemblance, insufficient to warrant reliable deductions. The arrivals of 
species from China, Hongkong, Singapore, Java, &c., have been few of 
late years, and the descriptions of new species still fewer, being limited to 
a few isolated species, described for their beauty, such as Carabus Fidu- 
ai er abuse Celestis, &c., and afew Phytophaga, occasionally described 

y Dr Baly. 

M. Motschoulsky, however, has given us the descriptions of a number 

of species picked up at the mouth of the Amoor and in Japan by M. Gas- 


128 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


kevitch, probably the same person who I see announced im the papers as 
Russian Consul-general, under the name of Gorkwitch, who accompanied 
the Russian admiral, Pontiatine, as naturalist, in his visit to Japan, when 
the treaty with that kingdom was entered into. M. Gaskevitch was 
wrecked in the Russian frigate Diana, in consequence of a terrible earth- 
quake, and kindly treated by the Japanese, who subsisted the shipwrecked 
crew. Thereafter, in an attempt to rejoin the Admiral in a Russian 
ship, he was captured by the British, and his scientific career in these 
seas closed for the time by his having been sent home to be adjudged upon 
im this country ; where he no sooner arrived than he was at once ordered 
to be set at liberty. He does not seem to have liked his captivity at all, 
and I am sure men of science in this country will like it as little. How 
any captain could have conceived it consistent with his duty to arrest a 
scientific man in his career of usefuiness, under any circumstances, seems 
difficult to understand; but there are always two sides to a story—and | 
audi alteram partem is a rule never deviated from without subsequent 
unpleasant reflections. If he has now returned to fill the important part 
of Consul-general, we may expect to reap a good harvest of Coleoptera 
through his friend Count Motschoulsky. 

From the loss of his collections, sustained by M. Gaskevitch, the report 
and descriptions of the Japan and Amoor species are very meagre, chiefly 
Lepidoptera. Of the Coleoptera brought by him, M. Motschoulsky re- 
marks that they offered little resemblance to our European species, and 
that there were ouly found three which appear identical with those of 
the west—Anomala oblonga, Anobium paniceum, and Coceinella im- 
pustulata. All the rest belonged to the type of China and the Philippine 
Isles. 

If we have drawn little from the north of these seas of late years, the 
more southern portion has amply atoned for it; Mr Wallace having sent 
from Celebs, Aru, &c., a great variety of most beautiful and striking new 
species. These, for the most part, yet remain to be described ; only a few 
of their favourite group, the Longicornes, having been described by Mr 
Pascoe in the Transactions of the Entomological Society of London ; 
and by Mr Adam White, in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of 
London. I hope we shall have many more of these species deseribed by 
these gentlemen. 

‘There has been an intermission to the rapidity with whieh the entomo- 
logy of Australia and New Aealand was becoming known. Dr Baly’s — 
monograph of the genus Australica (the equivalent of our Chrysomelide) 
is, | think, the last connected description of species from that quarter. 
‘There is, however, a great mass of unappropriated material collected, and 
it is to be hoped that ere long some labourer may arise willing to cultivate 
the fields now lying vacant. 

Passing on to South America, there is no work of any moment to record. 
Little groups of species, and some isolated descriptions, are all that I 
have to notice. One of the most interesting of these is the Agriwm 
fallaciosum of Chey. (also deseriked by M. Motschoulsky, under the 
name of Pinochile cenosa). it is found at the Straits of Magellan, 
comes next to the Manticore of the Cape, and forms the transition 
between them and the Omus of the Rocky Mountains. It thus possesses 
a similar interest to the Hucrania of the deserts north of Patagonia, 
which represent the Atewchi of Africa, Mr Bates, a most successful and 
scientific collector, has sent home from the Amazon an immense quantity 
of interesting and lovely novelties, some of which have been from time 
to time described by Dr Baly, Mr Thomson, &c., but the great mass are 
still undescribed. A curious genus, possessing the unique character of 
being viviparous, has been described by M. Schiodte as found in Brazil ; 


The President’s Address. 129 


and a good many of the new species brought to this country by M. Cha- 
brillac have been described by Fairmaire and others in the Transactions 
of the Entomological Society of France. ‘The contributions to the en- 
tomology of the Andes, in the neighbourhood of Quito, sent to this 
country by our correspondent Professor Jameson, have been partially 
recorded by Dr Baly and myself, and a number of small species from 
Panaima have been described by Count Motschoulsky. 

Dr Leconte, a worthy son of a worthy sire, has taken entire possession 
of North America. He is the chief, indeed almost the only, entomological 
author now working in America ; but he is a host in himself. He has 
reviewed most of the difficult families in the United States; his revisions, 
in fact, being singularly able monographs, evolving the most original 
views. He has thus gone over the Crcindelide, Carabidae, including 
the Amare and Bembidia, the Hydrocantharide, the Palpicornes, the 
Buprestidae, the Hlateride, the Lamellicornes, and the Longicornes 
of North America. He has, along with Dr Harris and Melsheimer, 
brought out the catalogue of species of Coleoptera in the United States, 
and has lent his hand in every quarter of the States to the advancement 
of zoological knowledge. Iam here restricted to speaking of his doings 
in relation to the Coleoptera; but, were the time fittmg, I might enlarge 
on his services in regard to almost every class of animals, from the Verte- 
brata downwards. In the Coleoptera, at an early period, we have from 
his pen descriptions cf numerous species from California; we have de- 
scriptions of species from Texas; we have descriptions of species from 
Lake Superior—part of the report by Agassiz on that district ; we have 
descriptions of species collected during the expedition sent to report upon 
the routes proposed for the railway across the Isthmus of Panama—many 
the product of his own collections, for I believe his labours asa field ento- 
mologist are not less than his talents and acumen as a closet naturalist. 
All this work has been done within the last few years, and it is still 
going on. We may hail Dr Leconte as one of the first living entomolo- 
gists; and when we remember how comparatively scant a sympathy he 
has in his own country, the homage we pay him will only be the more 
hearty. Thanks to the Smithsonian Institution, we shall have most of Dr 
Leconte’s works in our library. 

A portion of North America, possessing special interest from its resem- 
blance to a part of the opposite continent of Asia—I mean the Salt Lake 
region as compared with the Caspian district—has lately been somewhat 
opened. M. Lorquin, an able French entomologist, has made collections 
in that district, and they have reached Paris, and are in the hands of M. 
Boisduval, the lepidopterist. It is the Lepidoptera to which he chiefly 
restricts himself, and it is to them he specially refers in a notice of the 
collection given by him to the Entomological Society of France. He 
says, ‘‘ Among these insects, many, although specifically new, have the 
aspect of those of the mountains of Europe, and especially of Siberia; 
several even are identical with some of our species.” 

Dr Asa Fitch, chiefly known as a zealous hemipterist, has lately brought 
out, under the auspices of the State Government of Pennsylvania, a work 
on the noxious insects of that State; among which the habits of some 
Coleoptera are described. ‘The care, accuracy, and perseverance shown 
in this work are very remarkable. 

Such is a hasty and imperfect account of what has been doing in the 
science of Entomology (department Coleoptera) for the last three years ; 
for its imperfections I now crave your apology. Imperfect, however, as 
it is, [ think the impression which it must leave upon our minds is one of 
awe and amazement at the inexhaustible prolificness of Nature, and some- 
thing also of admiration for the courage with which puny Man has set 


130 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


himself to the apparently interminable task of deciphering and recording 
such a towering pile of indigest materials. 

The thanks of the Society were unanimously voted to Mr 
Murray for his services as President, and for his interesting 
and valuable address. 


The following Communications were then read :— 


I. Report of the Committee on Marine Zoology (with special reference to 
the presence of the Whitebact (Clupea alba) in the Firth of Forth). By 
Grorce Loean, Esq., W.S., Convener. 


Mr George Logan read a report from the Committee on 
Marine Zoology, which, after a detail of the general proceed- 
ings of the committee for the past season, stated that, in 
sweeping the beach near Seafield with a small Seine net, during 
the months of August and September, whitebait (Clupea 
alba) had been taken in considerable quantity; that speci- 
mens so caught had been closely compared with the sprat or 
garvey (Olupea spratius), and with the herring (Clupea 
harengus), and the distinctive markings coincided in every 
respect with those stated by Dr Parnell in his article on the 
Ichthyology of the Firth of Forth, published in the “ Maga- 
zine of Zoology and Botany” in 1837; and that, further, the 
assertion of Parnell was confirmed—correcting the statement 
of Yarrell to the contrary—that the tongue, and roof of the 
mouth of the whitebait are furnished with teeth. Specimens 
of the three species of Clupea were exhibited, and even a 
cursory view showed differences in their general appearance, 
although, scientifically speaking, such superficial character- 
istics are not to be depended upon in the absence of specific 
and abiding distinctions. The whitebait is much more silvery, 
has altogether a softer and more delicate appearance than the 
sprat and herring, and is much flatter or more depressed in 
the body. The sprat is fuller, rounder, and much deeper in 
the body, is not so silvery, and has not the same delicate 
appearance. The herring is much longer and thinner than 
either, has a longer head and a larger eye, and is still darker 
in colour than the sprat. The reporter concluded by sub- 
mitting to the Society that there needed be no further ques- 


Report of the Committee on Marine Zoology. 131 


tion that the whitebait of Parnell and Yarrell existed at 
present in the Firth of Forth, in many localities in great 
abundance; and that, if properly fished with suitable appa- 
ratus, it would probably be found very generally distributed 
in the estuary. The reporter added, that when sweeping 
with the net in an east wind, or any wind blowing upon the 
shore, no whitebait appeared; and that, on the contrary, 
during the prevalence of winds from the shore, they were 
always present. A marked peculiarity was observed in re- 
gard to the herring, which was absent in the whitebait and 
sprat, viz. a constant effusion of blood from the mouth and 
gills, and this occurred without fail in hundreds of specimens 
examined. 


In reference to this report, Dr M‘Bain and Mr Bryson 
remarked that much credit was due to Professor Dick in 
calling the attention of the public to the large supply of 
whitebait to be obtained on the coast near Kinghorn and 
Burntisland; and through the energy of the Professor, nets 
had been obtained and premiums had been offered for the 
encouragement of the Fishery. 


II. A Specimen of the Canada Goose (Anser Canadensis), shot on 
Duddingston Loch, was exhibited by R. F. Logan, Esq. 


This bird was quite perfect, without artificial marks of any 
description, and was watchful and wary, remaining always 
about the middle of the lake. It was of large size. 


Ill. EHwtracts of Letters from Dr Livingstone’s Expedition to the 
Riwer Zambesi, Africa. By Atexanper Bryson, Esq. 


Mr Alexander Bryson read extracts from letters received 
from Dr Livingstone and other officers of the Zambesi expedi- 
tion by a friend in Glasgow, describing the valley of the 
“ Shire,” and giving some particulars of the natives, besides 
stating that the steamer which had been sent from Liverpool 
had turned out a complete failure in every respect; but the 
information contained in these letters is in substance the 
same as that which appeared in the report of the meetings of 


132 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the Royal Geographical Society of London. In a note to one 
of the letters Dr Livingstone says: “ A Mr Wilson of Glasgow 
served us most conscientiously with provisions; everything 
was of first-rate quality, and I should feel pleased if you 
would thank him for me. Wilson is a good fellow, whoever 
he is, and I would not go by him on any account on another 
occasion.” Mr Bryson remarked, that had Franklin’s expe- 
dition been supplied by such a purveyor, in all human pro- 
bability they would have been spared, as it was now proved 
beyond doubt that their lives were sacrificed by the accursed 
cupidity of the contractors, who supplied them with putrid 
provisions. Mr Bryson concluded by moving that a me- 
morial to the Lords of the Treasury be prepared, urging 
the Government to send a more suitable vessel to the Zam- 
besi, which was unanimously agreed to. 


Wednesday, 25th January 1860.—Wit1t1amM Rurnp, Esq., President, 
in the Chair. 


The following gentlemen were elected the Office-bearers for the 
Session 1859-60 :— 


Presidents— William Rhind, Esq., Thomas Strethill Wright, M.D., 
Alex. Bryson, Esq. 

Council—George Logan, Esq., W.S., Professor Balfour, James 
M‘Bain, M.D., R.N., John Coldstream, M.D., Andrew Murray, Esq., 
John Cleland, M.D. 

Secretary—John Alexander Smith, M.D. 

Assistant-Seeretary—James Boyd Davies, Esq. 

Treasurer— William Oliphant, Ksq. 

Librarian—Robert F. Logan, Esq. 

Library Commitice—Patrick Dalmahoy, Esq., W.S., W. H. Lowe, 
M.D., John Anderson, Esq. 


Robert Brown, Esq., 15 Buccleuch Street, and the Rev. Robert Hunter, 
late of Nagpore, were elected Members of the Society. 


The following Donations to the Library were laid on the table, and 
thanks voted to the donors :— 


Transactions of the Botanical Society, Vol. VI. Part II., 1859.—F rom 
the Society. The Canadian Journal, No. XXIV., November 1859.— 
From the Canadian Institute, Toronto. Patent Office Reports, U.S.A. ; 


On the Reproduction of a Medusa. 133 


Arts and Manufactures, 1856, 3 vols.; Agriculture, 1856, 1 vol.— From 
the United States Patent Office. Smithsonian Report for 1857; Detence 
of Dr Gould by the Council of the Dudley Observatory, Albany, 1858. 
—From the Smithsonian Institution, U.S.A. Reply to Statement of the 
Trustees of the Dudley Observatory. By B. A. Gould, M.D. Albany, 
1859.—From the Author. 


Memorial to Government on behalf of the Livingstone Expedition. 


Mr Andrew Murray reported that in accordance with the resolution of 
a previous meeting, a memorial had been drawn up and forwarded to the 
Chancellor of the Exchequer, praying that immediate assistance be granted 
to the exploring expedition in Africa under the command of Dr Living- 
stone; and he was glad to state that the assistance required had since 
been granted by the Government. 


The Communications read were as follows :— 


I. On the Reproduction of a Medusa, belonging to the genus Lizzia. By 
Professor Epwarp Criaparepe, Geneva. Communicated by Dr T. 
STRETHILL WRiGHT. 


M. Claparéde stated that he had captured, in September last, in Lam* 
lash Bay, a number of floating eggs. On examining these eggs he foun 
in each a true medusa, with four radiating gastrovascular canals, an 
eight tentacles—four short and four long, the long ones corresponding to 
the radiating canals. A careful search was rewarded by the discovery 
of the animal which had produced these eggs, a twelve tentacled medusa 
of the genus Lizzia; the bulbs, which in the embryo gave rise to the 
longer tentacles, being in the adult each furnished with two of these ap- 
pendages. The peduncle was laden with eggs; of these eggs some ex- 
hibited a germinal vesicle and spot, others well-developed medusz, but in 
none was the stage of segmentation of the yolk observed. The question 
was, whether the boilies in question were eggs or buds? It was true that 
no males of this form of Zizzia were found. But the males might be 
more rare than the females, or, as Dr Strethill Wright had observed in 
one case, might have a form different from that of the female. The 
structure of the bodies was that of true eggs. The canals of the medusz 
which they contained had no communication with those of the parent, 
differing in this respect from the canals of the budding medusas of 
Sarsia. The buds of Sarsia, moreover, did not exhibit the germinal 
vesicle and spot. The author stated that the reproduction of meduse, 
without the occurrence of a fixed hydroid stage, had been observed by 
Gegenbaur and Krohn, but in these cases the embroyos had to undergo 
important alterations in form before presenting the characters of the 
parent. M. Claparéde considered it possible that reproduction in Lizzia 
might also take place with the intervention of the planuloid and hydroid 
stages. 


Mr A. Murray congratulated the Society on its good fortune in having 
commenced a correspondence with so distinguished a naturalist as M. 
Claparéde; and proposed that the thanks of the Society should be trans- 
mitted to him for his important communication, which was unanimously 
agreed to. 

Dr Strethill Wright considered M. Claparéde’s paper of the highest 
importance. Its author, it was true, had not traced the gradual develop- 
ment of the ovum into a medusa, nor had he seen the segmentation of the 
vitellus, but Dr Wright had convinced himself that in a majority of 


VOL. Il. ) 


134 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


zoophytes the vitellus never divided; it became minutely granular and 
opaque without segmentation. Still, some intermediate form might occur 
even within the egg. The male of this Lizzia might differ in form or 
development from the female, as was the case in the medusoids of 
Atractylis (Hudendrium) ramosa, and Campanularia dichotoma 
(Lovent). It was well known that although in some zoophytes the re- 
productive apparatus of the male and female was identical in shape, in 
others the difference was very remarkable. 


II. Note on an Instantaneous Method of finding Microscopic Objects 
under High Powers. By T. Stretuin, Wricut, M.D. 

The author stated, that when examining small living organ- 
isms under pressure, he had frequently much difficulty in 
placing them under the higher-powered objectives with sufil- 
cient rapidity. The animals often commenced breaking up 
before they could be found. By adopting the following 
method of finding objects, he could instantly, and without even 
looking through the body of the microscope, place in the centre 
of the field, and in focus, any object which could be barely 
detected by the naked eye. 

The fine adjustment slide was marked by a small scratch 
on the brass-work, and it was afterwards not used. A speck 
of paper or other substance, sufficiently large to be just per- 
ceptible to the naked eye, was placed in water on a glass slide, 
covered with thin glass, placed in the centre of the field, and 
accurately focussed under the high-powered object-glass. The 
coarse adjustment was then marked by a scratch on the body 
of the instrument or the slide of the rack (“scratch No. 1”). 
The operator then placed the point of his nose on the top of 
the coarse adjustment screw-head, and the left side of his 
forehead against the projecting rim of the eye-piece, and 
looked towards the object with the right eye. The object 
was hidden from the eye by the body of the microscope. The 
body of the microscope was then raised by the coarse adjust- 
ment until the object again just came into view, emerging 
from behind the convex rim of the objective. This point of 
adjustment was then marked (‘scratch No. 2’’). The operator 
had thus four adjusted points: first, the tip of the nose; 
second, the side of the forehead ; third, the most convex part 
of the rim of the objective; and fourth, the object. The 
three first of these adjusted points were permanent, while the 


Remarks on the Museculus Kerato-Cricoideus. 135 


last might be changed for some other object. When the 
microscope was marked as above, an object might instantly 
be found and focussed at any future time by adjusting the 
microscope to “scratch No. 2,” placing the nose and forehead 
as described, and the object required to be focussed in the 
fourth adjusted point, and screwing down the body of the 
microscope to “ scratch No. 1.” 

The author illustrated his method before the Society, by 
instantly placing and focussing several small objects under 
the microscope without looking through the eye-piece. 


III. Remarks on the Musculus Kerato-Cricoideus, a Muscle of the Laryna. 
(Merkel’s Muscle). By Wm. Turner, M.B. (Lond.), M.R.C.S., Senior 
Demonstrator of Anatomy, University of Edinburgh. 


The muscular arrangements of the human body have been, 
_ during the last two or three centuries, so thoroughly examined, 
and carefully described, that it rarely falls to the lot of a 
modern anatomist to discover, merely by the aid of his un- 
assisted vision, a new muscle. To such a structure, however, 
the attention of anatomists has been recently directed by Dr 
Carl Merkel of Leipsic, in an elaborate treatise on the Ana- 
tomy and Physiology of the Organs of Voice and Speech 
(Stimm und Sprach Organs, 1857). In this work he has de- 
scribed a muscular slip occasionally extending between the 
posterior surface of the cricoid cartilage and the posterior 
margin of the inferior cornu of the thyroid, and thus forming 
one of the intrinsic muscles of the larynx. His account of 
the muscle is as follows :— 

** Musculus Kerato-cricoideus. Horn-Ringknorpelmuskel. 
—This small, hitherto undescribed muscle, is not found in every 
larynx, and when present, it exists only on one side, for which 
reason I have considered it as one of the unsymmetrical mus- 
cles of the larynx. It arises, about 1-14’ broad, close to the 
origin of the outer (or anterior) fibres of the musculus crico- 
arytenoideus posticus, so that it appears as an additional por- 
tion of the same, and probably has been hitherto so regarded by 
anatomists, or as such overlooked by them. It does not, how- 
ever, pass upwards with this last muscle, but extends ob- 
liquely upwards and outwards, and after a short course 1s 


136 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


attached to the posterior margin of the inferior horn of the 
thyroid cartilage. The inferior laryngeal nerve passes under 
it, and the kerato-cricoid ligament crosses it at nearly a right 
angle. The entire muscle is about 3-4” long. Its action, 
which certainly cannot be important, is to fix the lower horn 
backwards and downwards; it opposes in some measure the 
part of the crico-thyroid muscle connected to the anterior 
margin of the horn.” (Pp. 132, 133.) 

~My attention having been directed some months ago by 
Professor Goodsir to this description of Dr Merkel, I have 
since that time carefully examined the larynx in almost all the 
subjects received into the dissecting-rooms of the University, 
and have thus been enabled to supplement the account of Dr 
Merkel with some additional particulars, as well as to correct 
an error into which he has fallen. ‘Thirty-two specimens have 
been dissected by me, and amongst these the muscle existed 
in seven cases, being in the ratio of 21°8 per cent. In four of 
these it was on the right side only, in two on the left, and in 
one on both sides. Thus, the statement of Merkel, that the 
muscle “ exists only on one side,” is not absolutely correct ; 
and although it is undoubtedly true as a general rule, yet, 
like most general rules, it admits of occasional exceptions. I 
have had a drawing made of the larynx, which was from a 
male subject, in which this double muscle was found, an en- 
graving of which is here subjoined. 

The kerato-cricoid muscle is not confined to the larynx of 
one sex, aS I have found it both in the male and female. The 
majority of cases in which it was present were certainly in the 
male, but I do not feel disposed to attach much importance 
to this circumstance, as the examination of a larger number 
of instances might perhaps alter the proportion, and render 
it equal in the two sexes. 

The muscle exhibits considerable differences in breadth; 
thus I have found it as much as one-eighth of an inch broad 
in one larynx (that being the broadest one I have yet seen), 
and a mere thread in another,—other specimens furnishing 
examples between these two extremes. In length it corre- 
sponds to the distance between its origin on the cricoid and 
its insertion into the inferior cornu of the thyroid,—a few 


Remarks on the Musculus Kerato-Cricoideus. 137 


tendinous fibres being found at each of these extremities. The 
muscle appears to be developed in a direct relation to the 
other laryngeal muscles, for the largest example I have yet 
seen occurred in a larynx the muscles of which were unusually 
well formed, whilst the smallest example was found in a larynx 


a Inferior cornu of thyroid. 8 Cricoid cartilage. ¢ Kerato-cricoid muscle. 
d Inferior laryngeal nerve. 
possessing comparatively feeble muscles; at the same time, it 
must be stated that its existence in a larynx is not necessarily 
coincident with a general laryngeal muscularity, as I have 
dissected more than one larynx in which no trace of Merkel’s 
muscle could be found, although the other muscles were ex- 
tremely well developed. The inferior laryngeal nerve passes 
under, z.e., in front of, this muscle, and sends a small filament 
to it. The kerato-cricoideus must thus be classed amongst 
the occasional muscles of the larynx, and, like other occasional 


138 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


muscles, the psoas parvus for example, it is most frequently 
found only on one side—either the right or left, as the case 
may be—the only instance as yet recorded of its existence on 
both sides being the one above figured. 

With regard to its function, it must be evident that it is not 
essential to the production of the voice, seeing that it is ab- 
sent in the majority of persons. We cannot, however, doubt 
that in those cases in which it exists, it determines certain 
modifications of sound; for an organ so delicately constructed 
as the human larynx, and sounds capable of such varying 
modulation as those of the human voice, depending for their 
production upon such minute alterations in the relative posi- 
tions of the vocal cords, will necessarily be more or less 
affected by the contractions of muscular fibres which, from 
their attachments, are capable of changing the relative posi- 
tion of these cords to each other. But until in the same indi- 
vidual an examination can be made of the powers of the voice 
during life, and of the muscular and other arrangements of 
the larynx after death, it will be difficult to determine with 
any exactness not only the function of this, but also of many 
of the other laryngeal muscles. 


1V. (1.) Notice of the Capture of an enormous Cycloid Fish in the Bay 
of San Francisco, California. By AnpREw Murray, Esq. 


This was a notice of an enormous fish taken at San Francisco. It was 
360 pounds in weight, between seven and eight feet in length, and 5 feet 
2 inches in girth round the body. It was supposed by its captors, who 
were probably New Yorkers, to be a giant specimen of the sea basse, or 
black basse, which is common on the east coast of America, especially 
about New York; but a scale of the fish, which had been sent home by 
Mr William Murray of San Francisco, showed that it was not a basse at 
all, nor any of the perch family. The scale was cycloid, not ctenoid, and 
the fish was more likely to have belonged to the sea-bream tribe of carps 
than to the sea basse. No fish of that magnitude belonging to these 
tribes seems hitherto to have been recorded. 


(2.) Mr Anprew Murray exhibited a supposed meteoric stone, sent 
from Hudson’s Bay; which, on a section being made, was found to be 
simply a smooth rounded mass of ironstone. 


V. The Skeleton of a Celogenys (mus) paca was exhibited by Joun 
Crevanp, M.D.; and various peculiarities of its structure were pointed 


out. 


VI. Dr Brattosiotsxy addressed the Society at some length on the 
relations of the branches of trees and plants to the parent stem, forming 
as they did certain definite angles; he expressed astonishment at finding 
various evergreens exposed to the cold of our winters which in Germany 


_ Specimens of the Top-knot, ce. 139 


were carefully kept in glass-houses. He also made some remarks in 
support of the recent German theories against the generally received 


opinions of the igneous origin of granite, and in favour of its aqueous 
origin. 


VII. (1.) Dr John Alex. Smith exhibited a Specimen of Bloch’s Top- 
knot (2) (Pleuronectes punctatus, Bloch), taken near North Berwick ; 


and of the 4iquoreal Pipe-fish (Nerophis equoreus, Kaup.) from the 
Coast of the Isle of May. 


The specimen of this small flat fish of the genus Rhombus of Yarrell 
was sent to Edinburgh by Sir Hugh Dalrymple. It was taken in the be- 
ginning of August last, near North Berwick. Two species of this genus 
have been described as closely resembling one another,—the Rhombus 
hirtus, or Muller’s Top-knot (Yarrell); and the R. punctatus, or Bloch’s 
Top-knot (Yarrell). But, unfortunately, the fins of this fish not being per- 
fect made it difficult to decide to which of these so-called species it belonged.* 
The upper surface, the left, and brown-coloured side of the fish was very 
rough, and the under surface was white, and also rough, though in a less 
degree ; with the exception of the under side of the head, which was smooth. 
Muller’s Top-knot was deseribed as being perfectly smooth on the under 
surface, whereas Bloch’s fish was rough ; if this was a correct distinction, 
it would identify the specimen as being not Muller’s but Bloch’s Top-knot, 
which, as far as he was aware, had not before been observed in our 
neighbouring seas. Muller’s fish was also rare; but specimens had been 
obtained at distant intervals in the Firth, especially towards its mouth. 
This fish measured about eight and a half inches long, by about five 
inches across, including the fins. 

Dr Smith also exhibited a specimen of the A%quoreal Pipe-fish, 
Syngnathus or Nerophis equoreus (Kaup), measuring twenty inches 
in length. It was taken about three weeks ago among the long weed 
on the coast of the Isle of May. The dorsal fin, the only fin this 
species has, was about two and a half inches in length, and terminated 
nearly in the middle of the length of the fish, the vent being in a 
line with the beginning of the last fourth of the fin. It is of rare 
occurrence in our seas. Dr Parnell says, ‘‘this fish was first recorded 
as British by Sir R. Sibbald in 1655, who obtained a specimen in 
the Firth of Forth. No other instance of its occurrence in that locality 
has since been noticed. It is one of the rarest of our British fishes.”? Dr 
Kaup says, ‘‘ This species has till now been found only on the south-west 
coast of Scotland, in Ireland, the Isle of Man, at Havre, and in Norway.” 
He was indebted for the fish to Mr John Anderson of the Royal Em- 
porium, George Street; and he had the pleasure of presenting it to the 
Museum of the University. His friend Dr M‘Bain had in his possession 


an imperfect specimen taken from the stomach of a cod, which was pur- 
chased in Edinburgh. 


(2.) Dr John Alexander Smith exhibited Specimens of the Stoat (Mustela 


erminea); the Ruff (Tringa pugnax) ; the Shoveller (Anas clypeata) ; 
and the Young of the Black Scoter (Oidemia nigra). 


Messrs John Dickson & Son, gunmakers, Prince’s Street, had sent 
for exhibition two specimens of the stoat or ermine (Mustela erminea, 


* Sir John Richardson since the date of this meeting, has kindly informed 
Dr J. A. 8. that he is ‘‘not convinced of the two species being distinct, and 
the ‘Skandinaviens Fiskar’ contains a fine figure of an intermediate form : 
all three are probably slight varieties.” 


‘ 


140 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Lin.) got in this neighbourhood. One was killed as early as the 27th of 
October, but the other not till the beginning of January. They were 
both nearly pure white, with the point of the tail black; showing the 
severity of the season. 

A male and female ruff (Tringa pugnasz), shot in the neighbourhood of 
Carnwath in the beginning of September, were exhibited; and a young 
male shoveller (Anas clypeata), shot near Aberdour in the end of December; 
the keeper who killed it had never seen the bird before. Maegillivray, in 
his “‘ British Birds,” mentions that “in Scotland no authentic instance of 
its occurrence, at any season, has come to my knowledge.” It has, how- 
ever, been observed once or twice since his time. Dr Smith also exhibited 
two large ducks, one killed in November last, on the coast of Mull, the 
other near Prestonpans, some weeks ago. Their unusual appearance had 
attracted attention, and gave rise to some correspondence in ‘‘ The Field,” 
one of the London sporting newspapers, as to the species to which they 
belonged. The birds, Dr Smith said, were undoubtedly young females of 
the black scoter (O:demia nigra, Flem.), the least common of our two 
scoters; and, in this immature plumage, rather puzzling birds to a young 
naturalist. Their general plumage was of a dusky brown; the top of the 
head, from base of bill and along back of neck, brownish black; sides of 
head below eye, of throat, and neck, grayish white; the abdomen of a dull 
grayish brown, the brown feathers being edged with white ; under tail 
coverts dark brown, no enlargement on bill, which, as well as the feet, was 
of adusky brown colour. In one of the birds the bill was of a lighter colour 
at the nostrils. One of these birds was sent by Mr Sanderson, birdstuffer, 
and the other by Mr Small, birdstuffer, George Street. ‘Through the 
kindness of Professor Allman, he was able to exhibit another immature 
specimen of this bird from the valuable collection in the Museum of the 
University. The occasional appearance of Oidemia nigra in this im- 
mature plumage has led, it is believed by naturalists, to the introduction, 
by mistake, of the Oidemia leucocephala (Steph.) among the list of 
British birds. Jenyns says, there is no good authority for considering the 
O. leucocephala as British. It is a bird of eastern Europe. 


Wednesday, February 22, 1860.—T. Strermitt Wrieut, M.D., 
President, in the chair. 


M. Edouard Claparéde of Geneva was elected a foreign member of the 
Society. 


The following donations to the library were laid on the table, and 
thanks were voted to the donors :— 


Large Map of Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.—From Lieutenant-Colonel J. 
D. Graham, U.S. Topographical Engineers. Transactions of the Zoolo- 
gical Society of London, Vol. IV., Part VI., 1859. Proceedings of the 
Zoological Society of London, Parts XXV. (1857), XXVI. (1858), and 
Parts I. and II., 1859.—From the Society. The Quarterly Journal of 
the Geological Society of London, Vol. XV. Part III. No, 69, August 
1859.—From the Society. The Journal of the Royal Dublin Society, 
No. XV., October 1559.—From the Society. Journal of Geological 
Society of Dublin, Vol. VIII. Part II., 1859.—F rom the Society. 


Osteological Remains found in a Picts House. 141 


The Communications read were as follows:— 


1. Notice of various Osteological Remains found in a “ Pict’s House” in 
the Island of Harris. By James M‘Bain, M.D., R.N. (The speci- 
mens were exhibited.) 


Dr M‘Bain said, that the fragments of bone which he exhibited were 
brought from the Island of Harris, by Captain Thomas, of Her Majesty’s 
surveying vessel Woodlark. They were found during last summer in one of 
those interesting buildings commonly called ‘‘ Picts’ Houses,”’ which was 
opened at a place named Nisibost, in the Island of Harris, for the purpose 
of extending former observations made by Captain Thomas upon these 
ancient structures. ‘The fragments of bone had been put into the hands 
of Dr M‘Bain, in order to determine to what species of animals they 
belonged. And as there is historical evidence that the antiquity of 
‘* Picts’ Houses” extends at least beyond a thousand years, he thought the 
remains of animals preserved in these buildings worthy of being consi- 
dered zoologically, in reference to the extinction or extirpation of species. 
An anatomical description of the bone fragments, fifteen in number, was 
given. They belonged to the following species of animals :—The dog ; 
the common seal; the red deer (part of the antlers of which had been cut 
and fashioned by a sharp instrument) ; the “ Bos longifrons,”’ character- 
ised by the form of the cancellous horn-core, which formed one of the 
specimens ; the sheep, of small size; and the right middle metacarpal or 
cannon bone of a small horse, rather larger than that in the skeleton of a 
Shetland pony in the Barcleian Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons 
of Kdinburgh. These fragments of bone were found on the clay floor of 
a ‘‘ Pict’s House,” buried under a mass of drift sand ten feet thick ; and 
in an adjacent cell, a stone querne or hand-mill for grinding corn was 
discovered, made of hornblende slate, but too much decomposed for pre- 
servation. Dr M‘Bain stated that ‘‘ Picts’ Houses” had been divided 
into two classes—the superficial, or those which are built upon the natural 
surface of the soil; and the subterranean, or those which are excavated 
to a greater or less extent beneath the surface. That examples of each 
class existed in the Orkney Islands, where several ‘‘ Picts’ Houses” had 
been explored. ‘They had generally been found to contain the bones of 
domestic animals, such as the sheep, ox, and horse, along with abundance 
of shells of the edible species of mollusca. In the ruins of a ‘ Pict’s 
House” near Skaill, on the mainland of Orkney, the tusk of a wild boar 
was discovered, ‘its presence,” as it had been remarked, ‘‘ taking us 
back to a very early period.’’ In a subterranean “ Pict’s House” opened 
at Savrock, near Kirkwall, in 1848, the head and part of the horns of the 
red deer were found, along with the bones of sheep, cattle, horses, and a 
large bone of a whale. The red deer must soon have become extinct in 
Orkney, for there is no certain historic record of its being alive in the 
islands, although the contrary seemed to be indicated by the fact that a 
headland and a harbour still retained the names of Deerness and Deer- 
sound. Reference was then made to a collection of bone fragments in the 
Antiquarian Museum of Edinburgh, presented by A. H. Rhind, Esq. of 
Sibster, obtained from a “ Pict’s House’? at Kettleburn, in the county 
of Caithness. This collection contains the bones of the goat, pig, rat, 
and fish, besides those belonging to the same species of animals as the 
fragments from Nisibost. Dr M‘Bain concluded by saying, that the 
investigation of ‘‘ Picts’ Houses,’’ Pictish broughs or castles, tumuli, and 
other structures supposed to be of contemporaneous age, had hitherto 
been undertaken chiefly upon archeological and ethnographical consider- 
ations. That the primitive construction of these buildings, especially in 


VOL. II. T 


142 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


respect to the form of the arch, the absence of mortar and lime for cement, 
and other indications of a low state of architecture, carried us back to a 
remote period of barbarism, perhaps not far in advance of the time when 
the Bos primigenius, with other extinct or extirpated animals, roamed 
over the wild parts of Britain. That considerable attention had been 
paid to the preservation of implements, weapons, ornaments, and other 
relies of human art, disinterred from these ancient dwellings; but it 
did not appear that much care had been bestowed upon the animal 
remains, which were at least of equal importance. That the object of 
his communication was to show that these had a special zoological bear- 
img, and that much information of a definite character might be obtained 
if the subject were to engage a more general interest, and if every one 
having an opportunity were careful in collecting and preserving the re- 
mains of animals found in these primitive habitations of our Celtic an- 
eestors. 


II. On the Structure of Pearl. By Atexanprer Bryson, Esq. (Numerous 
illustrative specimens were exhibited.) 


The author commenced by stating that the first mention of pearls being 
used as ornaments by mankind was found in the ancient writings of the 
Chinese. So early as twenty-two and a half centuries before the Chris- 
tian era, pearls are enumerated as tribute or tax. In the Rh—ya, a 
dictionary compiled one thousand years before Christ, pearls are men- 
tioned among the most precious products of the empire. Grill, a Swede, 
long resident in China, was the first who published an account of the 
Chinese method of forming artificial pearls. This interesting paper is 
published in the Transactions of the Royal Swedish Academy for 1772. 
He says— When the shells (the Unio plicatus) rise to the surface of the 
water to sun themselves, they open their valves. The Chinese, watching 
their opportunity, insert between the mantle and the shell a string of 
coarse, ill-coloured pearls, placed at intervals on a cord or wire. When 
these are inserted, the shells sink to the bottom of the pond, where they 
are allowed to remain for one year, when they are fished up and opened; 
the coarse rough pearls are now found coated with a fine covering of 
nacre. In the joss shells are placed clay images of Buddha, which, when 
sufficiently covered with naere, are skilfully sawn out by the Chinese, and 
worn and worshipped by them as the emblem of the creative power. Lin- 
nus, probably unaware of what had been done in China so many hundred 
years before our era, endeavoured to produce artificial pearls by piercing 
the nacreous shells from without, and inserting foreign bodies; but his 
success was not so great as his patron, King Frederick Adolphus, had anti- 
cipated. So sanguine was his Swedish Majesty that that diseovery would 
enrich his country and decorate his court, that he conferred a pension 
and a patent of nobility on the great naturalist. Had this honour been 
conferred on Linneus for his ‘‘ Systema Nature,’ the monarch would 
have been more honoured, and the conferred title of Von Linné perhaps 
respected by posterity. Unfortunately for the monarch, his empty title 
is forgotten, and Linnzus, not Von Linné, remembered with veneration 
by all true lovers of nature. Mr Bryson remarked that, though the 
French are now by far the most successful producers of artificial pearls, 
he had failed to obtain the slightest hint of the method employed, no paper 
having appeared, as far as he was aware, on the subject. The only notice of 
the formation of the coques de perles of the French which he had obtained 
was by Von Siebold, who has given, in his “ Zeitschrift fiir Wissenschaft- 
liche Zoologie,” a description of the process. It differs very little from 
that followed by the Chinese. A piece of nacre is sawn from a shell 


Notes on the Chough or Red-legged Crow, §c. 148 


of the required form, and placed between the mantle and the shell of a 
nacre-producing mollusc; when sufficiently coated, it is filled with mastic, 
and a small plate of mother-of-pearl placed at the back. In regard 
to British pearls, the author stated that the first notice of the gem was 
by Tacitus in his ‘‘ Life of Agricola;’’ and that the pearls were the pro- 
duct of the fresh-water mussel of our rivers (Unio margaritafera), was 
evident from the description, that they were “not very orient, but pale 
and wan.’”’ To the theory advanced by Arnoldi in 1696, anew by Sir 
Hiverard Home in 1818, and also by Kellart in 1858, that pearls, or 
rather their nuclei, were due to the sterile ova of the molluses which pro- 
duced them, the author gave his decided opposition, as, from all the facts 
which he had observed, pearls were entirely due to a secretion from the 
mantle of the animal. ‘To illustrate the strueture of pearls, Mr Bryson 
exhibited a larye series of sections which he had prepared, and by which 
he showed that by the microscope he could at once determine what shell 
had produced them. He also explained the rationale of the irridescence 
of mother-of-pearl,—a discovery due to Sir David Brewster, who proved 
that it was due to the diffraction of the rays of light, caused by the out- 
cropping edges of the laminz, and in some cases to the minute plication of 
asingle lamina. This phenomenon was also shown by Barton’s patent 
buttons, where the irridescence was produced by thousands of minute 
lines, so near each other as to require a high magnifying power to resolve 
them. By taking an impression with black wax under considerable 
pressure, the author succeeded in obtaining the same irridescence as exhi- 
bited by the button itself. This experiment Sir David Brewster had tried 
with success in 1815, by taking an impression in wax from a mother-of- 
pearl button, and by which he demonstrated the cause of the phenomenon. 
The commercial value of pearls, the author stated, was still as high as in 
the days of Cleopatra. A good Scottish pearl, with fine lustre, of the size 
of a pea, fetches from L.3 to L.4. The famous wager between Antony 
and Cleopatra gives us an insight into the value of pearls. The twe 
pearls which that luxurious queen resolved to dissolve in vinegar, and 
serve up at the costly banquet, were valued at ten million of sesterces, 
about L.76,000 sterling. ‘The pearl in the possession of Mr Hope, M.P., 
the largest of modern times, is not worth a fourth of that sum. The 
weight of this pear! is 3 oz. ; it is 44 inches in circumference, and 2 inches 
in length. Notwithstanding the great value of the pearls, the shells 
of the animals yield now a far more profitable return than the jewels. 
In 1856, the total value of the pearls imported into this country was 
1.56,162, whereas the imports of 2102 tons of mother-of-pearl! shells were 
valued at L..76,544. Mr Bryson suggested that trials should be made to 
produce artificial pearls from the Iridina, a nacreous shell, having a much 
higher lustre than any hitherto found. It inhabits the Nile and Senegal 
rivers. 


III. Notes from the neighbourhood of Stranraer—on the Chough or Red- 
legged Crow (Fregilus graculus); on the Migration of the Swift 
(Cypselus apus, Flem.); and on the Effects of the severe Gale on the 
9th September last. By the Rev. Tuomas B. Betz, Leswalt, Wigton- 
shire. Communicated in a letter to Dr J. A. Smirtn. 


The Rev. T. B. Bell, in his communication, says,—‘‘ The chough is 
common all along our rocky shores, building on cliffs and in caves along 
with his mischievous companion the jackdaw, and sometimes in the same 
cave with the rock pigeon. He annoys the farmers by digging up the 
sprouting wheat, and tearing up the roofs of their stacks. He is not by 
half so wary as either the rook or jackdaw, and consequently falls a fre- 


144 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


quent victim to the herd-boy’s gun. He is a pretty bird, very easily 
domesticated, but void of genius. He does not care to congregate, is not 
clamorous, and never goes far inland—perhaps not above a mile; but he 
shifts his roosting quarters frequently from one cave or rock to another, 
prebably just because the wind shifts. 

‘“« On the 19th of July last, I observed a migration of several hundreds 
of the common swift. I knew that these birds, breeding only once in the 
season, were the first of the swallow tribe to leave our shores, but I had 
no idea that they left us so early. I have not had any opportunity of 
watching their habits for nearly twenty years, as they do not frequent 
tais peninsula; indeed these are the first I have seen here during a resi- 
dence of nearly nineteen years. Perhaps l may mention the particulars 
of this flitting in as few words as possible. Ist, The weather was very 
warm and still, with a few fleecy clouds overhead. The hour was be- 
tween five and six in the afternoon. 2d, The direction from which they 
came was N.E., as 1 thought—probably from Ayrshire. They passed 
over me as I stood on the shore, at a spot about five miles north of Port- 
patrick, and, holding on their way, I judged, that they would reach the 
Irish coast somewhere about Portaferry. 3d, Their flight was direct, and 
steady, and quiet—no wheeling nor screaming, such as they practise when 
feeding or sporting round some old gray tower. They seemed to have 
important business on hand, and went about it in a businesslike way. 
The level of their course was not high. They swept over the cliffs, which 
ure not above 150 feet high, and seemed to retain the same level, as far 
as I could see them crossing the Channel. I should guess the height at 
about 250 feet, or even less. 4th, The order of flight.—They travelled 
in a wide column. ‘The individual birds were many yards asunder; some 
were 100 yards to one side, some as many to the other side of me, and in 
this fashion I observed them for fully twenty minutes ; sometimes there 
were twenty in sight directly overhead, then half-a-dozen, then for a 
second or two there were none, and then another scattered detachment. 
In this order the stream flowed on, till at length it ceased. It is difficult 
to conjecture how many there may have been in all; at the time I guessed 
them at nearly a thousand. I never had an opportunity of witnessing 
the migrations of any of our smaller birds, except occasionally flights of 
linnets in beating up to windward before a gale; and I thought that to 
escape hawks they invariably moved under cover of night. Larger birds, 
such as ducks, geese, swans, I have frequently seen on the move in day- 
light; while the swallows which congregate on our house-tops in September 
are found some morning to have made a night-flitting, and usually a 
moonlight one. 

‘« There is another fact I may mention to you: On Friday, the 9th Sep- 
tember, we had,’’ he continues, ‘‘ our first equinoctial gale. It lasted for 
about a week. On the 10th I picked up (at the place where I had seen 
the swifts in July) a stormy petrel, the Procellaria pelagica of the 
Atlantic. These birds were frequently seen off our shores in former 
times; but now they seem to keep outside of the Mull of Cantyre. 
Whether an increase of steam navigation has driven them from the 
Firth of Clyde to the open ocean, I cannot say. The same gale cast 
ashore a vast number of meduse. So numerous were they that each tide 
left a belt of them, at high-water mark, of ten or twelve feet wide, all 
along the beach. There seemed to be only one species, of a pinkish 
shade, with four dull white eyes, and varied from two to four inches in 
diameter. They were not so fleshy as some specie: I have seen. Those 
washed up by one tide were found to be quite dry, and left little but a 
membrane when the next tide came in. ‘The most remarkable result of 
the gale, was the destruction of many thousands of the short-winged 


Notes on the Chough or Red-legged Crow, §c. 145 


sea-fowls. From Corsewall Point to the Mull of Galloway, all round 
the shores of the Bay of Luce and of Loch Ryan, razor-bills and guille- 
mots were lying in heaps. I did not observe any other species. | 
do not think it difficult to account for the destruction of these pretty 
birds. From the middle of June till the gale came on, the waters off our 
coast were literally swarming with the fry of various fish. The conse- 
quence was that the sea-fowl congregated in unusual numbers, which 
seemed to increase day by day. The storm came on suddenly, and was 
of unwonted violence for the season of the year. The fry were of course 
either driven off or compelled to retire from the surface. The long- 
winged gulls and gannets were able to get away by flight; while the 
short-winged razor-bills, who trust more to their paddles than their 
pinions, had nothing for it but either to breast the sea, or drift on to a 
lee shore. Deprived of food they could not long face the heavy sea that 
came rolling in from the Atlantic, and having struggled on for several 
days they were at last swept ashore—most of them dead, some so ex- 
hausted that they could make no effort to get away. Though thin, they 
were not so thin as to suggest starvation as the sole cause of their death ; but 
want of food for several days, combined with the exhaustion induced by 
struggling so long against a head sea, seems sufficiently to account for the 
prodigious mortality among them. This is confirmed by the fact that no 
gulls nor gannets perished. The former easily obtained shelter and food 
on shore, while the latter, with their tremendous power of flight, escaped 
to sheltered bays and coasts. 

*¢ Several years ago we had a great mortality among the guillemots, but 
the features of the case were quite different. During a heavy fog in the 
month of April a large flock of these birds were seen circling over the 
point of the pier at Stranraer. Next morning they were found dead 
and dying, scattered all over the country, some of them miles inland. I 
presume they had been trading to the south——had in the mist mistaken the 
entrance of Loch Ryan for the Channel; that they were brought up by the 
shore, where they expected to find open sea; in fact, that they had lost 
their way, and perished in attempting to find it again. 

“ T cannot say that there is anything remarkable in our fauna. We 
have few rare birds. The quail is resident; it is known by the name of 
‘wet-my-foot,’ words which its cry closely resembles; and the country 
people fancy that it is like the peacock and raven, vociferous before rain. 
The young quail early develops his pugnacity ; although there are twelve 
or fifteen in a brood, they cannot live in harmony till able to fly ; by the 
first of August they are broken up into parties of two or three. In sum- 
mer we have the pippet, the blackcap, and the grasshopper warbler. The 
wild swan visits us in severe winters. Some years ago a wounded female 
remained on the lake at Lochnaw, and during several successive seasons 
bred with a male of the mute swan. The progeny were genuine mules, 
and did not breed. A golden eagle sometimes floats high overhead, trad- 
ing between the Morne Mountains in Down and the solitudes above New 
Galloway. He occasionally descends to the ground.” 


The Society were much indebted, Dr Smith said, to the Rev. Mr Bell 
for his communication, including, as it did, various interesting facts from 
his own observation. He exhibited a specimen of the chough sent him 
by Mr Bell, and also one from Cornwall, which had been presented to him 
by a friend. The bird was supposed by some of our ancient writers to be 
peculiar to Cornwall; and hence arose the name of the Cornish chough. 
Jn Cornwall, at least in the western part of the county, it seemed now to 
be rare, as Dr Smith had seen no specimens there during a visit he had 
the pleasure of paying last autumn to that most interesting county. 


146 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


It was, however, a rare bird, although found at various places along the 
rocky coasts of Britain, and appeared to be abundant in Wigtonshire. 
It was found in the island of Mull, in Skye, and at St Abb’s Head, 
on this side of the island. The account of the migration of the swift was 
also very interesting. It seemed to have been rather an early one; at 
least this bird is generally described as leaving us about the beginning or 
middle of August. 


IV. (1.) Notice of a New Leaf Insect. By Anprew Murray, Esq. 


Mr Murray exhibited a beautiful photograph of the under side of a 
butterfly, in every respect exactly like a dead leaf. He had received it 
from Dr William Traill, H.E.1.C., presently stationed at Russeleondah 
in the Madras Presidency. Dr Traill, in transmitting the photograph, 
writes :—‘‘ I wished to have sent you a curious insect, brought to me as a 
leaf insect. In Singapore and the Straits, where a variety of these 
singular forms are found, they are all allied to the Orthoptera, or the 
genera Mantis, Empusa, Phasma, &e. 1am a good deal accustomed to 
their various forms, but on this occasion 1 was completely taken in, and 
until the animal moved, I thought it a dead leaf. To my surprise, I 
found it to be a butterfly! When at rest, its two anterior wings (which 
are slightly falcate at the tip) were pushed forward in front of its head, 
so that a central line on them exactly met a similar central line on the 
posterior wings, so as to simulate the mid-rib ofa leaf. The four wings 
so disposed presented the most exquisite resemblance to an autumnal leaf; 
and even the veining is represented with wonderful fidelity, especially if the 
animal is held two or three feet from the eye of the spectator. A remorse- 
less rat one night carried off the insect, along with the pin on which it 
was impaled; but I had a few days before got a photograph of it made, 
which I now send you. It is, however, very far from giving a just idea 
of the original. The upper side of the wings were most brilliantly 
coloured, but I do not remember exactly what colours.” Of course, these 
brilliant colours will only be seen when the insect is in motion; when at 
rest, and more exposed to danger, the folding back of the wings conceals 
them, and shows only this extraordinary resemblance to a leaf. The re- 
semblance is every whit as great as that exhibited by the leaf insect 
proper (Phyliiwm), only being that of a dead leaf instead of a green one. 
The insect appears to be undescribed, and, from its powers of concealment, 
is no doubt rarely captured. Most butterflies have lines on the anterior 
and posterior wings, often both above and below, which become continuous 
when placed in juxtaposition ; and there are several exotic species which 
have a line similar to the mid-rib of a leaf figured upon the under side 
of the wings ; but none hitherto described at all approach the present in 
its close resemblance to a leaf, both in shape, veining, and shading. It is 
impossible, from merely a photograph of its under side, to determine its 
genus ; but from its faleate anterior and single-tailed posterior wings, it 
probably belongs to the same group of the Nymphalide as Amathusia 
and Zeuxidia. 


(2.) Description of New Sertulariade, from the Coast of California. 
By Anprew Murray, Esq. (With two Plates.) 


The interest which attaches to the existence of closely allied 
forms in far distant regions induces me to publish the follow- 


Description of a New Sertulariade. 147 


ing isolated descriptions of five new Sertulariadzfrom the coast 
of California. 

With one exception, they are all most nearly allied to species 
found on the British coasts, viz. to Sertularia operculata, 
S. jilicula, Plumularia falcata and Plumularia cristata ; 
and I may notice that along with them I received the stems 
of a Hudendrium which I cannot distinguish from EL. ramo- 
sum of our own coast, although, from the want of the vesicles 
it is impossible to decide whether it is a distinct species or 
not. 

-To secure absolute accuracy in the figures, they have been 
drawn by the aid of the camera lucida. 


1. Sertularia tricuspidata, Murr. Pl. VI. fig. 1. 


Cells inversely pear-shaped and nearly opposite, a single 
one in the axilla of each pinna; mouth at end of cell, aperture 
obliquely truncate, tricuspid at the outer edge; middle cusp 
longest. Vesicles unknown. 

The habit of this species is perfectly that of S. operculata. 
Its cells, however, are broader, shorter, stouter, and less acutely 
conical; they are not perfectly opposite; they do not meet 
each other at the base, and are more everted; they are tri- 
cuspid on the outer lip, the middle cusp being longest, and the 
lateral cusps are nearer it and more reflexed than is the case 
in S. operculata, when it has two lateral teeth. 

It grows in tufts from 2 to 3 inches high, flexuose and ser- 
rulated, with polype-cells which are fully as much everted as is 
usually the case in this family, instead of being less so, as is 
the habit of S. operculata. 

There were no vesicles in my specimens. 

Bay of San Francisco. 


2. Sertularia labrata, Murr. PI. V1. fig. 2. 


Cells nearly opposite, a single one in the axilla of each 
pinna; mouth at end of cell; lip distinct, not toothed; aper- 
ture obliquely truncate. Vesicles not known. 

Like S. filiculain habit. The cells, however, are differently 
shaped, more like those of the last species, but not toothed. 
The lip is distinct. 


148 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


_ I have received only a minute portion, without vesicles. 
Bay of San Francisco. 


3. Sertularia corniculata, Murr. Plate VI. fig. 3. 


Cells not quite opposite, sometimes nearly alternate, form- 
ing an open cup resting on the stem ; lip not distinct ; exterior 
margin somewhat projecting at tip; a single one in the axilla 
of each pinna. Vesicles pear-shaped, with two long points 
projecting like horns at the thick end; aperture between them. 

This is a very elegant little species, and is easily distin- 
guished by the two long horns at the top of the vesicles, which 
remind one somewhat of a fool’s-cap, and by the wholly open 
cells. 

Bay of San Francisco. 


4, Plumularia gracilis, Murr. Plate VII. fig. 1. 


Stem slightly flexuose, branched; branches alternately pin- 
nated ; cells ranked closely in twos and threes ; tubulous, with 
a plain yim slightly peaked in front ; vesicles oblong-oval. 

The characters of this Plumularia do not differ greatly from 
those of P. falcata; but its habit 1s so different that it can 
scarcely be mistaken for it. The branches are closer, and 
more thickly set, than in P. falcata; their arched disposition 
is wanting; and the whole plant has more the aspect of a Ser- 
tularia than a Plumularia. The cells are proportionally 
larger than in P. falcata; instead of a plain truncate rim, 
it has one slightly peaked in front, or excised at the sides. 
Each cell has also a sort of support, like a triangular buttress, 
below it, marked or lined off from the cell itself. 

Bay of San Francisco. 


5. Plumularia struthionides, Murr. Plate VII. fig. 2. 


Shoots simple, plumous, the pinne alternate; cells close, 
each occupying the whole of one side of the joint to which it 
is attached, cup-shaped, with a toothed margin, of which the 
teeth are unequal, the one in front projecting much more than 
the rest; vesicles gibbous, girt with toothed ribs. 

This species is nearly allied to P. cristata, but is much 
closer in habit, both the pinne and the cells being nearer each 


TBasire, Sc. 


Sea 


PFs. Os Vit. 


SS Wi 


Wae Royal Physical Soetety, Edinburgh. ji 
Aiwa 
“«K 
oe 
| Tas PSS I 
an Gi WE 
ys i a Mie Ste ; 


i} 


Description of New Sertulariade. 149 


other. The cells are wider-mouthed and shallower. Besides 
the projecting process in front, there are about ten teeth round 
the margin instead of eight, and they are unequal instead of 
being equal ; the first two and the last two are long and slender, 
and the whole are variable in size and development. The 
vesicles are considerably larger than in P. cristata, and the 
ribs are toothed. 
When dry, this species, like P. cristata, becomes curved in 
a falcate manner, and the pinne are frequently laid to one 
side, so that it assumes a good deal of the form of an ostrich 
_plume, in reference to which I have given it the above specific 
“name. = 
Bay of San Francisco. 


EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES, 
Plate VI. 


Fig. 1. Sertularia tricuspidata, natural size; a, portion of same, magnified. 
Fig. 2. Sertularia labrata, nat. size; a, portion of same magnified. 
Fig. 3. Sertularia corniculata, nat. size? a, portion of same magnified. 


Plate VI. 


Fig. 1. Plumularia gracilis, nat. size; a and 6, portions of same, magnified. 

Hig. 2, Plumularia struthionides, nat. size; a, portion of stem, magnified; 
b, vesicle, magnified ; c, portion of pinna, magnified ; d and¢, cells, 
more highly magnified. 


(3.) Notice of Chameleon tricornis. By Mr Murray. 


Mr Murray bronght under the notice of the Society some peculiarities 
of this curiously-formed species of chameleon, which had been brought from 
the interior of the Old Calabar district of West Africa, by one of the natives, 
to the Rey. Mr Baillie, by whom it was presented to Mr Murray. The male 
is characterised by three salient horny processes on the head; the female 
has not these. Many lizards have singular spiny projections on all parts 
of the body. In allusion to the prongs on the head it had been named 
Chameleon tricornis ; but it had also two other names, OC. Owenti and C. 
Bibronii, the latter having been applied to the female. 


The Rey. Mr Baillie remarked, that this species was said by the natives 
to feed upon a particular kind of tree, on which it was usually found; but 
that this was, no doubt, an error, arising from the chameleon frequenting 
this tree in consequence of its being more peculiarly the habitat of the 
insects it fed upon those around it. 


V. Dr Joun Atex. Smrtu exhibited a Ballan Wrasse (Labrus ber- 
gylta), caught in October last in Loch Fyne; sent by Captain J. W. 
P. Orde, of Kilmory Lochgilphead, Argyleshire. It measured about 
14 inches in length, and displayed a few green spots on the hinder 


VOL. Il. U 


150 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. — 


part of the dorsal fin, which were now faded. This species was distin- 
guished by the soft rays of the dorsal fin, measuring twice the length of 
the twenty (first) spinous ones. The Society had been indebted at various 
times to Captain Orde for the exhibition of specimens of interest. The 
ballan wrasse was a rare fish in our Firth, and was found generally on 
rocky coasts. Dr Smith had seen some large ones last autumn, caught at 
the rocks beside the Lizard Light in Cornwall. 


VI. Dr Jonn Atex. Smit exhibited a specimen of a female Gadwall 
duck, Querquedula strepera, one of our very rare winter visitors. It was 
shot near Cromarty in the end of January, and was sent to Dr Smith by 
Mr Muirhead, Queen Street. 

Dr Smith referred to the great abundance in this neighbourhood of the 
Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla, and of the Siskin, #’. spenws, during 
the severe weather of the winter; and also to the multitudes of wood . 
pigeons, Columba palumbus, which, from stress of weather and starvation, 
had been driven from the more open, and wooded districts to the neigh- 
bourhood of our gardens and towns, and had eaten up, with the exception 
of the leek, all kinds of garden produce. 


The thanks of the Society were given to the Rey. Mr Bell and Captain 
Orde for their communications and exhibitions of specimens. 


Wednesday, March 28, 1860.—Avexanper Bryson, Esq., President, 
in the chair. 


William §. Young, Esq., Fillieside House, was elected a member of 
the Society. 


The following donations to the library were laid on the table, and 
thanks voted to the donors :— 


The Canadian Journal of Industry, Science, and Art, New Series, No. 
20, January 1860.. Toronto.—By the Canadian Institute. Proceedings 
of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1858.—From the 
Academy. The Rocks of Kansas (with description of Permian Fossils). 
By G. C. Swallow and F. Harvie, St Louis, U.S., 1858. Descriptions of 
New Fossils from the Coal Measures of Missouri and Kansas. By B. F. 
Shumard and G. C. Swallow, St Louis, U.S., 1858.—From G. C. 
Swallow, Esq. 


Proposed Subscription for a Monument or Memorial to 
the late Professor Fleming. 


The Secretary, Dr John Alex. Smith, laid on the table a 
communication in reference to a proposed subscription for 
the purpose of erecting a monument to the memory of the 
late Professor Fleming, one of the fathers of Scottish Natural 
History, and one of the most zealous promoters and distin- 
guished presidents of this Society. Dr Smith said he would 


On the Examination of the Human Pancreas. 151 


be glad to receive contributions for this object, and the list 
of subscribers would be left in the hands of Mr Dawson, 
6 York Place. 


Hugh Miller’s Museum. 


Dr J. A. Smith stated he might also take this opportunity 
of informing the Society that the movement begun some 
time ago to raise money by public subscription, for purchasing 
the Museum of the late Hugh Miller, had been brought to a 
successful termination. A committee was appointed, of which 
he had the honour to be a member; and the result of its 
labours was that above L.600 had been collected. With this 
sum, and the addition of the Government grant of L.500, the 
Museum had been purchased, and was now in the custody 
of Professor Allman, in the rooms of the University. 


The communications read were as follows :— 


I. On the Employment of Transparent Injections in the Examination 

of the Minute Structure of the Hwman Pancreas. By Wm. Turner, 
_M_B. (Lond.), Senior Demonstrator of Anatomy, University of Edin- 

burgh. | 

The mvestigation of the relations of the minute gland ducts 
to the ultimate gland follicles in the human pancreas presents 
considerable difficulties. This is owing, partly, to the great 
delicacy and transparency of the structures, and partly, be- 
cause from the close manner in which the minute lobules of 
the gland are crowded together, it is difficult to obtain a 
satisfactory view of a single isolated lobule. Thus, the mode 
of connection of the fine excretory duct of the lobule with the 
sacculated gland follicles at its extremity cannot clearly be 
estimated. Moreover, if it is attempted to separate the lobules 
from each other by tearing them asunder with needles, the 
relations of the parts become so disturbed, that the examina- 
tion does not afford any very decided results. For these 
reasons, it has been customary, in describing the minute 
structure of this gland, to refer especially to the appearance 
which it presents in the smaller and more common Rodents, 
such as the Rat or Mouse. 

In these animals the pancreas is spread out in a thin arbo- 


152 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


rescent manner between two layers of peritoneum, so that the 
different lobules lie mostly on the same plane. Their investi- 
gation is on this account comparatively easy, even without the 
aid of any dissection.” 

Being engaged some months ago in making a series of pre- 
parations of the human pancreas for the sake of illustrating 
the structure of this gland to my microscopic class, I suc- 
ceeded in forcing an injection through the excretory duct into 
the ultimate follicles of the gland. I have been enabled in 
this manner to obtain, much more satisfactorily than by any 
other process, definite views of their relations to each other. 
The injecting fluid which I used was of the same composition 
as that recommended by Dr Lionel Beale, and employed by 
him with such success in his investigations into the minute 
structure of the liver. It is composed of a mixture of glyce- 
rine, spirits of wine, and water, in which Prussian blue, ob- 
tained by precipitation, is suspended. 

This injection possesses the great advantage of flowing 
easily when cold along the ducts, and from its great trans- 
parency, the organ into which it is thrown can be examined 
by transmitted light, and by high magnifying powers, so that 
the connections and relations of its component structures can 
be much more readily traced than in those cases where opaque 
injections are employed. It is hardly possible, however, to 
make a complete injection of all the ultimate lobules through- 
out the pancreas; for in many parts they appear to be so filled 
with secreting cells, and the fine ducts proceeding from them 
are, in a similar manner, so blocked up with closely packed 
epithelium, that the injection cannot flow along them. But 
this does not throw any obstruction in the way of an exami- 
nation of those lobules into which the injection has passed; 
it rather tends to facilitate it, for the outline of the ultimate 
follicles, distended by the blue fluid, comes out more distinetly, 
by the contrast which it presents to the paler non-injected 
portions, 

It will be frequently found advantageous to examine those 
lobules, the sacculated follicles of which are only partially 


* See “ Todd’s Cyclopadia,” article Pancreas. 


On the Examination of the Human Pancreas. 153 


filled by the injection; for in them the general and relative 
arrangement can be more distinctly seen than in those lobules 
which are completely distended, as in the latter case, owing 
to the amount of injection in them, a degree of opacity is pro- 
duced which renders the outline of many of the follicles some- 
what indistinct. Most of the sections which I have examined 
have been made with a Valentin’s knife, and the preparations 
have been soaked for a short time in glycerine, which facili- 
tates the investigation of the pancreas, as of many other animal 
textures, by increasing the transparency. 

The large excretory duct of the pancreas extends along the 
centre of the gland from head to tail, and is enclosed on all 
sides by the large lobules. From it, at frequent intervals, 
smaller ducts proceed, which pass into these large lobules, 
and in them divide and subdivide into fine branches, for the 
ultimate lobules. Of these fine branches some arise at right 
angles, others at a more or less acute angle, and after a very 
short course they become connected with the ultimate gland 
follicles of the lobule to which they belong. Hach duct, as a 
general rule, preserves the same calibre from the point at 
which it commences, to that at which it either gives off a 
branch, or terminates in an ultimate lobule. In some instances 
the ducts possess dilatations on their walls, which may either 
be confined to one side, or may exist at corresponding points 
on both sides. The same mode. of termination of the fine 
ducts in the ultimate lobules does not appear to exist in all 
cases, but admits of slight differences. In some instances the 
duct passes to the base of the lobule, and then from it, as 
from a centre, the saccular dilatations of the ultimate follicles 
spring. In others the duct runs for a short distance along 
the base of the lobule, giving origin in its course to the fol- 
licles, which are connected to its sides and extremity. In 
either case the fine membrane forming the wall of the duct is 
continuous with the membrane constituting the wall of the 
follicles, so that the cavities of the follicles are continuous 
with that of the duct. The number of follicles present in an 
ultimate lobule varies considerably in different specimens. 
There are also great differences in their shape and size. 
Some are spheroidal, others laterally elongated, so as to pre- 


154 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


sent a more or less oval form; others again are more pyriform 
When distended by injection, they all present convex, smooth, 
and well-defined outlines. On account of the general shape 
of the follicles, and the mode in which they are grouped to- 
gether in the lobule, they resemble in appearance a bunch of 
grapes, with which they have frequently been compared. 

The epithelial contents of the follicles are of course com- 
pletely concealed in the injected portions of the gland; but in 
those lobules into which the injection has not passed, the 
shape and general arrangement of the secreting epithelium 
may be conveniently studied. It frequently happens that, in 
examining sections of the gland, isolated follicles may be seen, 
lying perhaps closely together, as if they had originally formed 
parts of the some lobule, but still separated by slight intervals 
from each other, having probably become detached from their 
original connections in the act of making the section. In 
these isolated follicles the secreting cells may be generally 
very distinctly seen. They form a closely packed layer, lining 
the inner surface of the membrane forming the wall of the 
follicle. Their shape is spheroidal, so that they form a true 
glandular epithelium. 

Professor Kolliker in his ‘‘ Microscopic Anatomy,” describes 
the pancreas as belonging to the compound racemose group of 
glands, of which the salivary glands and the mucous glands of 
the mouth may be taken as the type. In his description of 
the last-named glands, he states that the grape-like appearance 
of the ultimate follicles is owing to the fine ducts being coiled 
upon themselves, presenting at intervals numerous simple or 
compound dilatations or diverticula. He considers the glan- 
dular vesicles to be nothing more than these dilatations. In 
my examination of the injected pancreas, | have not succeeded 
in sufficiently separating from each other the various follicles 
making up a lobule, so as to state whether the view of Profes- 
sor Kélliker can be applied to the pancreas. Whether we 
hold, however, with the more generally accepted doctrine, that 
these follicles are saccular dilatations at the extremity of the 
duct, or with Professor Kolliker that they are produced by a 
coiling of the duct upon itself, the important fact still remains, 
that the membrane forming the wall of the follicles is connected 


Notice of Reptilian Fossils, Morayshire. 155 


with that forming the wall of the duct, and that the cavity of 
the one is continuous with that of the other. 

In this communication I have avoided the use of the term 
acini, as it has been employed by different observers to express 
different structures, so that its use is liable to lead to confusion 
of ideas; some applying the term to express the ultimate 
lobules of the gland, whilst by others it is used to signify the 
ultimate follicles of these lobules. 


II. Notice of Reptilan Fossils, Morayshire. By Wittiam Reto, Esq. 


The specimens which Mr Rhind exhibited of reptilian remains from the 
sandstone of Moray were contributed by Patrick Duff, Esq. It is now 
about a quarter of a century since the late lamented President of this 
Society, Professor Fleming, first detected an organism in the Old Red 
Sandstone of Scotland. It was but a minute fragment of a fish scale, yet 
it had the effect of awakening an interest for, and stimulating a research 
into, those beds of sandstone which skirt almost the whole of the Scottish 
shores to the north of the Firth of Forth, and which hitherto had been 
looked upon as destitute of organic remains. A few years after this dis- 
covery, Mr Duff began his researches in Morayshire, with an enthusiasm 
and perseverance which have seldom been equalled. He soon found 
that the sandstones of Moray teemed with organic remains, as well as 
these of the opposite shores of Cromarty, which were at the same period 
under the scrutiny of Mr Hugh Miller. From that time Mr Duff 
has formed the nucleus round which the researches of other scientific 
men and the casual discoveries of the workmen in the various quarries 
have centred, so that a most varied and interesting assortment of specimens 
have been accumulated. As long as the organisms brought to light par- 
took of the character, or were supposed to do so, of fishes, no doubts re- 
mained that the sandstones of Moray, under the several modifications of 
colour and position, belonged to the Devonian era; but subsequently, when 
organisms of a higher order made their appearance, assuming the distinct 
forms of reptiles of various families and sizes, a doubt began to arise 
whether the fish-bearing and the reptile-producing strata belonged to the 
same series. This gwestio vewata still prevails; and Mr Rhind, assuming 
that the decision is still left open, proceeded to exhibit by a section the 
relative positions of the sandstone beds, in so far as these are open to 
inspection. The general conformity of the lowest red, the greyish, and 
the yellow sandstones,—the parallelism of the dip of these three beds 
of strata, and the superposition of a band of limestone or cornstone com- 
mencing south of Elgin, and seen with more or less interruption at Links- 
field, Spynie, and Stotfield, capping and inclosing the whole series, were 
ee out; while the absence of scales of the distinctive fishes of the 

evonian era in the particular localities where the reptilian remains have 
been discovered was also mentioned,— an absence which probably may 
arise from as yet defective search, considering that the accidental disinter- 
ment of the reptiles has’ occurred within the short space of a few years, 
and that another few years may either add the discovery of fish scales, 
or, if not found, afford a somewhat negative proof of the non-identity of 
the yellow sandstones with the Devonian. It was also suggested that the 
appearance of the vast masses of compact sandstone forming the hills 


156 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


which traverse the lower region of Moray from west to east, indicated a 
process of accumulation by drifting, rather than that slow and regular 
deposition which is indicated in the lower red sandstone beds, where con- 
glomerate, shale, and fine-grained sandstones are alternately super- 
imposed,—a condition always favourable to the existence of organic 
remains either of plants or animals; while the drifting process, which 
carried the land reptiles into the sea, was unfavourable to the preservation 
of fishes, Lastly, allusion was made to the recent discoveries of vege- 
table remains of Lepidodendrons, Lycopodiums, and others analogous to 
those of the coal strata in the true Devonian sandstones of Canada, by Mr 
Dawson, and of similar fossil plants found in the Caithness slates, by Mr 
Salter,—all indicative of dry land, and the progress of organic life during 
the period of the Devonian Sea. 


III. Contributions to the Fauna of Old Calabar—Mammale. By 
Anprew Murray. 


This paper was chiefly occupied with a list and notes relat- 
ing to the various animals, of which specimens had been sent 
at different times by the United Presbyterian missionaries 
stationed at Old Calabar, among which were the following :-— 


Troglodytes niger—The Chimpanzee. 

With reference to a specimen of this animal which had been 
brought away alive by the Rev. Mr Baillie, but which unfortu- 
nately died on the passage home, Mr Murray remarked, that 
it had been preserved by Professor Goodsir, in a way which, if 
it should prove successful, was well worthy of adoption, in cases 
where the rarity or value of the specimens might justify the 
expense. The plan was to place it in spirits in a glass tank 
or coffin as it were, covered with glass hermetically sealed 
down. This is an enlargement of the plan devised by Goadby 
for the display of his minute dissections; but as in his little 
glass boxes, so here, the difficulty to be contended against was 
leakage. Do what one can leakage seems almost always 
to occur after a certain lapse of time; but this could be con- 
quered if by no other means, at all events by soldering the 
glass together by the blow-pipe ; so that where it is desirable 
to have recourse to this plan, this difficulty in the manipula- 
tion need prove no insurmountable obstacle. 

Mr Murray detailed some anecdotes relating to the indi- 
vidual in question, which had been communicated to him by 
Mr Baillie, illustrative of the kind and extent of intellect 
possessed by it. For example—It was very fond of some sweet- 


Contributions to the Natural History of Oid Calabar. 157 


meats, which were kept in a press or cupboard, but to prevent 
its getting access to them when not wished, the cupboard was 
kept locked. On one occasion the key had been forgotten 
and left lying on the table, the chimpanzee noticed this, 
secured the key, and when no one was present, proceeded to 
unlock the door of the cupboard, but being unable to reach the 
key-hole, drew a chair to the side of it, and getting up on it 
unlocked the door, and so got access to the desired sweetmeats, 
an act involving more than one process of that kind of ratiocina- 
tion which is usually thought the exclusive property of man. 


Galago Murinus.—(Murr.) 

In addition to the information formerly given regarding 
this interesting little animal, Mr Murray had received some 
additional facts, communicated to him by the Rev. W. C. 
Thomson, through Dr Hewan. From these it appeared that 
the little creatures are gregarious, or social rather, travelling 
in small companies, and inhabiting a common nest; one of 
which Mr Thomson got a glimpse of. He saw several indivi- 
duals rush out of it as he passed, and it answered in its situa- 
tion and description to the account he had received of them, 
which was, that they were built on suitable forks on trees, 
with a foundation of clay, and superstructure of dried leaves. 


Stenops, Potto (%). 

Two or three specimens of this curious loris have been re- 
ceived, and the singular structure under the tongue (a develop- 
ment no doubt of the frenum, but exceedingly like a bird’s 
tongue), as well as the rete mirabile of the arteries of the 
limbs, was well shown in Mr Murray’s preparations. 

The sublingual plate is also found in the Galago, although 
less developed. 


Mephitis—Sub Genus Rhabdogale (sp. ¢) 

Mr Oliphant has received a specimen of an animal which 
Dr Cleland, to whom he has presented it, refers to this genus, 
but he has not yet satisfied himself as to the species. 


Anahyster—(Nov. Genus of Otters.)—Calabaricus Murr. 
If a difference in the dentition be, as is usually allowed, 
VOU. IL x 


158 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


sufficient to warrant the separation of the animal possessing 
it into distinct genus, then the present species is entitled to 
that place. , 

It is as yet only known by the skull, which was sent by 
Mr Thomson to Mr Murray. Its dentition differs from that 
of our common otter, Lutra vulgaris, in having one fewer pre- 
molar in the upper jaw. Mr Murray had submitted it to 
Professor Owen, who believes it to be nondescript, and that it 
approaches Enhydra of Fleming (Phil. of Zool.) in having the 
first pre-molar suppressed above, but that the latter has also 
the first pre-molar suppressed below. It has, however, six in- 
cisors in the under jaw, while the sea otter, Enhydra, has only 
four in the adult state, which the specimen in question has. 

It would appear to form an intermediate link between the 
true otter and the sea otter; and its habitat in an estuary 
may therefore perhaps be thought suitable enough; and it was 
in reference to this that Mr Murray proposed the above generic 
name for it—Anahyster (belonging to an estuary). 


Phacocherus, (sp. ¢) 

Dr Cleland has received a young individual of this genus ; 
there does not appear to be any essential difference between 
it and the Cape of Good Hope and Mozambique species, PA. 
MAthiopicus. But the individual is too young to allow an 
opinion to be given with confidence. 


Hippopotamus amphibius.—Lin. 

From the information received from the missionaries, there 
is good reason to believe that the hippopotamus is found in 
the Old Calabar River further up than the mission stations ; 
but no specimens, or portions of specimens, have yet been 
sent home. It may be a question whether there are more 
than one species of hippopotamus. It is generally supposed 
there is only one, but it has been found in rivers so widely, 
and apparently impassably, separated, that it would be noways 
surprising if more than one species shall yet be determined. 


Manatus Senegalensis.—Desmar. 
Several skulls of this most interesting animal have now 
found their way into this country from our Old Calabar friends. 


Contributions to the Natural History of Old Calabar. 159 
Delphinus (sp. ?) 
Mr Oliphant has received the head of a species of dolphin. 


Rhinomus soricoides.—(Nov. Gen., Nov. Sp. ?)—Murr. 

This is a very puzzling little animal. It has the appear- 
ance of a shrew, with its long snout, but is in reality a mouse. 
Its dentition is somewhat peculiar, the incisors having a pro- 
cess behind them, like the cusp of a carnivorous tooth. It is 
pentadactylous both before and behind, and as all the allied 
genera and species have four fingers before and five behind, 
Mr Murray considered that there was no alternative but to 
make a new genus for its reception, and in reference to its 
long snout, he proposed the above name for it. 

It is mouse-coloured, with ear and tail. 


IV. On the Chalk Flints of the Island of Stroma, and Vicinity of 
John o’ Groat’s, in the County of Caithness. By Cuartes W. Pracu, 
Esq., Wick. 

Notices of the occurrence of chalk flints in the boulder clay 
of Caithness have from time to time appeared in various pub- 
lications. Many of the localities I have been able to verify, 
and to add new ones as well. Knowing the interest attaching 
to their presence so far north, and not being able to find any 
account in any work that I have access to of their having 
been found on the surface of the land, the intent of this 
communication is to show that I have been fortunate enough 
to make that discovery. 

On the Sth instant I had to go to the island of Stroma on 
business. When walking across the north side of it, I was 
somewhat surprised to find chalk flints in considerable abun- 
dance on the surface there. This part of the island is stripped 
of its turfy covering, and is consequently favourable for obser- 
vation. Wherever I went, even on ploughed land, and where 
the short vegetation was not too thick, I met with the fiints. 
They vary in size from that of a boy’s marble to eight or ten 
inches over, and are generally of a light colour. Some con- 
tain sponges; in most of them spicula may be seen in thin 
splinters, which I chipped off, and in one piece I observed 
those hollow and branched spicula with the small hall-like 


160 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


masses peculiar to the genus Geodia—all beautiful objects for 
the microscope. A large one, of several pounds weight, con- 
tained pieces of shells, a fragment of an echinus, as well as 
sponge. The flints are slightly waterworn, and many of them 
vovered with lichens. With them are blocks of granite and 
gneiss, some of large size, smaller pieces of hornblende, 
reddish conglomerate, quartz, &c., &c.; in short, the usual 
heterogeneous collection of travelled stones found in these 
parts. One kind of rock deserves special notice. It is that 
peculiar quartz rock with the large annelide-tubes, so abun- 
dant in the highlands of Assynt, Durness, &c., in Sutherland- 
shire. There is no mistaking it, its character is so obvious. 
For its history see Sir Roderick Murchison’s last edition of 
“ Siluria.” I would here remark that the north end and west 
side of the small island of Stroma have never been under cul- 
tivation, being too much exposed to the blighting winds and 
burning spray which, when the storm is raging, pass over 
these parts; and, although some of the cliffs are more than 
100 feet in height, the sea-water at times rushes in streams 
thence to the opposite side of the island. 

I was told by James Simpson, an intelligent fisherman, 
that he had often heard his grandmother say, that in her time 
the supply of peat for fuel for the islanders was cut there, and 
that the moss was then three feet in depth. All has been 
long since taken away, and the scanty vegetation and mould 
which subsequently formed has also been pared off by the 
flaughtering spade, for divots either for the covering of houses, 
&c., or “backing” for fires, and thus the collection of stones 
on this now truly sterile spot is well exposed, and washed 
and bleached by the storms of winter, and the more genial 
showers and sun of summer. These stranger stones, although 
now mingled with others “native and to the manner born,” 
show marks which tell of scratching and polishing, move- 
ment and rough usage, after having been torn from their 
native mountains and hills; and it is interesting to mquire 
into their age, mode of transportation, and deposition there. 
Deposited with the peat they could not be, they date beyond 
that time. The boulder clay period suggests itself, and I 
think correctly; for although but very slight traces of the 


Chalk Flints of the Island of Stroma. | 161 


clay itself are to be seen on the island now, there are evidences 
of its former presence. But probably it was never of great 
depth, there being no deep valleys or sheltered coves to retain 
it on this small spot of land. Add to this the peculiar form 
of the island, sloping towards the sea on both sides and ends, 
much like the hipped low roof of a house—in some places de- 
scending quite to the level of the beach. Thus, when rising 
on its return voyage, after being submerged and covered with 
the boulder clay, as it slowly lifted up its head from the agi- 
tated waters of the turbulent Pentland, lashed no doubt then 
as now by the waves of the restless ‘‘ Swelkie”* and ‘“‘ Bores’ t 
the softer and lighter portions of the clay were washed out, 
and passed down the sloping sides in muddy streams, and 
were swept away by the furious tides which ran past, the more 
ponderous and weighty materials being left behind. Whence 
the flints came I do not intend to speculate, but merely men- 
tion that many writers upon those found in other parts of 
Scotland point to Denmark and Sweden. My stay on the 
island on this occasion was very short, but this is of little 
consequence, as my son William has since made a thorough 
inspection of the whole island, and finds flints all over. 

The next morning I passed over the Pentland in the midst 
of a storm, with rain and snow, and whilst my horse was feed- 
ing and being got ready for my return home, I took the oppor- 
tunity of looking round John o’ Groat’s, and there chalk flints 
were to be seen, but not in that abundance as at Stroma. I 
regretted that I could not extend my search further. As the 
subject is worthy of attention, I hope to pursue my investi- 
gations as opportunities offer, for I believe that these flints are 
wide spread, not only zm the boulder clays of Caithness, but 
on the surface also. I hope by thus giving publicity to the 
discovery that the attention of others may be called to the 
subject. 


* “ Swelkie ” is a whirlpool off the north end of the island, which at times 
is very dangerous. A boat, with seven men in it, was drawn in, and all were 
sucked down and lost, 

+ “Bores.” For instance, off Duncansbay Head the waters rise up all on 
sudden at certain times of the tide into high waves. It is then dangerous for 
vessels and boats to pass through—almost certain destruction to boats. 


162 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


V. Note of the Onuphis tubicola found near Wick. By Coarues W. 
Pracu, Esq. 

I am not aware whether the Onuphis tubicola has been 
noticed as occurring in Scotland. It has been found in Ire- 
land, and I got it rather plentiful in Cornwall. It forms a 
quill-like tube, which it fixes in the sand. I got one the be- 
ginning of this month from a fishing-boat belonging to this 
place. The animal was not in the tube, and although the 
tube is injured, there is sufficient left to identify it. The 
animal is described and figured in the ‘‘ Annals and Magazine 
of Natural History” (vol. xvi. page 6, 1845), in a paper by 
Dr George Johnston of Berwick, fifteen yearsago. I supplied 
him with specimens, and when [ lived in Cornwall, I kept 
some alive for more than a year.* 


Wednesday 25th April 1860 — Wixttam Ruinp, Esq., President, in 
the Chair. 

The following donations to the library were laid on the table, and 
thanks voted to the donors :—Observations on the Free-Labour Cotton 
of Honduras, &c. With coloured plate of the plant. By Mr James 
Banks, Prestonpans.—F rom the author. Lecture on the Geology of the 
Province of Nelson, New Zealand. By Dr F. Hochstetter, of the 
Austrian Scientific Novara Expedition.—From the Colonial Secretary, 
Auckland, New Zealand. Memoir on the Extinct Sloth Tribe of North 
America. By Joseph Leidy, M.D., Professor of Anatomy, University of 
Pennsylania.—From the author. Report of the Board of Agriculture of 
the State of Ohio, for the year 1856, Vol. Il. From the Ohio State 
Agricultural Society, through the Smithsonian Institution, U.S.A. 


Mr GzuorcEe LoGaN made some remarks on the Lord Advo- 
cate’s proposed New Herring Fishery Bill; and moved that 
the subject be remitted to the Committee on Marine Zoology, 
with powers to memorialize the Lord Advocate, or other parties, 
as may seem to it best, in order that some exemption might 
be made for the trawl or seine nets, when used solely for 
scientific purposes, from the restrictions and prohibitions pro- 
posed in the bill. After some remarks by Mr J. M. Mitchell, 
the motion was unanimously agreed to. 


* Since this paper was read I have found a much finer and better preserved 
one at Wick. 


Obscure Markings upon an Old Red Sandstone. 163 
The communications read were as follows :— 


I. On some Obscure Markings upon an Old Red Sandstone Slab at 
Mill of Ash, near Dunblane. By the Rev. Ropert Honter, late of 
Nagpore. 


The large slab, half of which has been laid upon the table, 
is a micaceous flagstone, from a fissile layer, a few inches thick, 
with a more compact sandstone or gritstone both above and 
below it, and at no great distance from a trappean effusion. 
It would seem to belong to the lowest or Cephalaspis zone 
of the Old Red Sandstone. The Rev. Walter Smith, of Free 
Roxburgh Church, in this city, when with me last August, in 
a quarry at Mill of Ash, observed some of the markings on a 
projecting ledge of stone, and that day and the next he and I 
laid the rock bare for a space of six feet in length by five in 
breadth, and came on about 150 of the markings. More 
recently, the slab was raised, and the Rev. Mr Paterson, of 
Dunblane, kindly consented to take the trouble of having it 
packed and forwarded to Edinburgh. The impressions are of 
two sizes. Their form is elliptical, with a raised border, one 
side being in much bolder relief than the other; and it is im- 
portant to note that the raised margins all correspond in posi- 
tion with each other. Within, and separated from the elevated 
border by a channel, there 1s occasionally a raised central 
space, with a tendency to longitudinal furrowing. The longer 
axes of the ellipses all point nearly in the same direction. 
They are arranged with some regularity, though at times two 
are in such close contact as to form an eight figure, and, more 
rarely, a couple of these eights uniting have constituted a rude 
cross. Mr Page possesses some curious impressions from 
Ardoch, a few miles north of Mill of Ash, but judging from 
some figures he hastily drew for comparison, they are of forms 
entirely different from those now described. It is difficult to 
say whether the markings are of organic or inorganic origin. 
The hypothesis on the subject which most naturally arises, 
and being expelled has a tendency to return, is, that they are 
footprints of some animal. There are, however, very formidable 
objections to this view. Nor can they well have been formed 
by pebbles, or by the impressions of ganoid scales, for sub- 


164 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


stances generally so indestructible would surely have left some 
fragment of themselves, more or less, which they have not done. 
Most of the markings are formed chiefly of micaceous lamina, 
like the rest of the rock, and in the two or three instances 
where the presence of a foreign body can be detected, it seems 
to be of a concretionary nature. Mr Robert Loudon Irvine, 
of Hurlet Chemical Works, who kindly consented to analyse 
one of these foreign bodies sufficiently to determine its chief 
ingredients, thus reports on it. “ It consists mainly of car- 
bonate of lime, with iron existing mostly in the state of pro- 
toxide and alumina. There are neither sulphates nor sul- 
phurets present. The black colour is probably due to the 
presence of carbonate of protoxide of iron.” Sir Roderick 
Murchison and the Rev. Mr Mitchell of Craig have, indepen- 
dently of each other, pointed out a remote resemblance in the 
impressions to what is in Forfarshire called “the Kelpie’s 
foot;” but neither of those gentlemen regards the pheno- 
mena as identical. At the suggestion of Sir Roderick, the 
matter has been referred to Professor Phillips of Oxford, who 
has had much experience of obscure markings like the present. 
He has already received specimens of the impressions; and 
it is probable that one of the larger pieces of the slab will 
have to go to England for thorough examination there. 


IL. Notice of Various Ornithic Fossil Bones from New Zealand. 
By James M‘Bain, M.D., R.N. 


The bones which I have now the pleasure of exhibiting to 
the Royal Physical Society were found ina limestone cave in 
the northern island of New Zealand, and were given to me for 
examination by Mr D. F. Paterson, of Kerr Street, near Stock- 
bridge, in this city. In a letter received from Mr Paterson, 
he states, that ‘‘ the large bones were sent home by Dr A..S: 
Thomson, of the 58th regiment, to his father, James Thom- 
son, Esq. of Glendowan, asrare bones. Theskull was unknown 
to Dr Thomson, and differed from all the Moa’s skulls that he 
had seen ; at the same time, he thinks it belongs to the genus 
Dinornis. The bones of the little bird, found along with the 
others, were altogether unknown. |The cave in which the bones 
were found is on the western side of the North Island, near 


Ornithic Fossil Bones from New Zealand. 165 


‘Rotomarrama, at the bottom of a hill. The entrance is twenty- 
five feet high and eighteen feet broad, and its mouth is con- 
cealed with shrubs. The cave is about a mile in length, run- 
ning under the hill, and the bones are found in all parts; some 
under soft sand and limestone, others covered with a crust of 
limestone only. Glowworms were seen in the cave, but ne 
plants. This is called the Cave of the Spirit. Itis held in 
great terror by the natives, and some now alive say they have 
seen a living moa, that it lived in the cave, and used to stand 
on one foot, so that it is just possible that the moa may still 
be alive in some of the wildest and most secluded parts of the 
island. Dr Thomson gave some bones to Governor Gray 
several years ago, and is not quite sure that the governor did 
not give them to Professor Owen. ‘There is another limestone 
cave, called the Cave of the Moa: this is of less extent than 
the former, and is about seventeen miles from Honipaka. 
The animals resorted to the caves to die. The natives used the 
larger bones to make fish-hooks, the skulls to hold their tatoo- 
ing powder, and for other purposes; thus, few of the leg-bones 
or skulls can now be got.” 

In November 1839, Professor Owen read a communication 
before the Zoological Society of London, in which he described 
a portion of the shaft of a femur, six inches in length, and five 
and a half inches in circumference, which had been brought 
from New Zealand. After a careful and critical examination, 
that distinguished paleontologist pronounced the fragment of 
bone to belong to a large bird, allied to the ostrich; and 
staked his anatomical reputation, that species of birds heavier 
and more sluggish than the ostrich would be discovered to 
have existed in New Zealand. In less than four years after- 
wards, this inference was happily confirmed from numerous 
bones transmitted to this country, which were found in the 
bed and banks of fresh water rivers at Poverty Bay, buried 
only at a little depth in the mud. From these fragments of 
bone, Professor Owen was enabled to establish three genera of 
extinet birds, which he named Dinornis, Palapteryx, and Ap- 
tornis. : 

In 1847, the late Dr Gideon Mantell received from his son. 
Mr Walter Mantell, no less than eight hundred specimens of 

VOL. IT. ¥ 


166 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


fossil bones, which were obtained from North Island, found 
in a bed of sand called the “ Waingongora Bone-bed.” In 
1850, another collection of about five hundred specimens of 
fossil bones were sent home by Mr Walter Mantell, two 
hundred of which were from the same locality as the former, 
whilst the remainder were obtained from Waikouaiti, on the 
eastern coast of the Middle Island. This latter bone-bed is 
‘covered by a layer of sand, and appears to have been an ancient 
swamp or moss, in which the New Zealand flax (Phormium 
tenax) once flourished. A pair of perfect tarso-metatarsal 
bones were found standing erect in this bed, with all the toe- 
bones attached, which are now known to form part of the 
skeleton of the species that has received the name of “ Dinor- 
nis robustus.” 

From the fragments of ornithic fossil bones transmitted at 
various times from New Zealand, Professor Owen has suc- 
ceeded in establishing thirteen species of extinct birds, differ- 
ing in size from the great Bustard to that of the Ostrich, and 
even much larger. These species have been referred to two 
distinct genera, the Dinornis proper, in which there is no im- 
pression for a hind toe on the tarso-metatarsal bones ; and to 
the genus Palapteryx, in which the impression for the fourth 
toe has a similar position in the tarso-metatarsal bones as in 
the existing Apteryx. The general anatomical characters as- 
signed by Professor Owen to the skull in this peculiar family 
of birds are “‘a broad and low supraoccipital region, sloping 
from below upwards; a flat parietal surface continued directly 
forwards into a broad downward sloping frontal region ; wide 
and deep temporal fosse, small orbital cavities, and large 
olfactory chambers; the vertical plane of the foramen mag- 
num, with the single occipital condyle projecting directly 
backwards. No ‘existing bird,’ he says, ‘presents this 
peculiarity, which somewhat resembles that of Chelonian rep- 
tiles.’” ag 

The large bones, which I shall now briefly describe, are 
nine in number, consisting of the greater portion of a cranium, 
one cervical, one dorsal, and nine anchylosed sacral vertebra, 
a part of a rib, an ungual and a corresponding penultimate 
phalanx, a large elongated bone, which I assume to be a 


Ornithic Fossil Bones from New Zealand. 167 


scapula, and an interesting little oval bone, doubtless a 
tracheal ring. The bones are of a yellowish cream colour, 
light and spongy from the loss of animal matter, but all in a 
good state of preservation. There are none of the mandibular 
or facial bones attached to the cranium, a part of the pre- 
sphenoid, and the whole of the left postorbital process of the 
frontal bone is broken off, and there is likewise a slight ex- 
foliation at the supraoccipital and paroccipital ridges, ex- 
posing the remarkably cancellous structure of the cranium. 
In the skull described by Professor Owen as typical of the 
genus Dinornis, and referred to D. casuarinus, it is stated, 
* that the cranial peculiarities of the great extinct wingless 
birds are exaggerated in the typical genus, especially the 
downward development and abrupt descent of the basioccipital 
and basisphenoid, and the forward inclination of the occipital 
surface, which makes the occipital condyle the centre of the 
hinder surface of the skull, and places the occipital foramen 
in the upper half. That the occipital condyle is supported on 
a short thick peduncle, and impressed by a subcentrie pit, 
whilst the longest diameter of the foramen magnum is in the 
vertical direction.” These characters do not correspond with 
the skull found in the limestone cave near Rotomarrama. 

The cranial peculiarities of the genus Palapteryx are said 
to be “‘ the minor development of the basioccipital and basi- 
sphenoid downwards in comparison with that in Dinornis 
proper; a higher position of the precondyloid foramina, and 
their separation from the carotid canals, the square platform 
of the basisphenoid, the less development of the paroccipitals, 
and great development of the mastoids and olfactory cham- 
bers, and especially in the large and single oblong depression 
beneath the mastoid, for the single superior condyle of the 
tympanic bone.” In his description of the skull of Palapterya 
gerenoides, in the collection of Mr Mantell, Professor Owen 
says, “it agrees with those assigned to Palapteryx in all the 
characters by which they differ from the cranium assumed to 
belong to Dinornis proper.” 

The general construction, measurements, and details of the 
skull of P. geranoides, agree in several particulars with the 
Rotomarrama cranium; and in the remarks which I have to 


168 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


make upon it, I shall adopt the comparisons made by Professor 
Owen on the typical skull of the genus Palapteryx. The 
breadth across the mastoid processes in the mutilated cranium 
from Rotomarrama is 27’th inches ; the length of the cranium, 
measured from the upper part of the foramen magnum to the 
anterior extremity of the frontal bone, is 3,3,th inches; the 
breadth across the postorbital processes is 27th inches; the 
breadth across the temporal fosse is 1,%;ths of an inch. The 
vertical diameter, from the supraoccipital ridge to the basi- 
sphenoid, is 1,7;ths of an inch. The transverse diameter of 
the occipital foramen is nearly ths of an inch. The breadth 
across the paroecipitals is 24 inches. The sutures of the skull 
are entirely obliterated ; and from the well marked muscular 
impressions and rugose surface, there is no doubt that it be- 
longed to an old bird. The occipital foramen is subeireular, 
and broadest transversely; the descending basioccipital is 
impressed by a shallow pit, divided by a slight median ridge, 
and bounded below by the straight posterior border of the 
basisphenoid platform, the outer angles of which are large 
round tuberosities. The precondyloid foramina are situated 
at the upper and. back part of the basisphenoidal protuber- 
ances, midway between the outer edge of the paroceipital ridge 
and foramen magnum, and raised to a level with the lower 
border of the occipital condyle. The precondyloid foramina 
pass obliquely upwards and inwards into the cranium, and 
there are two small pits at the inner and upper edge, nearer 
the occipital condyle. The paroccipital ridges, partly broken 
in this specimen, are of a semilunar form, and separated by a 
notch from the basisphenoidal protuberances. The canal for 
the carotid artery is seen grooving the sides of the sphenoidal 
platform, winding round the outer part of the base of the 
sphenoidal protuberances, penetrating the basisphenoid, just in 
front of the lower edge of the paroccipital ridges, and entering 
the cranium by the aperture common to the precondyloid 
foramina internally. The occipital region is divided into two 
parts by a broad median vertical ridge, with two strongly 
marked depressions on each side ; but the subdivision, “ slightly 
indicated by the bending down of the supraoccipital ridge,” 
in Professor Owen’s description of P. gerenoides, is not 


Ornithic Fossil Bones from New Zealand. 169 


observable. The anterior angles of the basisphenoidal platform 
are formed by short, thick, outstanding pterygoid processes, 
with flat oblique articular surfaces for the abutment of the 
true pterygoids. The presphenoidal rostrum passes forwards 
from the middle of the basisphenoidal platform to the posterior 
wall of the nasal chambers, and there is a well marked de- 
pression on each side, beneath the optic holes, running back- 
wards at the outside of the pterygoid processes. The foramen 
ovale is situated in the middle of the alisphenoid, halfway 
between the pterygoid process and glenoid cavity, with its 
long axis in a vertical direction. The mastoid process is half 
an inch in length, compressed laterally, and extends obliquely 
from without inwards and backwards, with a large single 
oblong glenoid cavity at the inner side. There is a deep pit 
between the inner and back part of the glenoid cavity and 
posterior root of the mastoid process. The deep temporal 
fossee lie between the mastoid and postorbital processes, the 
lower points of the latter being on a level with the former. 
The distance between the postorbital and antorbital process 
is Linch and ths. There is a small oval pit beneath the 
antorbital processes, the long axis of which runs obliquely 
from before backwards and inwards. The olfactory chambers 
reach backwards nearly three-fourths of the length of the 
orbital cavities. There are two large broad anterior hori- 
zontal divisions, and two narrow posterior ventrical olfactory 
chambers, separated by a slight lateral inflexion of bone at 
the posterior third of the chambers, and not by a “ transverse 
ridge,” as in P. geranoides. The anterior chambers are 
partly roofed over by the prefrontals, wedged in between the 
anterior extremity of the frontal bones, but principally by the 
frontals. The posterior divisions of the olfactory chambers 
are chiefly formed by the orbitosphenoid, ethmoid, and frontal 
bones. The olfactory foramina and radiating grooves are re- 
markably distinct, especially at the back part of the anterior 
larger division of the olfactory chambers. 

There is a mutilated cranium of a Palapteryx, which was 
sent to Professor Owen by the Rev. W. Cotton, from the 
North Island of New Zealand, described and figured in the 
Third Volume of the “ Trans. of the Zool. Soc.,” p. 360 (PI. 


170 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


lv., figs. 4 and 5), without any specific name assigned to it, 
which is closely allied to, if it be not identical with, the Roto- 
marrama cranium. It is said to be ‘* equal in size to that of 
Dinornis casuarinus, and, from the presence of the left post- 
orbital process, to furnish another mark of difference from 
the cranial structure of Dinornis proper—namely, the non- 
union of the postfrontal with the mastoid.” Again, he says, 
“ The olfactory chambers are broader behind than P. gera- 
noides, and had not the transverse ridge: the frontals broader 
and flatter between the antorbital processes: the temporal de- 
pressions are relatively larger, and are traversed by a subver- 
tical ridge—differences which indicate the specific distinction of 
the birds to which these nearly equal-sized crania belonged.” 

The neural canal in the cervical, dorsal, and sacral vertebre 
corresponds in size with the foramen magnum in the cranium 
found along with these bones, so that there can be little doubt 
that these specimens all belong to one individual. 

The body of the cervical vertebra is three inches in length ; 
and the transverse diameter of its anterior and posterior arti- 
culating surfaces measures exactly two inches. From the 
rudimental form of the spinous process above, and the con- 
dition of the heemapophysis below, compared with those in the 
emeu, this appears to be one of the posterior cervical vertebre, 
where the spinous process is least developed—probably the 
fifteenth or sixteenth reckoning backwards. 

The body of the dorsal vertebra is an inch and a half in 
length, the transverse diameter at the anterior articulating 
surface is two inches, and that of the posterior articulating 
surface an inch and ,%;ths. The costal depression is an inch 
in length, and half an inch from side to side at the middle 
and broadest part, situated at the upper and fore part of the 
body of the vertebra. ‘There is a smaller articulating surface 
for the tubercle of the rib at the under and back part of the 
transverse protuberance. The height from the base of the 
body posteriorly to the tip of the spinous process is five inches. 
There is a large pneumatic foramen at the base of each trans- 
verse protuberance, which almost penetrates into the neural 
canal, the intervening space being translucent. The shortness 
of the body of the seventh dorsal vertebra in the skeleton of 


Ornithic Fossil Bones from New Zealand. W71 


the emeu, and the length of the spinous process, with its in- 
clination forwards, where it abuts against the compressed iliac 
bones, render it probable that this vertebra had a similar posi- 
tion in the skeleton to which it belonged. 

The length of the nine anchylosed sacral vertebree 1s four 
inches; the height of the anterior sacral vertebra, measured 
from the base to the upper part of the coalesced spinous ridge, 
is three inches. The bodies of the first two sacral vertebre 
are partly separate, the rest are completely anchylosed. The 
first five sacral vertebree are furnished with upper and lower 
transverse processes. The last four are destitute of a lower 
transverse process. ‘There is a distinct foramen for the exit 
of the sensory and motor nerves, as in other birds; the ostrich 
is the only exception to this rule with which Professor Owen 
is acquainted. The broken portion of a rib measures 33 
inches, and 1,8,th inch transversely, at the broadest part. 
From analogy with those in the skeleton of the emeu, it 
appears to have been broken off below the head and tubercle 
of the third or fourth rib on the right side. The two pha- 
langeal bones are each nearly two inches in length, some- 
what compressed laterally, and rounded above. ‘There is a 
longitudinal groove at each side of the ungual phalanx, and a 
well marked impression at each side of the anterior articulat- 
ing surface of the penultimate phalanx. The phalangeal 
bones are double the size of those of the middle toe in the 
skeleton of the emeu, but less than those in the ostrich. The 
bone, which I assume to be a scapula, is 9 inches in length, 
with a circumference of 63 inches at the articulating extre- 
mity, where it was incrusted with a layer of calcareous sta- 
lagmite, characteristic of limestone-cave specimens. The cir- 
cumference at the middle is 3 inches, and 1;5th inch at the 
free end. The surface of the bone is marked with oblique 
longitudinal striz, decussating in a somewhat irregular manner 
from its posterior to its anterior extremity. There are two dis- 
tinct impressions at the larger extremity, which may corre- 
spond to articulating surfaces for a double condyle of the 
humerus, and a broad transverse impression for the articula- 
tion of the caracoid in front. This is an interesting addition 
to the remains of these extinct birds, as there is no scapula 


172 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


described by Professor Owen in his ‘“‘ Memoirs on the Di- 
nornis.”* The small oval bone found along with the other 
bones is evidently a tracheal ring; it measures ;8,ths of an 
inch in length, by 7%,ths of an inch in breadth, and is about 
roth of an inch in depth. 

A portion of a vertebra, which has been deprived of its 
calcareous matter by dilute acid, would seem to prove, by the 
large amount of residual organic matter, that these fossil bones 
are probably of recent origin. | 

It is to be hoped that this interesting collection will ulti- 
mately assist in the construction of one of the species of Pa- 
lapteryx, indicated by Professor Owen from the examination 
of detached crania, or founded upon the proportions and ana- 
tomical differences of other separate parts, or single bones of 
the skeleton. 


III. Notice of the “ Anawantrz0” of Old Calabar, Africa; an Animal 
belonging to the Famity Lemurina; and apparently to the Genus 
Perodicticus, of Bennett. By Joun ALExanpDER Smitu, M.D. 


The interesting little animal (now exhibited) was given 
to me by Mr William Oliphant, who received it some time ago 
from the Rev. Alexander Robb, one of the U. P. missionaries 
at Old Calabar. The following extract from a letter, dated 
Old Calabar, Ist December 1859, gives some details concern- 
ing it:—‘‘I was at Creek Town yesterday, and received from 
‘King Eyo Honesty’ a small bush animal; or, as the Krumen 
call it, ‘bush meat,’ which I brought with me to give to Mr 
Thomson, who is with us for a day or two, as he takes a great 
interest in these matters. He, however, advised me to bottle 
the animal, and send it to you myself; which, therefore, I now 
do with pleasure. We have put it up so that it ought to reach 
you in safety. It is in a stoppered bottle, well sealed, and 
the bottle is put up in a small tin box wrapped up in our 
native grass cloth. It seems to be a lori, or Stenops tardi- 
gradus. The Calabar people call it Angwantibo (Angwan 
means a farm), but we do not know the etymology of the second 


%* This bone was afterwards compared with the skeletons of Apteryx and 
Pinornis in the British Museum, and found to be a left fibula. 


On the Angwantibo of Old Calabar. 173 


part of the word, and cannot say whether it arose from any 
habit peculiar to the animal. It lives in trees; but, being 
nocturnal, the people know exceedingly little about it. They 
cannot tell what it eats. A lad whom I asked said that he 
lived in the house, and zé lived in the bush; how, then, could 
he know anything about it? My Krumen also recognised it 
as a countryman of theirs. They consider the. one sent as a 
young one; and say that in their country it grows to the size 
of a common puss. Probably theirs is a different animal, but I 
cannot tell. They call it Dwdn, and say that it lays down the 
law to the other beasts, forbidding them to eat the young frudt 
when it begins to form on the trees. If the monkey trans- 
gress, the Dwdn seizes him, and holds him there till he dies,— 
yea, the monkey rots in his grasp. They say that they are 
shot together thus. Ifthe monkey gets the shot, the Dwdan 
holds on ; if the Dwain gets the shot, they fall together. The 
Krumen say that the Dwdn eats fruit. This is all we know 
about it at present ; and their (the Krumen’s) account seems 
somewhat fabulous. One of the legs of this specimen is 
broken. I will send it by the mail that takes this to your 
address.—I am, &c., ALEXANDER Robs. 


« P.S.—Since writing the above, I have met a youth 
who professes to know about the Angwantibo. He says it 
sleeps by day, and eats at night; and that, when full grown, 
it is as big as an old cat, and that it eats fruit.” 


In a subsequent letter from Mr Robb, dated 28th February, 
1860, he says :—‘ I trust you received the Tardigradus sent 
a few months ago. Another specimen which I procured I 
handed to Mr Thomson, who, I believe, sent it to Mr Murray.” 

I have also received from the Rev. H. M. Waddell the fol- 
lowing notice, which he had put down in his note-book as 
descriptive of the “ Angwdantibo :—An animal of the sloth 
kind, lives in trees, hangs on the branches, and eats fruit. 
Rather larger, when full grown, than a large cat. Longish 
snout, short ears, each foot three long crooked toes and claws, 
with a thumb similarly shaped. No tail. Dun colour; cannot 
walk on the ground. When set down, crawls a little, falls 
over, and rolls itself up in a ball. Inoffensive.” 

VOL. I. z 


174 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


The animal belongs to the Famity of the Lemurs, LEMURINA 
s. Prosimtt, and to the first division of the family which is 
distinguished by Van der Hoeven in his valuable ‘‘ Handbook 
of Zoology” (translated by the Rev. W. Clark, M.D., London, 
1858), as follows :— 

PHALANX 1. Nail of the Index alone of the soles incurved, 
subulate. Upper incisor teeth four, in pairs. 

A. With tarsus not elongate. 

Under this great subdivision, it belongs to the 

Genus Srenops, Illig. (genera Loris and Nycticebus, 
Geoff.) 

es teeth 4 canines = molars — Ears short, 
rounded. ILyes large, approximate. Index of hand short, 
not longer than pollex. Tail short, or none. 

Van der Hoeven subdivides the Genus Stenops into the 
three following sections :— 

(a) Tail short. Index of hand very short, resembling an 
unarmed tubercle. (Perodicticus, Bennett.) 

(Sp.) Stenops potto, Lemur poito, Gm., Nycticebus potto, 
Geoffr., Perodicticus Geofroyi, Benn. Gold Coast of 
Guinea. Potto, Bosman. 

(b) Tail very short (Nycticebus, Geoffr). 

(Sp.) Stenops tardigradus, Auct., Lemur tardigradus, L. 
Bengal, Siam, Sumatra, Borneo. Stenops javanicus, 
nob., Nycticebus javanicus, Geoftr. 

(c) Tail, none (Loris, Geoffr. Body slender; eyes very 
large, almost contiguous. Nose acute, sub-ascending), 

(Sp.) Stenops gracilis, Loris gracilis, Geoffr., Lemur 
tardigradus, L. Ceylon. 

The animal, now exhibited, belongs apparently to the first of 
these subdivisions (a.); although, with reference to the first 
character of this subdivision—that taken from the length of 
the tail—it agrees better with, and would therefore seem more 
naturally to come under, the second subdivision (6); the dis- 
tinguishing and peculiar characteristic, however, of the sub- 
division (a) seems to be the undeveloped index finger, and with 
this my specimen exactly corresponds. The length of the tail 
would appear, therefore, to be rather doubtful as a distinctive 


On the Angwantibo of Old Calabar. 175 


character ; at least, this Angwdntibo seems to be somewhat 
intermediate in its characters between the first two subdivi- 
sions of the genus Stenops as given by Van der Hoeven, viz. 
—(a) Tail short ; index of hand very short, resembling an 
unarmed tubercle ; and—(b) Tail very short. The Ang- 
wantibo having the index of hand very short, resembling an 
unarmed tubercle ; and also, the tail very short. To include 
this animal, the first character of section (a) would require to 
be altered to—tail short, or very short ; index of hand very 
short, &c. It seems to me, indeed, from the discovery of this 
Angwéantibo (assuming it to be a new species), that the 
greater or less length of the tail is not sufficiently distinctive 
to allow any characters taken simply from it to be used for 
the division into sections of the comprehensive genus Stenops 
of Van der Hoeven. 

The generic character which Van der Hoeven gives of the 
GENusS Stenops—index of hand short, not longer than pollex, 
in the sections (b) and (e), or the equivalent GENERA Nyctice- 
bus, Geoff., and Loris, Geoff.—from the examination I have 
been able to make of these animals, appears to be due to the 
smaller relative size of the metacarpal bone, and the phalanges 
of the index finger, which are THREE in number, as in all 
the other fingers (eacept the thumb). In the Potto, however, 
and this Angwantibo (as will be afterwards described), which 
fall under his section (a), and the GENUS Perodicticus, Benn, 
the character of index of hand very short, resembling an 
unarmed tubercle, is due, not only to the small relative size 
of the bones of that finger, but also to the presence of only 
TWO very small phalanges (the same number as in the thumb), 
the other fingers having three. This anatomical difference 
forms a good distinction or character between section (a), 
the Genus Perodicticus, Benn., and the other Genera, which 
Van der Hoeven has also included in his great Genus 
Stenops. 

The only species noticed by Van der Hoeven under sec- 
tion (a) of his genus Stenops, and, as far as I am aware, 
the only one known, is the Stenops potto or Perodicticus 
Geofroyi of Bennett, and it, like this Angwadntibo, is a native 
of Africa; the other described Genera, or species of Van der 


176 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Hoeven’s Genus Stenops, are inhabitants of Asia, the East 
Indies, &c. Wan der Hoeven, in his description of this 
species, the Stenops potto or Aposou, says—“ The Aposo or 
Aposou of the negroes of the Gold Coast of Guinea is a noc- 
turnal animal, which sleeps on trees and lives on fruits. The 
Spinous processes of the last five cervical and of the first two 
dorsal vertebre are long, and pierce through the hairy in- 
tegument of the back, with a weak, horny covering. Professor 
Halbertsma first drew my attention to this peculiarity, which 
I have observed in two specimens.” 

On referring to the description of this same species (the 
Potto), placed under the Genus Perodiclicus, and named 
P. Geoffroyi, by Mr E. T. Bennett, which is published in 
the “ Proceedings of the Committee of Science of the Zoo- 
logical Society of London,” for 26th July 1831 (Part I., 
1830-81). I find the animal now exhibited agrees with 
the general characters given there of the Genus (correcting 
the mistake of considering the projecting teeth in the front 
of the lower jaw as being all incisors, instead of both inci- 
sors and canines, according to the present view; and there- 
fore the incisors only four in number, and not six, as Mr 
Bennett described them). To which I would add, as addi- 
tional characters of the Genus Perodicticus—tail short, or 
very short; index of hand very short, resembling an un- 
armed tubercle—supporied by small metacarpal bone, and 
only TWO small phalanges. The Angwéntibo seems to differ, 
however, from the details given of the species which he 
describes,—the measurements of the Poito, or P. Geofroyi, 
given by Bennett, being, “length of head 2 inches and ths, 
of the body 6 inches; of the tail 1 inch ,&ths, or, including 
the hair, 2 inches 3% ths ;”? whereas, in my specimen, the whole 
length, from point of muzzle to extremity of tail, is about 
103 inches; the tail being only } of an inch in length, or, 
including the hair, which is about + of an inch long, only $ 
an inch. The animal described by Bennett was immature, 
its dentition not being perfect; in the one now exhibited, 
the dentition is perfect. There seems to be other slight dif- 
ferences between the Potto and the Angwdntibo, in the 
colour of the hair as well as in the relative size or propor- 


On the Angwantibo of Old Calabar. 177 


tions of the body and limbs, which I shall afterwards notice 
in describing this specimen; and while at present unable 
to procure various works for reference, or a specimen of the 
Potto itself for examination, and therefore in want of more 
information on the subject, I am inclined to consider this 
specimen of the Angweantibo as being a mature individual, 
and probably forming another species of the same genus, and 
one that, so far as I am aware, has not before been described, 
I therefore, from the locality where it was found, give it pro- 
visionally the name of the Stenops, or Perodicticus Cala- 
barensis. 

The Potto, or Perodicticus Geofroyi,isfound at Sierra Leone, 
a region of the African coast, at some distance from Old Calabar. 
Itis also known by a different name, being the Aposo or Aposou 
of the Gold Coast. The letters of the missionaries (from which 
extracts were given at the commencement of this communica- 
tion) seem to indicate the possible existence of more than one 
species, probably of allied animals—the Dwan of the Krumen, 
and this, the smaller Angwantibo of the natives of Old Cala- 
bar. Whether the Dwan and the Aposow are the same, or 
different species, I am unable to determine: they probably 
bear a considerable resemblance to one another. From the 
great variety in size, however, of the animals referred to in 
these letters, I am at present inclined to believe there 
may probably be two, if not three, distinct species,—the 
Aposou, the Dwan, and the Angwantibo,—the Dwan being 
perhaps the largest in size. 


Description ofthe ANGwAntTIBO (from specimen in spirits:)— 

Perodicticus Calabarensis (Mih1)—above, yellowish-brown; 
the roots of hair dark gray; below, paler, in some parts 
nearly white; hair wool-like; length from muzzle to point 
of tail, 103 inches ; tail very short, (about th of an inch in 
length). , 

Proximal phalanges of both hands and feet (not including 
the pollex) united together by the integuments ; the two distal 
phalanges being free.* 


* A hand of the Potto, figured in “Cuvier’s Animal Kingdom’’—London, 


178 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


The Angwéntibo is covered with a thick and long wool- 
like hair, which becomes short and thin on the face and on the 
extremities, the inner sides of the fore and hind hands being free 
from hair. The hair is of a dark gray colour at the base, and 
the upper third or so of its length is of a light brown or fawn 
colour, the terminal points being of a darker brown; this is 
the general character of the fur of the upper parts of the body 
and limbs. The face in front of the eyes is rather darker in 
colour, but the sides of the head are lighter, and the chin 
and throat are nearly white. The inner surface of the limbs 
is also lighter, as well as the whole under surface of the 
body, the gray hairs having their distal half of a light fawn 
colour, and in some places nearly white. The specimen having 
been for a long time preserved in spirits, makes it a little diffi- 
cult to get at the minute details of colour. There are no 
stripes or markings on the back, or other parts of the body, 
to be observed on this animal, as on the Stenops tardigradus 
of the East Indies ; its general appearance being more uniform 
over the surface, although somewhat mottled in character, from 
the hair varying in colour at base and apex. 

The Bopy of the Angwantibo is slender, and measures 103 
inches in length from the point of the muzzle to the extremity 
of the very short tail, which is completely hid in the long fur 
of the body, and measures only about ith of an inch in length. 
This animal is a male; the penis, which is supported appa- 
rently by a small bone, projecting upwards and forwards from 
the rounded scrotum. 

The HEAD is oval and rounded, tapering rapidly in front 
of the eyes; the muzzle protruded, full or blunt, and rather 
prominent. The breadth of the head, in front of the ears, 
is about 14 inch; in front of the eyes, about 3ths of an inch. 
The length from the mesian line of the nose to the ante- 
rior part of meatus of ear is 1? inches; from point of nose to 
anterior angle of the eye is $ths of an inch; from anterior 
angle of eye to front of opening of ear, 14 inch,—the total 
length of head from muzzle, to back part, being nearly 24 


1849 (Mammalia, &., with Notes, by Edward Blyth), shows no such conjunc- 
tion of the first phalanges, but three distinct phalanges are figured to each of 
the fingers. 


On the Angwantibo of Old Calabar. 179 


inches. The Eyes are rather full and large, the opening of 
the lids measuring 4 an inch in length ; the distance between 
the eyes at their anterior angles is} an inch. They are rather 
prominent forwards, and very slightly lateral. The Kars are 
erect and patulous, rather large, and rounded in outline, with- 
out emarginations, measuring about 3ths of an inch across 
from before backwards, and also from above downwards ; 
they seem to be naked internally, and slightly covered with 
short hair externally. In this specimen they are nearly 
naked, especially on the inner surface. There are two 
transverse, abrupt, parallel, projecting ridges of cartilage, 
each measuring ;4,ths of an inch in length, in the free 
cartilage above the external opening of the meatus. The 
external openings of the Nostrits are rather lateral, and 
are sinuous, curved upwards and inwards toward the mesian 
line of the full and rounded snout; and there is a groove 
between them, running down to the front of the upper lip. 
The ToncuE is long, and rounded in front, rather rough, 
being covered with small papille. Immediately below the 
tongue is the projecting lamina, covered with a horny cuticle, 
and resembling a smaller, bird-like tongue, which springs 
from the frenum and projects forwards, about 2ths of an 
inch in length. It 1s free at its edges, and at its point, 
which projects about Jih of an inch; reaching to within 
ith of an inch of the point of the tongue itself. This horny 
lamina measures about ith of an inch in breadth across its 
root or base, and about Jih of an inch across its free or front 
exurvemity, which is divided into nine sharp terminal points 
or filaments. The P. Geofvoyi is described by Bennett as 
having this horny lamina terminating in about six filaments. 
It is diiicult to understand the use of this strange supple- 
mentary horny, bird-like tongue, or expansion of the frenum, 
with its pointed terminal filaments, in an animal stated to feed 
on fruit; it would seem rather to be some sort of additional 
assistance towards capturing or killing an insect prey; but, 
in any view, its use seems to be very obscure. Below the 
tongue and this supplementary organ, the mucous membrane 
lining the floor of the mouth has a slightly free margin pro- 
jecting along the sides of the gums of the lower jaw ; in which, 


180 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


apparently, the ducts of the submaxillary gland (Wharton’s 
ducts) open into the mouth. 

The NEcK is rather short and slender. There is no ap- 
pearance on the back of the neck in this specimen “of the 
spinous processes of the five last cervical and first dorsal verte- 
bree, piercing through the hairy integument of the back, with 
a weak horny covering,” as described by Van der Hoeven of 
the Stenops potto. 

The Limbs are very slender, and nearly equal in length, 
the hinder extremities being a little larger and stronger in 
their development than the anterior. ‘The ForE HaNnDs 
(see fig. 1 of the annexed careful drawings, nearly the size 
of life, for which I am indebted to my friend, T, Strethill 
Wright, M.D.) are thinly covered with short hair on the 


Fig. 1. Hand. 


/ 
ANGWANTIBO. 


dorsal, and are bare of hair, or naked, on the palmar surface. 
The thumb is much larger than any of the other fingers, to 
which it is opposed. There is a large rounded, fleshy, and 
horny tubercle, nearly 3th of an inch broad at its base, 
which projects about 3th of an inch from the base of the 
thumb, on the inner side (next the centre of hand). Im- 
mediately opposed to it, and of equal size, or a very little 
larger, is another apparently simple tubercle, rising from the 
outer side (next thumb), of the base of the clustered fingers 
(see * fig. 1); this however, is the rudimentary index finger, 
its free extremity projecting only about Ath of an inch. It 
is supported by a short metacarpal bone, with a full and ~ 
rounded extremity, to which are attached two small or 


7 


x 


On the Angwantibo of Old Calabar. 181 


rudimentary phalanges; each of the other fingers (not 
including the thumb), having three. This rudimentary 
index finger has no nail; there is simply a minute mark- 
ing, like a cicatrix, or rather a mere short, depressed, 
smooth line, an indication of where a nail should be. 
The nails of the thumb and other fingers are all thin, 
flat, and rounded or ovate, like those of the human hand, 
and are not extended beyond the points of the fingers. The 
remaining three fingers are slender and prolonged, and the first 
phalanges are all conjoined by the integuments, the two distal 
phalanges of each finger alone being free. The index or second 
finger (considering the thumb as a finger) is, as already describ- 
ed, merely like a tubercle rising at the base of the others. The 
third finger is the smallest of the other three fingers, and also 
the shortest ; the fourth (or middle of the developed fingers) 
is the longest ; and the fifth, or last, is longer than the third. 
The hands are each divided into two opposing portions: the 
thumb, with the tubercle at its base, being opposed to the other 
fingers with the tubercle-like index at their base; the thumb 
itself being opposed to the fourth, the middle or longest of the 
fingers. 

The posterior hands or feet (see fig. 2, which also shows 
the length of the tarsus) are rather larger and stronger than 
the anterior ones, and are each divided into two opposing por- 
tions ; the one consisting of the thumb, with a large, rounded, 
fleshy tubercle projecting from the inner side of its base, as in 
the fore hand; and the other portion, formed of the remaining 
four fingers, the first phalanges of which are also conjoined, 
being covered by the integuments, as in the hand. There 
is a comparatively smaller fleshy tubercle, somewhat like the 
undeveloped index finger of the fore hand, projecting from the 
outer side of their base, which is opposed to the tubercle at 
the base of the thumb. It is not supported by any bone, but 
is merely a horny and fleshy projection like that on the base 
of the thumb. The nails of the thumb and fingers are thin, 
flat, and rounded or ovate in form, like those of the fore hand, 
with the exception of that of the second finger (counting the 
_thumb as the first), which is narrow, convex, sharp-pointed, and 
claw-like, and extends nearly to the point of the third finger, 

VOL. Il. C ADAG 


182 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


this claw-like nail, indeed, constitutes one of the distinctive 
characters of the Famity. In the P?. Geofroyi of Bennett, 
the claw-like nail on the second finger appears to be 1 inch 
and ths in length (the finger being stated to measure ;,ths 
of an inch, or, including the nail, 2 inches },ths); whereas, 
in the Angwdntibo, the whole length of the free extremity of 
the finger is half an inch, including the claw-like nail, which 
measures rather less than a quarter of an inch. 

The hands and feet have been already mentioned, as 
being each divided into opposing portions. They remind one 
of the zygodactylic feet of the Climbing-Birds; and this 
character, taken along with the existence of the rete mira- 
bile of the limbs (the tortuous and anastomosing plexuses 
of vessels, which exist in this animal, as well as in others 
of its class), and the arboreal habits of the creature (for 
so completely does it dwell among the branches of trees, 
that it is stated by one of the missionaries to be scarcely 
able to walk on the ground), all seem to tell of long-continued 
muscular action, of a capability of taking a safe, sure, 
and long-enduring hold; and, probably, like others of its 
class, of a stealthy step, which may enable it to steal upon, 
and hold fast, an active and vigilant prey. The incident 
mentioned already by the missionaries, of the Dwdn seizing 
animals like the monkey, is very curious; as we cannot 
help thinking they must be seized and held fast for a some- 
what different purpose than merely to prevent them destroy- 
ing the young and unripe fruit, on which they both are said 
to feed. The dentition of the Angwantibo, to be afterwards 
detailed, would make us incline to the belief of its food 
being of a more mixed character than simply fruit, and that it 
probably included at least insects or their larve, for the cap- 
ture of which the peculiarly complicated lingual apparatus may 
afford special facilities ; or possibly, the smaller birds, which, 
from its nocturnal habits, it may also steal upon and capture, 
while they are quietly roosting among the branches of the 
trees. The structure of the feet, however, and the apposition 
of the thumb to the middle of the fingers, seem to show an 
adaptation for seizing forcibly the twigs of trees, rather than 
for the purpose of capturing a prey. 


On the Angwantibo of Old Calabar. 183 


I subjoin details of the dentition of the Angwantibo; and 
also some of its admeasurements. For the relative measure- 
ments of the Poito, corresponding also to those already de- 
scribed of the Angwantibo, and showing their various differ. 
ences, see Bennett's account of the GENUS Perodicticus, 
referred to already. 


DENTITION. 
Upper Jaw :— 

Incisors 2: 2=4. Two together (in pairs), with interme- 
diate edentulous space,—ls¢ incisor the smallest, the 2d nearly 
twice as large as the first. 

Canines 1-1=2. Large and projecting downwards. The 
intermaxillary suture is described as being immediately in 
front of the corresponding teeth of the Potto; these teeth are 
therefore undoubtedly canines, and when the mouth is shut, 
they pass immediately behind the small canines which pro- 
ject forwards alongside the incisors of the lower jaw. 

Molars 6: 6=12. 

(False Molars, 3.) I1sé, smallest, conical; with very small 
and slight indication of an internal conical tubercle: 2d, conical ; 
with small internal conical tubercle: 3d, with external conical 
tubercle; and smaller, shorter, internal tubercle. 

(True Molars, 3.) 4th, with two external conical tubercles ; 
and two internal smaller and flatter tubercles: 5th, two exter- 
nal conical tubercles ; and two internal, smaller and flatter 
ones: 6th, two external conical tubercles; and one internal 
flattened and smaller tubercle. 


Lower JAW :— 

Incisors 2° 2=4. In pairs laid closely together, the pair 
appearing like one tooth, and all sloping forwards. 

Canines 1-1=2. Small, sloping forwards adjoining in- 
cisors, which they closely resemble. Each tooth, however, is 
slightly larger in size than a pair of the incisors. 

Molars 6: 6=12. 

(False, 3.) sé, large, conical, projecting forwards and up- 
wards like a canine tooth in shape (the corresponding tooth 
in the Potto was formerly described as a canine tooth). When 
the teeth are closed, however, the canine of the upper jaw 


184 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


passes in front of this tooth, it is therefore the first molar ; 
2d, smaller than first, shorter, conical, and pointed forwards ; 
dd, rather larger than second, conical. 

(True, 3.) 4th, two external and two internal tubercles, 
nearly equal in size; the internal rather the largest ; 5th, two 
external; and two internal and rather larger tubercles; 6th, 
two external ; and two internal tubercles, nearly equal, and less 
defined ; with another smaller tubercle behind. 


Tucisors. Canines. Molars. 
eee 
2°20 4° 11 2? 6 6) eae 

Length of Body, from muzzle to point of tail, 104 inches ; 
tail, + an inch, including fur, 4 an inch. 
ANTERIOR LIMBs :— 

Length of Arm 23 inches ; Lore-Arm, not including hand, 
24 inches. 

Hand.—The first phalanges of the fingers are covered and 
conjoined by the integuments of the hand, the two distal bones 
being the only ones that are free; length from wrist to point 
of fourth or longest finger, 14 inch. 

Length of Thumb, or First Finger, from wrist, 3ths of an. 
inch: of this, there is a free extremity of 4 an inch in length. 

Length of Index or Second Finger.—Metacarpal bone of 
index finger measures ths of an inch in length. The first 
phalanx measures ;%;ths of an inch, and the distal phalanx 
qsth of an inch in length; the metacarpal bone of index 
finger and first phalanx being, together, the length of the 
metacarpal bone of the second finger. The metacarpal bones 
of the other fingers measuring about ;,ths of an inch in length. 
Free extremity of finger about 3th of an inch. 3 

Length of Third Finger from wrist, 2ths of an inch. The 
first phalanx of third finger measures ;4,ths of an inch; the 
second phalanx less than ,,ths of an inch; and the distal one 
rather less than ; ths ofaninch. Free extremityis tof an inch. 

Length of Fourth Finger from wrist, 14 of an inch. The 
first phalanx is nearly ths of an inch long; the second, 
jaths of an inch; and the third, about 58,ths of an inch. 
Fourth finger longest, free extremity 4 an inch in length. 

Fifth Pinger.—Length from wrist 1 inch. The first phalanx 
is about ;°,ths of an inch in length; the second, 3,ths of an 


On the Angwintibo of Old Calabar. 185 


inch; and the third about ,2,ths of an inch. Free extremity 
ths of an inch. 

Span, 1 inch and ths of an inch. 

POSTERIOR LIMBS :— 

Length of Thigh, 24 inches; of Leg, 24 inches. 

Foot, from ankle-joint to point of longest finger or toe—the 
fourth, 13 inch. Tarsus, not elongated, about 3 an inch in 
length. Me idiareal bones measure from ;°,ths to ;8ths of an 
inch in length. 

The first phalanges (with the exception of the ‘eee like 
those of the hand, are conjoined together. 

Thumb or First Finger.—Thumb with metatarsal bone, 
about Zths of an inch long. First phalanx, 35,ths of an inch; 
second, ;4-ths of an inch. 

Length of Second Finger, 1 inch; first phalanx, nearly 
2ths of an inch; second phalanx, ,%,ths of an inch; third 
phalanx, bone of claw, ‘;ths of an inch; claw itself, 33,ths 
of aninch. Free extremity 4 an inch. 

Length of Third Finger, first phalanx, ths of an inch ; 
second phalanx, ;4;ths of an inch; third phalanx, #,ths of an 
inch; third finger smaller than the fifth, and free about ths 
of an inch. 

Length of Fourth Finger, first phalanx, ths of an inch; 
second phalanx, ths of an inch; third phalanx, #;ths of an 
inch ; fourth finger longest, free about 4 an inch. 

Length of Fifth Finger, first chalaits. 7;ths of an inch; 
second phalanx, #,ths of an inch; third phalanx, nearly 
ysths of an inch. Larger than third finger, being inter- 
mediate between it and the fourth, and free for about 2ths of 
an inch. 

SPAN measures nearly 2 inches in length. 


This animal possesses a clavicle. The stomach is moderate. 
in size, and rounded in form, and contained what seemed to be 
digested vegetable matters. It has a large sacculated coecum 
of about 13ths inch in length. 


i / 
MICROSCOPIC STRUCTURE OF THE Hair OF ANGWANTIBO.— 
It occurred to me to examine through the microscope some of 
the hairs of this little animal ; and I was much struck by their 


186 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


apparent variety and beautiful cellular structure. Plucking 
a few at random from the upper surface of the body, I found 
I had got three different varieties: large flattened hairs, 
showing a combined series of cells; smaller hairs, containing 
a single series of cells; and each displaying the external or 
epithelial coating of the hair, which forms a series of over- 
lapping margins or scales, their free edges being directed to- 
wards the points of the hair; and, lastly, small bent or curved 
solid horny-like hairs, with this overlapping external coating 
developed here and there into large hook-like processes or spines. 
At my request, my friend Dr T. Strethill Wright made a 
minute microscopical examination of these hairs, and sketched 
the accompanying careful drawings (see Plate VIII.), which 
show very well their beautiful structure. Dr Wright used 
simply water in examining some of the hair; and this fluid 
entering by the cut extremities, and permeating the hair 
thoroughly, distinctly revived. and exhibited their internal 
cell structure. In the smaller-sized hair, containing only 
one series of cells, the cells are found to have an hour- 
glass contraction in the middle, the lower half of the cell con- 
taining the colouring-matter of the hair, and the upper part of 
the cell displaying a distinct central nucleus, the existence of 
which, at least in the body of the hair, is a fact which was new 
to both of us, if not altogether new to microscopists in general ? 
These nuclei were also beautifully seen in the cells of the 
larger hairs. Dr Wright has figured (Plate VIII. fig. 4) 
the peculiar appearance which some of the hairs displayed, of 
black bars, arranged in a somewhat parallel manner, or zig- 
zagging from one extremity to the other, in the central 
portions of the bodies of the hair; for the lower, and upper 
portions of all the hairs, showed no cell cavities, being formed 
apparently of solid structure. These black bands were due to 
some of the uncut hairs being mounted in turpentine or balsam, 
which did not permeate the hair like the water, but obscured 
their true structure altogether, by enclosing the air as a black 
band, which was varied both in shape and in contiguity, in 
the lacerated cells of the hair. 

Thick hair or fur of a cellular structure containing thus 
enclosed a considerable amount of atmospheric air, a bad con- 
ductor of heat, and therefore useful in preventing the rapid 


a 


Vol. IT. 


4 


T. Strethill Wright delf & 1i 


PLATE. Vil Rk 


Royal Physical Society Edinburgh 


Hair of Angwantibo. 


On the Angwantibo of Old Calabar. 187 


cooling of the body of the animal, has been believed to be 
peculiarly adapted as a covering for animals inhabiting cold 
climates ; it seems, however, to be not inappropriately found on 
this little animal, which is stated to search for its food by 
night, and is therefore exposed to the damp and cold which 
occur at night in even a tropical forest. 

Annexed is Dr Wright's detailed description of Plate VIII. 


DESCRIPTION OF PLATE VIII. 

Fig. 1. Proximal portion of small hair in water, showing the recurrent 

spines, 

2. Middle portionof small hair in water, showing hour-glass-shaped cells, 
one-half of which is occupied by pigment, the other by the nucleus 
and vacuolated “ cell contents.” Diameter about ‘001 inches. 

3. Summit or solid portion of large hair, showing contracted scales. 

4. Upper part of large hair in turpentine, showing dark spaces filled 
with air, formed by the shrivelling of the cell cOntents, of single 
and double row of cells. Diameter about °006 inches. 

5. Middle or broadest part of large flat hair in water, showing single 
layer of cells, with nucleus and vacuolated cell-contents. Diameter 
009 inches. 

The Society may think Ihave entered rather too much into 
minute details of description. My reason for doing so, is to 
leave no doubt on the mind of any one, who may wish to make 
comparisons between this Angwantibo and any other indivi- 
dual of the genus, as to the special animal I have attempted to 
describe ; and, for preservation, it is my intention to deposit the 
specimen in the Natural History Museum of the University. 


Since the preceding pages were in type (various unavoidable 
circumstances having delayed the publication of these Proceed- 
ings), | have been fortunate enough to get this specimen of 
the Angwantibo, and my detailed description, compared with 
the Potto described by Mr Bennett; and also with other speci- 
mens of the Potto in the collections of the British Museum— 
my friend, Mr William Carruthers, of the Botanical Depart- 
ment of that great national institution, having, at my request, 
kindly taken the trouble of examining them. 

Mr Carruthers informs me I am correct in my opinion of the 
Angwéntibo being a distinct species from the Potto, the Pero- 
dicticus Geoffroy? of Bennett; and also that it is a species 
apparently unknown to naturalists. 1am therefore at liberty 
to designate it the Perodicticus Calabarensis. 


188 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Mr Carruthers says :—“ It is certainly a second species of 
Perodicticus. I compared it with two stuffed specimens of the 
Potto, and, with the assistance of Dr Gray, determined that 
it was new, differing chiefly from P. Geoffroyi in its tubercle- 
like tail and large ears. I also got Mr Bennett’s specimen of 
the Potto,—which is yet fortunately in spirits,—and have 
been able more completely to discriminate the differences.” 

At my desire, Mr Carruthers got an artist to make sketches 
of the head of Mr Bennett’s specimen of the Potto, and 
also of my specimen of the Angwdntibo, to show the vari- 
ous differences between them, in a more manifest way than 
by any lengthened description; and as both the specimens 
have been preserved in spirits, these comparative differences 


Fig. 3. Head of Angwantibo 


are seen at a glance, no change in the original appear- 
ance of either, having been made by any attempt at skin- 
ning, or otherwise preparing them for preservation. The 
sketches are of the natural size, and Mr Carruthers mentions 
they are very accurate, and are drawn without any attempt 
to put the hair in its natural position. In this way two things 
are gained. First, both specimens are exhibited as they really 
are, without any exercise of the imagination of the draughts- 
man; and, secondly, the outline of the skull is given in both, 
which is of much more importance than the outline of the hair, 
in animals where the hair is thick and stands nearly erect. 
The annexed woodcut (fig. 3), is the sketch of the head of the 
Angwdntibo, the other (fig. 4), that of Mr Bennett’s specimen 
of the Potto. 


On the Angwantibo of Old Calabar. 189 


In pointing out the various specific differences which the 
comparison of the two specimens make manifest, Mr Carru- 
thers says, in the Angwdntibo the body and limbs are more 
slender than in the Potto, and the colour of the hair is 
more uniform. The head is longer and narrower, with a more 
produced muzzle, larger mouth, and more prominent eyes; 
while in the Potto (see woodcut), the head is nearly round, 
and has a much less projecting muzzle. Again, the ear is 
larger, and directed more upwards and forwards in the Ang- 
wantibo; and there are two folds, as already pointed out, 
in the inner surface of the ear; while there is only one in 
the Potto. The drawings show also the remarkable differ- 
ences in the teeth. The teeth in the lower jaw, which 


Fig. 4. Head of Potto. 


Bennett described as the canines in the Potto, but which 
are now considered as pre-molars, are mentioned by him as 
having cutting surfaces, both before and behind, they are, 
in fact, small, flat, triangular teeth ; whereas in the Ang- 
wantibo they are long, rounded, and more canine-looking. 
Then the six teeth in the front of the lower jaw, in the Ang- 
wantibo, are smali and hyaline, not visible above the under 
lip; while in the Potto they are large, prominent, and pro- 
jecting (see woodcuts), and of the same colour as the molars. 
There is also a very striking difference in the hands of the 
two little animals. Mr Carruthers has been good enough to 
make the annexed careful sketches, the size of life, of the 
hand (fig. 5), and the foot (fig. 6), both belonging to the left 


One LE, 2B 


190 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


side, of Mr Bennett’s specimen of the Potto, (see woodcut, figs. 
o, 6); and on comparing these sketches with those already 
given of the Angwdntibo, which, for comparison, I here 
repeat (figs. 1, 2), the differences will be seen more clearly 
than could be brought out by any description. In the Ang- 
wantibo the hands and feet are small, round, and fleshy, with 
several large pads; in the Potto they are large, flat, and thin. 
In both, as has been already carefully described, the index 
fingers of the fore hands are undeveloped ; being represented 
in the Angwantibo by a simple tubercle (see * fig. 1.) Inthe 
Potto, however, as shown in the drawing, the index is not so 
like a mere tubercle, but is more developed, and therefore 
more resembling a finger, than in the Angwantibo, (See * 
fig. 5.) 


Fig. 1. Hand. Fig. 2. Foot. 


/ 
ANGWANTIBO. 


Mr Carruthers says the tail is perhaps the most striking 
distinguishing character. 1 have already in the body of my 
paper sufficiently described it. 

Mr Carruthers informs me that when comparing the dif- 
ferent species of Van der Hoeven’s genus Stenops, in the 
British Museum, he was struck with the great diversity of 
their general appearance, and wondered at a zoologist like 
Van der Hoeven grouping together what appeared to him to 
be several well-marked Genera. Indeed, the only explana- 
tion that occurred to him was, that Van der Hoeven intended 
to give the character of a SuB-FAMILY to his Genus Stenops. 

Mr Carruthers tells me, that while comparing the specimens 
of these two animals, he had on his table all that has been pub- 


On the Angwintibo of Old Calabar. 191 


lished on the Potto. Bosman’s figure is a grotesque carica- 
ture of a fat and lazy animal, having a very faint resemblance 
to the Potto. Van der Hoeven gives a drawing of the skull 
in the “ Tydschrift voor Nat. Gesch.,” vol. ii. plate i. fig. 3, 
and of a young animal, in plate 11.; also a very full account, 
with drawings of an adult, and of the skeleton, brain, and 
viscera, in a paper in Verhand. der Eerste Klasse van het 


Fig. 5. Hand. 
Potro. 


Kon. Med. Inst. IV. 1851. More recently, in 1856, Dahl- 
boum, in his “Studia Zoologica,” gives a figure and de- 
scription of the Potto. He divides the Lemuride into three 
sections. First, the true Lemurs, with long tails; second, the 
Lorids (stenops), without tails, and with long limbs; and third, 
those with very short tails, or almost tail-less, oval or globose 
heads, and short fleshy arms. Here he has two genera: 
I. Perodicticus, characterised thus: ‘‘ Caput ovale, ore crasso 
obtuso. Aures liberee. Oculi subparvi. Index manus an- 
ticze abortus, in tuberculum coarctatus.” And, II. Wyctice- 
bus, ‘ Caput globosum, ore conico. Aures in pelle absconditz 
occuli magni. Digiti normales.” 

I may mention, in conclusion, that I find, since this paper 
was in type, that Van der Hoeven made a short communication 


192 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


on the Potto to the Meeting of the British Association in 1850, 
and a second on the anatomy of the Potto in 1860, in which 
he refers to a complete monograph of this animal published by 
him in 1859, in the seventh volume of the Transactions of the 
Royal Academy of Sciences of the Netherlands (Ortleedkun. 
dig Ondersock van der Potto van Bosman door F. A. W. Van 
Campen Med. Cand. Uit due Platen Amsterdam. 4to, 77 pp.) 
Van der Hoeven also details his arrangement of the Lemuride, 
published in his ‘«‘ Handbook of Zoology,” and refers again to 
the peculiarity in the Potto, “that some of the spinous pro- 
cesses of the neck, covered only by a thin corneous epiderm, 
pierce through the fur-like prickles. They are those of the 
fifth to the last cervical, and of the first two dorsal vertebree.” 
These projecting processes are evident, Mr Carruthers informs 
me, in Mr Bennett’s specimen, though, probably from its 
youth, neither so numerous nor so strongly marked as Van 
der Hoeven describes them. In the two stuffed specimens in 
the British Museum they cannot be detected, as might have 
been expected; as already stated, I could not detect this pecu- 
liarity in my specimen of the Angwéantibo. 

I have been recently favoured with the following explana- 
tion of the name Angwéntibo, from the Rev. Alexander Robb : 
—‘‘ The name Angwad-ntibo is compound; the first part is the 
same as the name of the domestic cat, which the Calabar 
people call Angwa, or Angwa-mbéana—the ng being a very 
soft nasal sound. Angwéis probably onomatopoetic, from its 
resemblance to the sound of the mew or cry of the cat. The 
meaning of ntibo is unknown to me. The Angwéntibo is, 
therefore, so named, probably because it is supposed to re- 
semble the cat, either in its cry or in some of its habits. We 
give this note as a correction of the etymology proposed in 
the letter at the beginning of the above paper.” 


The Secretary reported that as several communications still 
remained in his hands, which he was anxious should not 
be allowed to lie over to another Session, he proposed that 
another meeting of the Society should be held on Wednesday, 
the 9th of May. This proposal was agreed to, and the 
Society adjourned. 


Observations on British Zoophytes. 193 


Wednesday, 9th May.—T. Stretaitt Wricut, M.D., President, 
in the Chair. 


Various Committees were appointed for conducting special investiga- 
tions during the recess. 

Mr George Logan reported that, in accordance with the remit of last 
meeting, the Committee on Marine Zoology had prepared and forwarded 
a memorial to the Lord Advocate, praying that certain exceptions be 
granted on behalf of scientific societies, from the restrictions in the pro- 
posed New Herring Fishery Bill. He stated that he had received a 


reply, mentioning that due weight would be given to the prayer of the 
memorial, 


The following donations to the Library were laid on the table, and 
thanks voted to the donors :— 

Transactions of Royal Society of Edinburgh, Vol. XXII., Part I., 4to; 
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1858-59, 8vo.— From 
the Society. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1859. 
Part III. July to December.—From the Society. Board of Science, 
Second Annual Report (Gold Fields), 1859-60, Victoria ; presented to 
both Houses of Parliament by his Excellency’s command.—From David 
Page, Hsq. De la Formation et de la Fécondation des Ciufs chez les 
Vers Nématodes. Par Edouard Claparede. Geneve,1859. _4to.— Zur 
Morphologie der Zusammengesetzten Augen bei den Arthropoden, Von 
Dr Edouard Claparede in Genf.— From the Author. 

The following Communications were read :— 


I. Observations on British Zoophytes. By T. Stretuitt Wricut, M.D. 
On Halcampa Fultoni (Strethill Wright), a parasitic Actinia. 


The author stated that, in the summer of 1858, he took, by dipping, a 
great number of Medusez of the genus Thaumantias, off Granton Pier. 
'To the peduncle of one of these was attached 4 small Actinia, about half 
an inch in length, and one-eighth of an inch in diameter, From its 
general appearance, he considered it to be a young specimen of Actinia 
troglodytes, which had been seized by the Medusa, dragged from its 
native mud, and brought captive to the surface of the water; but it was 
unfortunately lost before he could examine it carefully. In June, his friend, 
Mr Fulton of Granton Pier, brought him some specimens of Thauman- 
tias, to one of which another Actinia, of the same species as the one he 
had before observed, had attached itself by swallowing the peduncle of 
the medusa. The body of this Actinia was of a transparent, yellowish- 
white colour, and marked by twelve paler lines, indicating the situation 
of the longitudinal septa within. The oral dise was oval, and formed by 


194 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the basis of the tentacles and the mouth. The tentacles were twelve in 
number, of a rich umber brown colour. About one-half of each from the 
- base was marked with five opaque pale-yellow lozenges, and from thence 
to the top by four bands of the same pale-yellow colour. The brown 
matter consisted of amorphous, pigment granules, the yellow matter of 
highly refractive and exceedingly minute molecules, apparently calea- 
reous. Hach tentacle was curved backwards, and resembled the abdomen 
ofa wasp. The pigment could be forced through the top of the tentacle by 
pressure, indicating an opening at that part. The mouth, instead of being 
linear, as in the Actinias, tended to assume a quadrangular, or crucial] 
form, though the constantly varying shape of the dise rendered a descrip- 
tion of it difficult. The stomach was very peculiar, and differed from 
that of the Actinias. It was a flat and 
obscurely quadrangular sac in transverse 
section (fig. 1.) Its angles he should de- 
scribe as superior (a), lateral (6), and in- 
ferior (c.) The superior angle was con- 
nected to the parietes of the body by four 
septa (d), the lateral angles each by one 
septum (¢), and the inferior angle by two 
septa (f) These septa were continued 
downwards, as in the actinias, to the lower 
extremity of the body, and had their free 
edges bordered by a convoluted ciliated 
band, furnished with cnide, or thread-cells. 
The stomach and parietes were further con- 
nected by four intersepta (g), as he should 
Diagram of transverse section call them—one between each of the lateral 


of H. Fultoni:—a, superior angle : 
ai stomach) bie ee aula and anterior angles of the stomach, and 


aa ees aoe ; one between each of the lateral and pos- 

intersepta, uniting stomach with terior angles ; but these intersepta bore no 

EA res. convoluted bands. The septa probably bore 
ovaries, or sper maries, the intersepta not, in which case the reproductive 
system of the animal now described agreed in simplicity with that of the 
polyp of the Alcyonide, which had only eight septa, each bearing ciliated 
bands. The upper part of each of the septa and intersepta was perforated 
by an oval opening, so as to give an uninterrupted passage beneath 
the tentacles to the circulation of the fluids of the body. By tracing 
this passage in. the Lucernarias, he had come to the conclusion that 
it was the homologue of the eae canal of the gymnophthalmatous 
medusa, The attachments of the stomach thus resembled those of the 
same organ in the other Helianthoid and Alcyonian polyps, but in shape 
it widely differed from these. In Actinia and Alcyonia the stomach was a 
flattened sac, open, and evenly truncated at its lower extremity. In the 
animal now described the lower border of the stomach curved gently 
downwards from the superior to the lateral angles (fig. 2,a 6), and from 
the lateral to the inferior angle it bent deeply and abruptly downwards 


On New Fossil Forms from the Old Red Sandstone. 195 


(fig. 2, bc), while the last-named angle itself was produced outwards and 
downwards, so as to form a beaked process, as shown in the figure. The 
thread-cells of the tentacles are simple and unbarbed ; those of the septal 
bands furnished with a zig-zag Fig. 2. 

thread. When the animal was 
separated from the peduncle of the 
Medusa, and placed in a dish of 
sea-water, it slowly moved from 
place to place by the aid of the 
tenacious palpocils which studded 
the tentacles and upper part of the 
body, and alternately filled itself 
like a balloon, and emptied itself 
by a vermicular contraction of the 
parietes, which commenced be- 
neath the tentacles, and passed waa a | 
backwards. When dilated, it was BRE y | ae 
seen that the animal was destitute % 
of a sucking disc, and that the pos- 
terior part of the body terminated 

in a funnel-shaped depression, 

opening into the eavity of the ,,pissrm of ateral view of stomach of 
body, and permitting ingress of angle; c, inferior angle; dd, septa; ee, 
water therein. During contrac- eae 

tion, this funnel was everted, and became a cone, through the apex of 
which the fluid was again ejected. 


II. On New Fossil Forms from the Old Red Sandstone of Forfarshire. 
By Davin Pagez, Esq. (Specimens of the Fossils were exhibited. 


Mr Page next drew attention to some new fossil forms from 
the Old Red Sandstone of Forfarshire. These fossils occur in 
a bed of highly fissile shale, lying in the course of the Pow- 
burn, near the church of Farnell, and belong to the gray tile- 
stones, or lowermost series of the system. They consist chiefly 
of fishes and crustacea—the former embracing three or four spe- 
cies of Diplacanthus, two of Acanthodes, Climatius, Cheira- 
canthus, and several forms yet undescribed, the latter being 
Pterygotus, Eurypterus, and Kampecaris, with detached plates, 
and Parka decipiens. The deposit (discovered some time ago 
by the Rev. Mr Mitchell of Ferryden) was now being worked 
out under the superintendence of the Rev. Mr Brewster of 
Farnell, and Mr Powrie of Reswallie, solely for the fossils— 
the noble proprietor, the Earl of Southesk, affording every 


196 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


facility and assistance in the work of excavation. A great 
number of specimens had been obtained in beautiful preserva- 
tion, as could be seen from those exhibited to the Society, 
and geologists might rest assured that every care would be 
taken to render these treasures available to the purposes of 
science.* Independent of the paleontological value of so 
many new and perfect forms, the discovery was of high litho- 
logical interest, as enabling geologists to determine with 
greater precision the relative ages of the Forfarshire and 
Caithness series, both of which had now been proved to be 
_ characterised by the same specific forms. 


Ill. On the Nidus and Y. oung of Pontobdella muricata, and other An- 
nelides. By Cuas. Wittt1am Prac, Esq., Wick. (With Illustrative 
Sketches.) 


On the 21st January 1859, my colleague, Collector Boyd, 
kindly sent me an old oyster shell attached to an oyster, 
brought to him from the Frith of Forth, on which he had 
observed something strange and unusual. The form was quite 
new to me, and although well acquainted with the nests of 
many shells and other sea animals, this differed from all I had 
previously seen. I found amongst the nests a small annelid, and, 
on applying my lens, discovered that it was a young Pontob- 
~ della, which I supposed had got in there for shelter. I laid it 
carefully aside, and continued my examination, and soon found 
a portion of a second worm protruding from the upper part of 
one of the nests, and that it, too, was another tiny Pontob- 
della. This quite surprised and delighted me. Still, I had 
my doubts whether it had not crept into the nest after it had 
been accidentally ruptured, and suspected that its errand 
was one of felonious intent. I then selected a nest which 
appeared to be full and uninjured. On opening it with my 
lancet, I found that I had libelled the above-mentioned, for 
there, snugly coiled up, was another veritable baby Pontob- 


* Several of the fishes referred to by Mr Page have since been figured and 
described by Sir Philip Egerton in No. 10 of the “ Decades of the Geological 
Survey of Great Britain.” Three of the genera are also figured in Mr Page’s 
new work, “Past and Present Life of the Globe.” 


On the Nidus and Young of Pontobdella muricata. 197 


della. Here, then, was a discovery! The Pontobdella is so 
well known as a parasite on skate and other fishes, that I need 
not describe it. Remembering how little was really known 
about the propagation and early forms of annelides, and of the 
conflicting opinions entertained by various naturalists on the 
subject, I felt quite delighted,—some believing that all pass 
through many changes, from the egg to the adult state; others 
that.there is no change. The tale of the “two travellers” 
came into my mind, “both are right and both are wrong,” 
and that at any rate an opportunity was afforded me, if ap- 
pealed to as an umpire, to decide satisfactorily one point in 
the controversy,—namely, that beyond that of growth, the 
Pontobdella passes through no change after leaving the egg. 
The nests are darkish gray, stout and tough, balloon-shaped, 
are deposited in a group, but not in mathematical order. 
Although one showed a worm protruding from the top, this 
was caused by the accidental rupture of the egg; the natural 
opening for the escape of the young is a circular opening on 
the side. Each nest contains one worm. The shell having 
been long out of the water, all the worms were dead, but in a 
good state of preservation ; they, with many of the nests, are 
in spirits, and only await the time when some one will demand 
them for publication, in the long desiderated history of these 
beautiful, but too long neglected creatures. Having given 
my decision for the no-change man, I must now turn and side 
with those who assert change. From having read many of 
the papers, and seen the figures both of the adult and early 
stages of annelides, by the late Dr George Johnston, and of 
others published in various volumes of the “ Magazine of 
Natural History” (unfortunately few of these volumes have 
come in my way), and as well from observations of my own, 
“ On the luminosity of the sea,” published in the ‘“ Transac- 
tions of the Royal Institution of Cornwall for 1849 and 
1850,” where I figured two forms of the young of anne- 
lides which came under my notice during my researches on 
that subject, as well in 1844, when I first discovered the 
Nereis bilineata, as a tenant of the same shell with the her- 
mit crab,—Pagurus bernhardus,—l saw the eggs of this 
Nereis extended, and afterwards sheltering under the appen- 
VOL. II, ZAC 


198 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


dages on each side of its really beautiful parent. Of the 
parentage of these eggs there is no doubt; but beyond that 
all else about them to me is dark. I algo regret I must leave 
those figured at 6 and 7 (sketch exhibited) in the position of 
those “whom many fathers share,” from not being able to 
affiliate them. ‘The one figured at 6 occurred to me both at 
Fowey, in Cornwall, and at Peterhead, in Aberdeenshire. At 
the expense, I fear, of being tiresome, I cannot resist the 
opportunity of adding, that in the course of my turning up the 
stones between tide-marks, after the nests of Lamellaria ten- 
taculata, in March 1852, at Wick, I observed bluish masses 
of jelly-like matter, in which light yellowish spots showed 
through the transparent envelope. At first I took them for 
masses of ova of shell, or Nudibranchs; but on examining 
one carefully, I observed that at each end of the elongated 
mass there was a hole, and I fancied I could see something 
move in it. On passing my knife under it, a small dark, olive- 
green, iridescent worm, eel-like, glided out. This I secured, 
and found it to be one of the Nemertes, probably WV. gracilis, 
so abundant under stones, where black, decomposing vegetable 
matter is mingled with sand. From year to year ever since I 
have noticed these jelly-like masses, with the attendant worms. 
Last night (8d May 1860), I found five or six nests of them 
under one stone, and as they were farther advanced than 
those I first found, instead of the Nemertes being in the centre 
of the mass, they lay either close alongside of it, or partly 
across it, thus showing attachment to its nest. I have often 
transferred these worms and nests to my aquaria, but have 
never been able to get the eggs to hatch. As they are gene- 
rally on large stones, I am obliged to use force to get a piece 
sufficiently small for my purpose; this, added to not being 
able to associate them with proper material, and in the posi- 
tion they occupy in their native element, will account for 
failure. The ova are arranged in two rows, as may be seen 
through the glairy mass, and in trefoil-like spots. These 
masses are from two to three inches in length, and about one- 
fourth of an inch across, and high. They are very tough and 
elastic. 

Dr T. Strethill Wright stated that he had, in company 


On the Nidus and Young of Pontobdella muricata. 199 


with Dr M‘Bain, dredged up the nests of Pontobdella in the 
Firth of Forth. Sir, J. Dalzell had figured these nests and 
the young in his “ Powers of the Creator,” vol. 11. plate 1, 
and well described them in that work. Referring to Mr 
Peach's description of the Nidus of Numertes gracilis, Dr 
Wright stated that the nests of several annelides might be 
found in the pools near Seafield, the eggs of which had been 
hatched under his care, and he described the progress of 
development in the embryo. He stated that at one stage the 
embryo of the annelid exactly resembled that of Cydippe 
pomiformis, formerly described by him to the Society. 


IV.—WNotice of Snakes and Lizards from Old Calabar. By GrorGE 
Logan, Esq., W.S. 


During the year 1857, the missionaries in Old Calabar 
connected with the United Presbyterian Church in Scotland, 
transmitted to some of the Fellows of the Royal Physical 
Society a considerable number of specimens of snakes and 
lizards, and of other interesting objects in various departments 
of natural history. Of the reptiles a portion were sent to 
Dr J. E. Gray, of the Zoological Section of the British 
Museum, with a request that he would examine and name 
them, that they might be described and submitted to this 
Society; and if there were any duplicates among them which 
would be of service to the Museum, they might be retained. 
Dr Gray acknowledged receipt of the specimens transmitted 
to him, but he seems to have overlooked or forgotten the 
conditions attached to their transmission, as in the spring of 
last year (1859) he, upon personal application at the Museum, 
only returned six of them named, without any notice of the 
remainder. He was then written to, reminding him of the 
terms upon which the reptiles were sent to him, and that it 
was desirable that a list and description of them should be 
submitted to this Society, but no answer was received to 
this communication. The British Museum Catalogue, and 
the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, have 
furnished, however, to some extent the information awanting. 
The following notice by Dr Gray appears in these Proceedings, 
Part xxil., March 1858, page 154:— ‘Mr Logan kindly 


200 Proceedings of the Loyal Physical Society. 


sent to me for examination a number of snakes and other 
reptiles which had been collected by the missionaries in Old 
Calabar. Among several very interesting species I observed 
a new genus of the family Boide, which I have great pleasure 
in laying before the Society, more especially as it appears to 
be the indication of a new tribe in that curious family. 

“ This animal belongs to the second section of the family 
which is thus characterised :— 

“IT. Tail very short, not, or only very slightly, prehensile. 

Head indistinct, short. 

“Tt is entirely distinct from the tribes Cylindrophina, 
Carinina, and Tortricina, and therefore I propose to form for 
it a tribe (Calabarina) by itself, having the same characters 
as the genus. 


“ Calabaria. 


‘Head small, short, rounded in front, the same size as the 
body; muzzle depressed, rounded; labial shields flat, 3 the 
hinder small, front moderate ; rostral shield high, large, tri- 
angular; frontal shields, three pairs, band-like, subsimilar, 
followed by a band-like shield continued from side to side, 
which has behind it a small subtrigonal shield on each side, 
with a central large triangular shield between them on the 
crown. yes surrounded by scales, on the upper edges of the 
upper labial shields, and the outer edges of the fourth and 
fifth frontal plates, and with one ocular shield in front, and 
two smaller behind the eyes; loreal shield single, small; 
pupil circular. Nostril lateral, between two small nasal 
shields. Body cylindrical. Scales broad, triangular, po- 
lished, rather sunken and subrugose in the centre. Ventral 
shields very numerous, band-like, transverse, about half as 
wide as the diameter of the body. Vent small, with a single 
preanal shield. Spurs large, distinct. Tail short, as thick 
as the body, blunt, and rounded atthe end. Subcaudal shields 
broad, band-like, one-rowed, like the ventral shields. 

‘T think it probable, when some other specimens have been 
examined, that the band-like shield extending across from the 
upper edge of each eye will be found to be composed of three 
shields like the band behind it, which are here united into 


Notice of Snakes and Lizards from Old Calabar. 201 


one band; and then the head shields will lie thus :—three 
pair of band-like frontal, two smaller triangular superciliary 
shields over each eye, having in the middle between them two 
triangular parietal shields. 


“ Calabaria Fusca (pl. xiv.) 


“Dark brown, some of the scales yellowish, scattered singly 
or in groups on the back and sides; ventral shields grayish. 
Sides of the belly with a few unequal yellow spots. 

** Length, 36 inches; diameter, Linch. Hab. Old Calabar, 
West Africa. (Geo. Logan, Esq.) 

“Since this paper was read, I have discovered a young 
specimen of this boa among the specimens from the Zoological 
Society, which they had received from Fernando Po. It is 
about half the length and diameter of the specimen from Old 
Calabar. It has the head shields more uniform, and as I sup- 
posed they might be when I described that specimen. It has 
three pairs of band-like frontal shields over the forehead, a 
rather large parietal shield behind them on the crown of the 
head, and two small subequal superciliary shields between the 
outer edge of the parietal and the eye, on each side a narrow 
transverse band-like central shield behind, and rather broader 
than the parietal shield, with a small scale-like shield, like 
those on the neck behind, and on the sides of 1t.”’ 

Although the above descriptions have thus already appeared 
in the proceedings of another Society, there has been no hesi- 
tation in fully quoting them, not perhaps because they ought 
rightfully to have first been given in the Proceedings of this 
Society, but that they are of sufficient interest to entitle them 
to repetition. | 

Of the other specimens of reptiles returned by Dr Gray, that 
labelled Ahewitulla Chenonii will be found noticed in a most 
useful list prépared by him, at p. 161 of the above-mentioned 
part of the Zoological Society’s Proceedings, No. 68 of the list, 
under the leading name of Ahetulla Irreqularis, together 
with its synonyms; the localities assigned being Gambia, 
Fantee, and the Gold Coast. Another of the specimens will 
be found noticed in the same list, immediately following, under 
the name Ahetulla Smaragdina, together with its synonyms, 


202 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the localities assigned being Ashantee and Guinea. The 
next specimen, Causus Rhombeatus, will also be found in Dr 
Gray’s list, p. 163, No. 86, with its synonyms (Hab. West 
Africa; Gold Coast, Liberia, South Africa); but it is, more 
fully described in the catalogue of reptiles of the British 
Museum, 1844 (Snakes, p. 33). Of this snake the British 
Museum possesses four. The specimen named Boodon Geo- 
metricus will be found, with its synonyms, in Dr Gray’s list, 
p- 159, No. 42, under the name Bowdon Geometricus, Hab. 
West Africa; and the specimen named Onychocephalus 
Liberianus will be found with the single synonym Onycho- 
cephalus Liberiensis, under the name Onychopsis Liberiensis, 
in Dr Gray’s list, p. 157, No. 18; Hab. Liberia, Calabar. 
The last remaining specimen to be noticed is a lizard, 
Tiliqua Fernandii, described in the British Museum Cata- 
logue (p. 110, Lizards) as Tiliqua Fernandi—the Fernando 
Po Tiliqua—of which an interesting account has already 
been given to this Society in a paper by Mr Andrew Murray, 
at p. 415 of the first volume of its Proceedings. The oblique 
cross brown bands along the brown sides should be bright 
scarlet or vermilion, but stuffed or preserved specimens seem 
to lose this brilliant colour, as it is not to be seen in the pre- 
sent specimen, although otherwise in excellent preservation. 


V. On the Stlicification of Organic Bodies. By ALEXANDER Bryson, Esq., 
F.R.S.E. 

The solution and deposition of silica has become a very im- 
portant question, not only to the mineralogist, but to the 
physical geologist. Whilst the mineralogist has speculated 
on the forms of silicious minerals and fossils, he generally 
has arrived d prior? at the conclusion that they were of aqueous 
origin; the geologist, on the other hand, has assumed them 
mostly as due to igneous action. M. Brogniart was the first 
to point out the true theory of the silicification in fossil woods, 
in an able paper published in the “ Dictionnaire d’ Histoire 
Naturelle.” In 1828 Von Buch communicated a paper to the 
Academy of Sciences of Berlin, in which he boldly asserts that 
the silicifying process never immediately attacks the calcare- 
ous shell; that it develops itself only upon the organic sub- 


On the Silicification of Organic Bodies. 203 


stance of the animal, or the organic matter contained in the 
shell, and that where such organic substance is not present 
there, no silicifying takes place. In support of these views 
of Von Buch, it may be remarked, that wherever shells are 
found embedded in a silicious matrix, they are generally en- 
tirely converted into silica, no doubt owing to the large quan- 
tity of animal matter contained in them before silicification 
took place. In no instance could I find a trace of calcareous 
matter remaining, clearly showing that either a chemical 
change had taken place, or a mechanical substitution of the 
silica for the whole calcareous matter. 

In further proof of Von Buch’s theory, I may quote a paper 
by Dr Bowerbank on a zoophyte (Alcyonites parasiticum) 
which he found enclosed in an agate. The interest attached 
to this paper is, that while we have no evidence of the time 
required for the silicification of calcareous bodies, and of 
woods and horny substances here, we have complete evidence 
of the rapidity of the change from the slight amount of the de- 
composition of so tender a zoophyte as an Alcyonium. On this 
point Dr Bowerbank remarks, ‘‘ Nearly the whole of the 
animal within the agate is in a beautiful state of preservation, 
but there are a few spots which present evidence of the com- 
mencement of decomposition by the detachment of groups of 
cells from the mass of the polypidom ; in these cases the re- 
mains of the tentacles, as might be expected, are very rarely 
to be seen, and the disrupted mass is totally without a sponge 
fibre. The envelopment of a tooth, or of hard calcareous bodies, 
such as shells, afford no definite information regarding the 
time necessary to accomplish such an operation. The invest- 
ment even of such bodies as the rigid endurable horny fibres 
of that tribe of sponges which are usually to be observed em- 
bedded in flint, cherts, and moss agates gives also a consider- 
able range of time to accomplish the fossilisation ; but when 
we see such a soft and perishable substance as the fleshy body 
of the living Alcyonide, and such delicate organs as the ten- 
tacula of the polypes thus preserved with such evident appear- 
ances of freshness and perfection, I own it excites in me the 
greatest astonishment that there should have been so rapid a 
deposit of silicious matter as must evidently have taken place 


204 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


thus to entomb the animal in such a condition as proves that 
at the utmost but a few days must have elapsed before it was 
so far encrusted as to completely preserve the form and posi- 
tion of the animal, not by a sudden immersion in suppositi- 
tious silicious paste, impounding it instantly in its full 
vigour, but after by a slow and gradual decease; for this 
condition which I have described of semi-protrusion of the 
tentacula is that with which every one acquainted with recent 
zoophytes in a living condition is so familiar as an indication 
of slow and undisturbed death by exhaustion. In this condi- 
tion of semi-protrusion of the tentacula I have seen the 
animals of Alcyonium digitatum, Alcyonidium parasiticum, 
Caryophyllacea Smithii, and numerous species of Sertularia 
and other zoophytes die, if allowed to do so without interfer- 
ence; but if touched or disturbed, the tentacula are slowly 
withdrawn, and never again extended. It does not appear to 
me to be necessary, for the production of a fossil, that the 
whole of the silex should have been deposited immediately. 
We may readily imagine, that after the rapid deposition of the 
first portion induced by the full exposure of the animal matter, 
and the consequently strong elective attraction exerted by the 
animal for the earthy particles, that the remainder of the de- 
posit—the filling up of the interstices of the network—would be 
more slowly and regularly completed in accordance with the 
laws of crystallisation, as we find that from the surface of this 
animal there are the same series of crops of radiating calce- 
donic crystals that characterise the structure of the great mass 
of the moss agates which I have described in my paper on 
those bodies, published in the “‘ Annals and Magazine of 
Natural History,” vol. x. page 9. 

This prismatic semi-crystallisation, if we may reason from 
analogies afforded by the phenomena of crystallisation dis- 
played by salts formed by acids with earthy or metallic bases, 
is a rapid, and perhaps irregular operation, compared with the 
slow formation of the regular and well-defined crystals of the re- 
spective substances under consideration, and which crystals are 
probably produced without the interference of any other agent 
than that which is necessary for their own construction. The 
specimens of fossil wood now shown prove that during the 


Or 


On the Silicification of Organic Bodies. 20 


process of silicification considerable ruptures of the vessels 
had taken place, and that the wood was in a recent state at 
the time of fossilisation. I may further state, that the late 
Robert Brown showed me a section of silicified wood which 
fully corroborated the reasoning of Dr Bowerbank, as it bore 
distinct evidence of having been alive, and struggling to live, 
during the process of silicification. That the solution of 
silica in the humid way was not so difficult as many geologists 
supposed, chemists’ experiments all tend to prove that it is 
soluble in a large degree. I especially refer to the experi- 
ments of De la Rue, who succeeded in obtaining minute crys- 
tals of quartz by an aqueous method. De la Rue found that 
the gaseous body, fluoride of silicon (Si F,), is decomposed 
by contact with water, one-third of the silicic acid being de- 
posited in the form of jelly and silicated hydrofluoric acid 
(3HF + 28iF,) produced: thus, 3 (SiF, + 3 (110) = 810, 
(which deposits) + 3HF + 28iF3 (which remains in solu- 
tion). 

The deposited silica is extremely soluble in water, and he 
observed that the silicated-hydrofluoric acid always retains a 
portion of uncombined silicic acid in solution, which deposits 
after the lapse of some months in minute crystals of artificial 
quartz. It thus appears that water is the solvent of the silica, 
which, when recently produced or separated from its combina- 
tions by the action of the atmosphere on the earthy silicates, 
is presented in the modification most favourable for solution. 
The conclusions to be drawn from these experiments simplify 
very much our ideas of the silicification of wood shells and 
other organic bodies. Geologists hitherto have sought the 
explanation of the phenomena of petrifaction in the action of 
intense heat aided by pressure. It is clear, however, from 
the facts adduced by Dr Bowerbank, that such agencies could 
not have obtained during the silicification of his Alcyonium ; 
and further, it appears from the preservation of the most 
minute tissues in fossil woods, that pressure and extreme heat 
could not have been present. 

With regard to the preservation of the minute tissues in 
various fossil woods, especially the pines and araucarians, as 
shown in their radial sections, I had always found a difficulty 

VOL, II. 2D 


206 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society, 


in accounting for their preservation on any hypothesis, until 
an accidental phenomenon enabled me satisfactorily to account 
for it. 

While preparing chloride of gold, I had occasion to expose 
to the action of nitro-muriatic acid many small articles of 
jewellery which had been chased and variously-fashioned. 
After exposing them for many hours in the usual bath at the 
proper temperature, I was astonished to find that none of the 
articles had changed either in shape or size, although the 
solution showed the proper quantity of gold had been dis- 
solved. After decanting the acid, and washing well the 
jewellery with distilled water, and again adding a fresh quan- 
tity of aqua regia, I found that no further portions of gold 
were dissolved, but that the articles still retained their form 
and size. Some of the rings, which were chased in high re- 
lief, exhibited, as when put into the flask, every mark of the 
workman’s tool. The mystery was soon unriddled; the jewellery 
had all been alloyed largely with silver, every atom of which 
had been changed into a chloride, and as each atom of gold 
was dissolved, it was replaced by an atom of the worn silver, 
and so the form of each article was retained as when first put 
into the flask. On analysis, it was found that no particle of 
gold was left—all was converted into chloride of silver. This 
fortunate experiment at once enabled me to perceive, that when 
a ligneous atom was removed from a fossilising tree, an atom 
of silica was deposited, and hence the perfection with which 
the most minute structure was preserved. 


This being the last meeting of the Session, the Society 
adjourned to the commencement of next Winter Session. 


207 


APPENDIX 


Description of the Bones found in a “ Pict’s House” in the 
Island of Harris. Being Notes to Communication read 
22d February 1860. By James M‘Bain, M.D., B.N. 


The first fragment is a portion of the right side of the upper 
jaw of a dog of tolerably large size, with a part of the molar 
bone attached ; the sectorial tooth and first tuberculated per- 
manent molar remain in situ; and there are sockets for the 
second and third premolars in front, with a socket for the last 
true molar behind. The sectorial tooth in the upper jaw of 
the Canidee is preceded by a deciduous tooth, and is therefore 
a premolar. The foramena present in this fragment are the 
inferior orbital foramen, the lachrymal canal, the spheno- 
palatine foramen for transmitting nerves and vessels to the 
nasal fossz, and a slightly developed palato-maxillary canal. 
The next specimen also belongs to the dog, and 1s a part of 
the left lower jaw; it corresponds in size with the portion of 
the upper jaw just described, and probably belonged to the 
same individual—it contains the last premolar, the sectorial 
tooth, the second true molar, and a socket for the third and last 
permanent molar. The sectorial tooth in the lower jaw is not 
preceded by a milk tooth as in the upper Jaw, and is in fact 
the first true molar. The dental formula of the Canide 
1s i 
3-3 1-1* 4—4° 38-38 
by the Masseter muscle in the lower jaw of the dog does not 
extend to the under edge of the bone as it does in the fox, 
and would enable the comparative anatomist to distinguish 
to which of the species this fragment of the lower jaw belonged. 
The third specimen is the left tympanic bulla of the common 
seal (Calocephalus vitulinus), broken off at the fissure that 
divides the bulla from the mastoid process. The mastoid pro- 
cess is very slightly developed in the section of the Phocide 


42. The depression formed 


208 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


to which the Calocephalus vitulinus belongs, and seems to 
form a part of the osseous bulla. The fourth fragment is the 
basal portion of a horn of the red deer (Cervus elephas), with 
a part of the brow antler cut and fashioned by a sharp instru- 
ment. The fifth piece is a branchlet of the same species, cut 
and hacked apparently for the purpose of breaking it from 
the stem. The sixth fragment is a small bit of bone, evidently 
a portion of a lesser branchlet, which is also cut and polished. 
The seventh specimen is a portion of the left side of the lower 
jaw of the Bos longifrons, and contains the second and third 
deciduous molars and first permanent molar. The third de- 
ciduous molar has three large vertical columns, each with an 
inner and outer acute summit, the inner summits rising higher 
than the outer. ‘There are two accessory columns, one on 
each side of the outer surface of the large middle column, 
extending upwards to the base of its summit, with distinct 
concentric layers of crusta petrosa, enamel, and central den- 
tine. This three-columned deciduous tooth is known to be 
succeeded, between the second and third year, by a permanent 
premolar with only two columns. The loose teeth also belong 
to Bos longifrons ; the tooth marked No. 8 is the first true 
molar on the right side of the upper jaw; No. 9 is the last 
permanent molar on the left side; No. 10 is a third deciduous 
premolar on the right side; No. 11 is the second deciduous 
premolar, also on the right side, and all belonging to the upper 
jaw. The larger column in these deciduous premolars is 
situated posteriorly, and the smaller in front; which character 
serves to point out whether they belong to the right or left 
side of the jaw. The next two specimens likewise belong to 
Bos longifrons ; No. 12 is a cancellous horn core; and No. 13 
is the distal portion of the right humerus. The species to 
which the name of Bos longifrons has been applied by Pro- 
fessor Owen is considered to be the original stock from which 
the present domesticated breed of small Highland cattle are 
derived. The fourteenth specimen is a portion of the right 
lower jaw of a small sheep, containing the two last premolars 
and first true molar, with sockets for the first premolar and 
for the incisors. The external opening of the inferior maxil- 
lary canal is situated nearly midway between the anterior 


Description of Bones found in a Pict’s House. 209 


extremity and the first premolar socket. There is a slight 
metallic crust on the inner surface of the teeth, very distinct 
on the third tri-columnar premolar. The remaining fragment 
in this collection, No. 15, is the upper half or nearly two- 
thirds of the right middle metacarpal or cannon bone of a 
small-sized horse, from which the upper articulating surface 
is separated; the canal for the medullary vessels is recurrent, 
and placed close to the outer edge of the groove for the inter- 
nal splint bone. The fore cannon bone in the horse is more 
flattened in an antero-posterior direction than it is in the 
hinder extremity, as in the latter it is somewhat compressed 
at the sides, and more rounded. 


WDE set 


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PROCEEDINGS 


OF THE 


ROYAL PHYSICAL SOCIETY. 


NINETIETH SESSION, 1860-61. 


oo November 28, 1860.—Wittiam Rurnp, Esq., President, 
ins the Chair. 


Mr Colin S. Valentine, medical missionary, Dispensary, 39 Cowgate, 
was balloted for, and elected a non-resident member of the Society. 

The following donations to the Library were laid on the table, and 
thanks voted to the donors :— | 

1. Proceedings of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Liverpool, 
for Session 1859-60, No. 14.—From the Society. 2. Canadian Journal, 
Toronto, Nos. 27 and 28, for May and July 1860.—F rom the Canadian 
Institute, Toronto. 3. Proceedings of the Royal Institution of Great 
Britain, Part x., November 1859-July 1860 ; London.—From the Royal 
Institution of Great Britain.. 4. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of 
London, 1860, Part i., January-March ; Part ii., March-June.—From 
the Society. 5. Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical Society of 
Manchester, Second Series, Vol. xv., Part ii., 1860. 6. Proceedings of 
the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester, 1858-59, No. 1.— 
10% the Society. | 


Wititram Ruiyp, Esq., Segoe then delivered the Opening Ad- 
dress :-— 

GENTLEMEN,—I have to congratulate the Society this 
evening on again assembling to commence another session, 
and with the prospect of having this session filled up with 
a series of as interesting and instructive communications as 
characterised the one that is past. 

On this occasion the congratulations to the meeting would 
be unalloyed, were it not that we have to deplore the loss of 
one of our office-bearers, whose punctual presence here, not 

VOL. TI. 2 2 &E 


212 Proceedings of the Itoyal Physical Society. 


only on the opening nights, but on all occasions, was always 
to be depended upon, and ever hailed with pleasure and confi- 
dence. Iam sure it must be the universal feeling of the 
members, that in the decease of Mr William Oliphant, 
the treasurer, the Society bas sustained a loss which will be 
deeply felt, and which cannot readily be replaced, while 
every individual has to mourn the loss of a personal friend. 
Carefully and liberally educated, and at first intended for one 
of the learned professions, the naturally delicate state of 
Mr Oliphant’s constitution prevented him from prosecuting 
his original intention; but he still chose a walk of life 
which gave scope to his love of and desire for knowledge, 
and as a publisher he became the successful diffuser, as well 
as in several instances the patron and kind friend, of those 


engaged in the pursuit of literature and science. Mr Oh- _ 


phant became a member of the Royal Physical Society in 
August 1828, and was thus in connection with it for a period 
of thirty-two years. A few years after his entrance, he was 
requested to undertake the duties of occasional secretary, 
and from 1844 to 1848 he acted as secretary. For the last 
ten years, as you all know, he fulfilled the duties of trea- 
surer. Under all the phases which this Society has passed 
through, from the period mentioned,—1in its prosperity, in its 
difficulties, in its temporary decline, and again in its com- 
plete revival,—Mr Oliphant tenderly nursed it, husbanded its 
funds, preserved its library, and found for the Society this 
local habitation, when it removed from its apartments within 
the University ; and all this was accomplished in that quiet, 
unostentatious, unobtrusive way, which was so character- 
istic of his nature. His voice was never heard amongst us 
but in the gentlest and most appropriate suggestions—he 
never obtruded but to conciliate, to oblige, and to guide by 
his advice, which was always sound and considerate. Not 
only this Society, but society at large, must feel the loss of 
such a man; for it is not those who make most noise, and 
take the most conspicuous parts in society, who are in reality 
the main stay, and strength, and ornaments of social life, 
but such a genuine, highly-principled, unassuming, yet 
active, benevolent, and altogether estimable character as 


President’s Address. 213 


Mr Oliphant. You are all aware, too, what an interest Mr 
Oliphant took in our scientific pursuits, and that it was 
through him, in the first instance, that an introduction was 
obtained to the Calabar missionaries, whose contributions 
to the zoology of Western Africa have afforded so many 
interesting communications. 

During the recess, another and venerable member of our 
Society has also paid the debt of nature,—Mr Alexander 
Rose, long a well-known lecturer on geology and mineralogy 
in this city, who, as often as the growing infirmities of a 
good old age would permit, was always a welcome and re- 
spected member among us. Mr Rose, a native of Dingwall, 
Ross-shire, not far removed from the birth-place of another 
of our late lamented and celebrated associates, Mr Hugh 
Miller, was also, like him, a self-taught geologist and man 
of science—if it may not be said that every man of science 
is, in a great measure, self-taught. Mr Rose in early life 
became a citizen of Edinburgh ; and, after some years, re- 
linquishing an art in which he was both expert and inge- 
nious,* he resolved to follow the irresistible bent of his taste 
and inclinations, and in time became a celebrated practical 
mineralogist and geologist, He, too, was characterised by 
his unassuming and genial disposition; and there are not a 
few of his attached friends and former pupils who can bear 
testimony to his suavity of manners, and the readiness and 
ability with which he was ever glad to communicate his 
stores of knowledge. 

Mr Rhind then referred to the beautiful Ordnance maps 
of the county of Edinburgh now before the Society, and 
observed that it was no small pleasure to find every inch of 
ground which several of us have gone over again and again, 
~so accurately and so artistically displayed in one compre- 
hensive view before us. To those who many years ago 
began their studies in the only field where real knowledge 
can be obtained,—in the open field of nature,—such maps 
would have been invaluable. What labour, and doubts, and 


* Mr Rose was originally a turner of wood and ivory. He was much em- 
ployed by the late Sir John Leslie in the construction of his many meteoro- 
logical instruments. 


214 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


mistakes would they not have anticipated ! and yet, perhaps, 
the pleasure of working one’s own way, and gleaning infor- 
mation painfully and almost in the dark, afforded more real 
enjoyment than even to get information thus ready pre- 
pared and perfected. The whole district of Edinburghshire 
is exclusively a coal-field, forming a portion of that great 
Paleeozoic deposit which occupies the basins of the Firths of 
Forth and Clyde, extending from sea to sea on the east and 
west. A sketch of the filling up of this great basin or open 
sea, from the commencement of the Carboniferous era to its 
close, and the elevation of the whole by the intrusion of 
trap-rocks, was then given,—the total absence of all appear- 
ances of subsequent formations, from the Coal to the Ter- 
tiaries inclusive, in this district,—then the numerous traces 
of the glacial operations visible in the drift,—the evidences 
of a greater extension of the present estuary of the Forth 
at the close of this glacial period,—and the movements and 
changes of level, which probably had a considerable effect 
in moulding the present aspect of the district posterior to 
the glacial deposits. The earliest notices of the working of 
coal in this district, and probably in Britain, occur in char- 
ters obtained by the monks of Newhbattle to dig coals on 
the Pinkie Burn, near Tranent, in the years 1200 and 1284. 
But it was several centuries after this before coal came into 
general use. We read of frequent fires occurring in HKdin- 
burgh from the ignition of stacks of heather, furze, and 
peat, which it was the practice of the citizens to collect and 
carefully pile up in the areas and closes for fuel. And so 
late as the year 1560, robberies were so common on the 
streets in the dark winter nights, that a rope was tied across 
the principal thoroughfares, to which a bowat or lantern 
was suspended in the centre, containing a single tallow 
candle, which “ paled its ineffectual fire,” where now, in the 
same localities, gas blazes, and innumerable coal fires enliven 
the gloom of the winter nights. It is well known that 
Newcastle coal was prohibited to be used within the city of 
London by act of Parliament, on account of its “‘ noxious, 
sulphureous, and pestilent smoke ;” while at the present 
day no less than seventy millions of tons of coals are raised 


President's Address. 215 


in Britain. A small portion of this is exported, but the 
great bulk is used for domestic purposes and manufactures, 
—for animating the giant arm of the steam-engine, and for 
sending our steam-ships over every region of the globe. 
The present aspect of the county was next alluded to,—its 
division into three alluvial valleys, watered by three rivers 
which flow into the estuary of the Firth,—the Pentland 
range of hills, their diversified scenery,—and the remarkable 
basaltic rocks surrounding and forming the basis on which 
the city is built. There are no means of knowing what was 
the condition of the local atmosphere of Mid-Lothian in 
former times—at periods when the country was more densely 
covered with wood, when the ancient forests of Scotland 
still remained, when the surface of the soil was only par- 
tially cleared and cultivated, and imperfectly drained, and 
when marshes and lochs were greatly more abundant than 
they are at present. In the absence of actual facts, people 
are apt to draw on their imaginations and feelings; and 
it depends a good deal on the individual temperament 
whether we hear that the seasons are become much more 
severe and ungenial, or warmer and drier, than they were in 
bygone days. It was only towards the end of last century 
that scientific instruments were employed to indicate the 
climate of the country. From those begun by Professor 
Playfair in 1771, and others, continued down to the present 
day, it appears pretty evident that no change of climate has 
taken place during the last ninety years. Considerable 
varieties of seasons occur ; the general or normal was pointed 
out, and the occasional or abnormal, with their distinctive 
peculiarities, and the great leading or general causes of dif- 
ference, traced to the predominating power of the south- 
west and north-east air currents,—the predominance of one 
or the other forming the main cause of the varieties of sea- 
sons,—and to the influence of the great Gulf Stream, which 
flows past the British Isles. Local ameliorations of climate 
by drainage, cultivation of the soil, protection of plantings, 
&e., while they are of the greatest importance to the agri- 
culturist and in a sanitary point of view, would appear to 
be too small to affect the general climatal averages. The 


216 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


mean annual temperature of the lower portion of the county, 
embracing a: series of years, may be stated at 47-2 Fabhr. ; 
the rain-fall 24:6 inches. The mean annual temperature of 
the city of Edinburgh, for the last three years previous to 
1860, is 48°:3 Fahr., by the lists of the Meteorological So- 
ciety. This is equal to if not higher than the annual tempe- 
rature of any of the Scottish towns, and only 2° lower than 
London. -The annual rain-fall. at Greenock, on the west 
coast, is two-thirds more than that of Mid-Lothian. Mr 
Rhind concluded by recommending to the members of the 
Society, of whom there were several eminent in the various 
departments of natural history, to combine their labours in 
a complete investigation of the physical history of the 
county. . We owe much, he said, to the labours of our pre- 
decessors in this respect ; and itis but just that we should 
endeavour to do something for those who are to succeed us. 

A vote of thanks was unanimously given to Mr Rhind 
for his address, and his valuable services while President 
of the Society, his term of service having now drawn toa 
close. . 

The Secretary was instructed to engross in the minutes of 
the meeting portions of the President’s address referring to 
the death of Mr William Oliphant; and to send an extract 
of the minute to his widow, Mrs Oliphant, as a mark of the 
Society’s respect for the memory of. its late member and 
office-bearer, and of sympathy with her in her bereavement. 

The following communications were then read :— 


I. Observations on British Zoophytes and Protozoa. 


(1.) Notice of Ophryodendron abietina (Corethria sertulariz). (2.) On the 
Reproductive System of Chrysaora. By T. Strernitn Wrieut, M.D. 


(1.) On Ophryodendron abietina.—Amongst the lower 
classes of animals, and especially in the Protozoa, the lowest 
class, numerous and very striking examples of homomor- 
phism occur. ‘ Homomorphism” is an exact simi- 
larity in form between animals of different classes, without 
any corresponding resemblance in their anatomical struc- 
ture. Some of these examples may be considered fanciful, 
as the likeness between Lacrymaria olor and the fossil 


Observations on British Zoophytes. 217° 


reptile Plesiosaurus. But in others the homomorphism is 
so perfect, that animals belonging to the lower class were 
long confounded by the most eminent zoologists with those: 
_of a higher class. Thus, various species of the Fora- 
menifera were classed amongst the Cephalopoda. The 
shells of many of the Foramensfera are, indeed, exact 
copies of those of Cephalopoda, both recent and fossil. 
The recent Nautilus and Argonaut, and the fossil Bacu- 
lite, Orthoceratite, Hamite, and Ammonite, find their 
representatives in the microscopic Nwmulina, Polystomelia, 
Dentalia, Cristellaria, and Rotalina. The shells of the for- 
mer are inhabited by the highly organised cuttle-fishes ; 
those of the latter by creatures which can scarcely be said 
to possess any organization. The chambers of their shells 
are filled with a glairy living mass, which streams like a 
fluid in and out through the innumerable minute pores with 
which the shells are pierced. The streams unite together 
to form widely-spread meshes and expansions, which en- 
velope, absorb, and digest smaller living beings coming in 
contact with them, and on which the animals move, or 
rather flow along. But although the forameniferous ani- 
mal is a mere fluid mass, destitute not only of organs and 
stomach, but even of the simplest cellular structure, it is 
yet capable of exercising the most important functions of 
life—motion, nutrition, and reproduction,—and of erecting 
for itself edifices mathematically correct in design, which 
arrest the eye by their exceeding beauty of form and orna- 
mentation, and which, deserted by their tenants through 
successive ages, have formed no inconsiderable part of the 
solid frame-work of our globe. <A curious instance of ‘ ho- 
momorphism” occurs in the subject of the present notice, 
Ophryodendron abietina, which is fashioned after the type 
of Sipunculus Bernhardi, a highly organised Echinoderm. 
This animal consists of a shapeless oblong mass, immove- 
ably fixed to the corallum of Sertularia pumila. From one 
end of the mass arises a closely wrinkled proboscis, sur- 
mounted by a tuft of short tentacles. The proboscis can 
be entirely withdrawn into the body, or extended to an as- 
tonishing length, until it appears as a clear glassy wand, 


218 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


twenty times as long as the animal, and clothed at its upper 
part by about forty scattered tentacles, which twine about 
in most violent motion. The animal seems to be constantly 
searching the water around for prey, and occasionally to 
press the tentacles firmly against the body of the proboscis, 
as if to imbed some matter into the soft substance of the 
latter—the usual mode of feeding amongst the Acinetiens, to 
which class it belongs. It is impossible not to be struck 
by the extreme similarity in outward form between this 
animal and the Echinoderm Stpunculus Bernhardt. In both 
animals occur the same shapeless body, the same entirely 
retractile proboscis crowned with tentacles, and the same 
peculiar motions in seeking for prey. But with the form, 
the similarity ends, for the Hchinoderm possesses a highly 
organised structure, while in the transparent Protozoon no 
structure at all has been detected. 

(2.) On Hermaphrodite Reproduction in Chrysaora hyos- 
cella. (Plate IX).—Professor Allen Thomson, in his ‘‘ Trea- 
tise on the Ovum,”* states that “ the Discophore (Medusz) 
are of distinct sexes.” I have found this to be the case in 
all the Steganophthalmata and Gymnophthalmata which I 
have examined, with the exception of the subject of this 
notice. 

Large individuals of C. hyoscella are hermaphrodite ; but 
smaller ones are found which are unisexual, the male or 
female element being suppressed, as in some dicecious plants. 

The best method of examining the structure of the repro- 
ductive apparatus of this animal is to place the Medusa, in 
its natural position, in a large basin of sea-water. The um- 
brella, all but its margin, is then to be cut away. The cavity 
of the stomach is thus laid open, and we have a good view 
of the interior aspect of the sub-umbrella. We find that 
each lip of the mouth divides, at its insertion, into three 
pillars. The central pillar projects as a large rounded bulb 
into the stomach, while the lateral ones diverge, pass out- 
wards towards the margin, and afterwards converge and 
unite together, so as to form, with the bulb of the central 
pillar, the thickened opening or framework of the ovarian 


* Cyclopedia of Anatomy and Physiology, vol. v. p. 129, “ Acalephe.” 


ERA Pim -ilokes 


Vol IT. Fioyal Physical Socrety, E. dinburgh/ 


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YY 


TStrethili Wright, dev. ST Basire.Se. 


1-5 Reproduction of Chrysaora. 6.Reproduction of Truncatulina. 


Observations on British Loophytes. 219 


pouch. This opening is closed by the ovarian membrane, 
which consists of three layers—1l. the endoderm, or intes- 
tinal layer ; 2. the gelatinous layer ; and 3. the ectoderm, 
or dermal layer. The ovarian membrane appears as a floc- 
culent mass, from its being corrugated into numerous folds. 
By injecting air beneath it, it becomes inflated, and the folds 
are opened out. It then presents the appearance of a large 
transparent bag traversed by flat convoluted bands. These 
bands are the ovaries, and contain, between their endoderm 
and gelatinous layer, countless ova and planuloid larve in 
various states of development. 

The ova of C. hyoscella do not present, at any stage, a 
trace of germinal vesicle or spot—objects which are so readily 
detected in the ova of other polypoid zoophytes. | 

The planuloid larvee resemble those of Medusa aurita ; but 
the polyps into which they become developed approach more 
closely to the Lucernarian type, in having a pedicle which 
is surrounded by a gelatinous covering, and at its foot by a 
horny corallum, which I have described and figured else- 
where.* 

The structure and position of the male organs are remark- 
able. Attached to the inner surface of the ovarian mem- 
brane by delicate pedicles, and projecting into the stomach, 
are numerous large grape-like bodies of translucent “jelly,” 
accompanied in many cases by fringes of tentacles of the 
same substance (Plate IX. fig. 1). The surfaces of the first 
bodies are dotted with minute papille, and on the tentacles 
are found tubercles or thickenings covered with similar 
papille. These papille are sperm-sacs filled with sper- 
matic cells and spermatozoa (fig. 4). Smaller bodies, 
about the size of a hemp-seed, and specked with sperm- 
sacs, also occur attached to various parts of the lining 
membrane of the stomach, and even to that of the lips or 
long oral tentacles, down to the very tips of those organs. 

The small Chrysaoras (about 4 inches in diameter) have 
no ovarian bands in their pouches, which only contain masses 
of the grape-like bodies and tentacles before mentioned. 
These tentacles are not homologous with the minute, hol- 

* Hdinburgh New Phil. Journal for 1859. 
VOL, Il. 2 5 


220 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


low, cnidophorous or sting-cell-bearing tentacles found on 
the inner surface of the ovarian membrane of Medusa aurita 
and Lucernaria auricula; they are simply, as are the grape- 
like bodies, prolongations of the endoderm and gelatinous 
layer of the ovarian membrane. 

Although the testicles of Chrysaora are apparently not 
homologous with those of other zoophytes, yet in reality 
they differ but little from those of Actinia and Lucernaria. 
I have given, in Plate IX. fig. 2, a section of the testicle of 
Chrysaora, and in fig. 3, of one of the same bodiesin Actinia 
mesembryanthemum. In Chrysaora, the thin endoderm (a) 
forms the distant sperm-sacs which project from the surface. 
In Actinia, the thick endoderm (a) also forms the more 
closely aggregated sperm-sacs, and fills up the interstices 
betweenthem. The testicle of Lucernaria, again, resembles 
in shape and structure fig. 3; but the sperm-sacs are so 
closely moulded together, that they form hexagonal prisms 
divided from each other by exceedingly delicate walls of 
endoderm. 

The sperm-sac of Chrysaora (fig. 4),.as well as of other 
Steganophthalmatous Meduse, Lucernarias, and Actinias, is 
thus always formed of the endoderm or lining membrane of 
the digestive system, while the sperm-sac of Aydra (fig. 5), 
the Hydroid Polyps, and the Gymnopthalmatous Medusz is 
formed of the ectoderm. In the first class of animals the 
spermatic cells (fig. 4) become first matured into sperma- 
tozoa in the centre (c), or at the base of the sperm-sac, the 
part most distant from the endoderm (@). In the second 
class they ripen at the periphery, or at the summit of the 
sperm-sac (fig. 5), the part also most distant from the en- 
doderm (a). | 

My friend Mr Hincks, in his valuable paper on “ Clava- 
tella,”* appears to consider that the ova of that creature may 
be developed from the ectoderm. But an examination of the 
embryology of a very large number of zoophytes forbids me 
to entertain this idea. The endoderm of the generative cap- 
sule in these creatures consists of two layers intimately con- 
nected with each other. The external layer, or that in 

* Annals and Magazine of Natural History for February 1861. 


Observations on British Zoophytes. 221 


tact with the generative elements, is transparent and struc- 
tureless. The internal layer, communicating with the cavity 
of the digestive system, is loaded with brown granules. In 
Ooryne glandulosa, the ova are at an early period observed 
attached to the transparent layer of the endoderm, and 
separated from the ectoderm by a wide space of fluid. In 
Hydractinia, the reproductive polyps of which possess a 
muscular coat, that coat intervenes between the ova and 
the ectoderm. 

In the subject of this paper, the ectoderm does not enter 
at all into the constitution of the sperm-sac. We may 
therefore conclude that the ova and spermatic plasma are 
detached or secreted from the external surface of the endo- 
derm, which continues to convey nutriment to the former 
until they are fully developed. 


EXPLANATION OF PLATE IX. 


Fig. 1. Male organs of Chrysaora hyoscella: a, grape-like bodies dotted with 
sperm-sacs and attached to the ovarian membrane, 6; ce, tenta- 
cular processes bearing tubercles and sperm-sacs. 

Fig. 2. Section of tubercle bearing sperm-sacs, from the extremity of long 
oral tentacles: a, endoderm; 2, ‘“‘jelly;” c, ectoderm. 

Fig. 8. Section of similar tubercle from Actinia mesembryanthemum, show- 
ing sperm-sacs formed by and imbedded in endoderm, a; 6, in- 
terstitial tissue. 

Fig. 4. Single sperm-sac of C. hyescella: a, endoderm; 8, unripe spermatic 
cells ; c, spermatozoa; d, ‘“‘ jelly.” 

Vig. 5. Sperm-sac of Hydra viridis: a, endoderm; d, ectoderm; 6, unripe 
spermatic cells; c, spermatozoa bearing the same relations to the 
constituents of the sperm-sac as in fig. 4. 


Ill. On the Serial Homologies of the Articular Surfaces of the Mam- 
malian Axis, Atlas, and Occipital Bone. By Joun CruEevanp, M.D., 
Demonstrator of Anatomy in the University of Edinburgh. 


In works on human anatomy it has been customary to 
compare the articular surfaces of the atlas, and the superior 
articular surfaces of the axis, with those of the oblique pro- 
cesses of other vertebrae, as if they were homologous, not- 
withstanding the apparently anomalous manner in which, 
according to that view, the first and second spinal nerves 
must be considered as emerging from the spinal canal. The 


222 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


circumstances which have led to this comparison being 
made, are merely the rapid diminution in size of the inter- 
vertebral discs from the thoracic region up to the axis, and 
a general similarity of appearance between the articular 
surfaces of the atlas and axis and those of succeeding ver- 
tebree ; and though the impropriety of this comparison has 
been exposed in very explicit terms by Professor Henle,* 
there is still room for a few remarks as to the precise parts of 
other vertebree to which the surfaces in question correspond. 

In order to arrive at a just conclusion upon this subject, 
we shall find it advantageous to examine the atlas in the 
bird. In it we find on the posterior aspect a pair of true 
oblique processes passing backwards, to articulate above the 
intervertebral foramina with a corresponding pair of pro- 
cesses of the axis, similar to those of succeeding vertebre ; 
while inferiorly there is a cartilaginous surface which forms, 
with the body of the axis and its odontoid process, a joint 
similar to those between the succeeding bodies of vertebre. 
On the anterior aspect of the atlas there are no articular 
processes like the posterior pair ; and there is presented for 
articulation with the condyle of the occipital bone, a single 
surface, exactly corresponding in extent with that which 
articulates with the body of the axis. As regards the occi- 
pital condyle, its constitution will be best understood by 
looking at the quite similar condyle of the occipital of the 
turtle. In it the middle and lower portions are formed by 
the basi-occipital, in precisely the same manner as the body 
of a vertebra is formed principally by the centrum, but has 
its superior angles derived from the arch. Thus there can 
be no doubt that the atlo-occipital articulation in birds, as 
well as the inferior atlo-axoid articulation, belongs to the 
same series as those between the bodies of the succeeding 
vertebree. 

It remains for us to show that they also correspond to the 
atlo-occipital and atlo-axoid articulations in mammals ; and 
that they do so will readily appear, on making a more care- 
ful examination of the anterior articular surface of the atlas 
of the bird in the recent condition. It presents the form of 

* Henle, Handbuch der Syst. Anat. des Menschen, i. p. 42. 


Homologies of the Mammalian Axis, §e. 223 


a. cup perforated by a small foramen, through which a liga- 
ment passes from the tip of the odontoid process to the 
- occipital condyle, and the part of the cup which lies above 
the foramen is formed by a transverse ligament. This 
transverse ligament corresponds to those which pass from 
side to side of the bodies of other vertebree, and are attached 
to the superior angles of their anterior aspects—those angles 
which are derived from the arches.* Now, in mammalia, 
not only is the function of the transverse ligament of the 
atlas the same as in birds ; but in many of them the heads 
of the ribs of opposite sides are united above the interver- 
tebral discs by transverse ligaments (ligamenta conjugalia 
costarum), which very obviously correspond to the hgaments 
just mentioned on the vertebre of the bird; for, though 
they do not, like them, pass from angle to angle of the 
bodies of the vertebre, they are attached to structures inter- 
polated between these angles. It appears, therefore, that 
the transverse ligaments of the atlas and other vertebree in 
birds, and the ligamentum conjugale costarum, and trans- 
verse ligament of the atlas in mammals, are all homologous 
structures ; and, in that case, the only difference between 
the atlo-occipital articulation in the mammal and in the 
bird is, that while in the latter it is single, in the former it 
is divided into two lateral parts. But this is not an impor- 
tant distinction ; for in the atlo-axoid articulation, we find 
the arrangement in many mammals, as in the human sub- 
ject, similar to that of the atlo-occipital; while in others, 
as in the sheep, a single joint extends across the middle line 
exactly as in the bird. 

The serial correspondences of the vertebral articulations 
are very well illustrated in the human feetus. The articular 
surfaces of the oblique processes are situated immediately 
behind the transverse processes, and in the cervical region 
the arches are bulged outwards at the points where they are 
placed (fig. 5). The axis is shaped altogether like one of 


* T have described and figured the ligament here referred to in a paper 
“On the Structure, Actions, and Morphological Relations of the Ligamentum 
Conjugale Costarum,” in the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, Apvril 
1859. 


224 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the succeeding vertebre, except only that the odontoid pro- 
cess is superadded to the centrum; and the bulging of the 
arch on each side behind the transverse process is well 
marked, and bears the inferior articular surface on its under 
side. On the other hand, the superior articular surface is 
placed partly on the odontoid process, but principally on the 
most anterior part of the arch, viz., that part which, in all 
the succeeding vertebre, forms the posterior angle of the 
body (fig. 3). So also on the anterior extremity of the arch 
are placed the articular surfaces (both superior and inferior) 
of the atlas (fig. 4) ; and also, in the dorsal region, the sur- 
faces for the heads of the ribs. The occipital condyles are 
placed upon the most anterior parts of the arch of the occi- 
pital bone, and to a small extent upon the centrum. 

The foregoing examination of vertebral articulations leads 
us to observe, that, when surfaces for a synovial joint are 
present upon the body of a vertebra, however little of the 
body they may cover, they are never absent from those 
angles which are formed by the arches. 

The synovial articulations between the bodies of vertebree 
in mammals are arranged in the following manner: In the 
dorsal region are the synovial capsules for the heads of the 
ribs, which always occupy the angles of the bodies, but are 
also, in many animals, united across the middle line between 
the intervertebral disc and the conjugal ligament ; while in 
some cases, as in the horse and the sheep, a small line of 
cartilage is stretched along the superior margin of the pos- 
terior of the two vertebree concerned in each joint. In the 
cervical region in the human subject, the minute joints de- 
scribed by Luschka,* are situated between those parts of the 
bodies which are formed by the arches. Lastly, in the atlo- 
axoid and atlo-occipital articulations, the principal parts of 
the articular surfaces are placed upon those parts of the 
arches which correspond to the angles of the bodies of 
succeeding vertebre, while the intervertebral discs have 
disappeared. 

I may here remark that, if the odontoid process ie} re- 


* Luschka, Die Halbgelenke des Menschlichen Korpers, 1858, p. 71, and 
Tab, 1,, fig: 2, 


Vee wid 


Homologies of the Mammalian Awis, Se. 225 


garded as the centrum of the atlas,—a view which seems to 
be supported by its very large comparative size in the young 
condition, long before the anterior tubercle of the atlas 
makes its appearance,—then we must recognise in the odon- 
toid ligaments the terminal member of the series to which 
the transverse ligament of the atlas and the ligamenta con- 
jugalia belong ; and indeed the arrangement of their fibres, 
some of which are continuous from side to side, is favourable 
to this supposition, and reminds one of the ligamentum con- 
jugale in the sheep. 


Fig. 1. Atlas of a young Chelonia virgata—after Rathke. a, The arch 
6, Osseous centre of the tubercle. 

Fig. 2. Dorsal vertebra of a young seal, for comparison with the following 
figures: a, Oblique process. 6, Articular surface for head of rib. 

Fig. 8. Superior aspect of the axis of a human fetus. a, The centrum, 
b, Odontoid process. c, Superior articular surface. d, Bulging of the arch in 
the situation of the inferior articular surface. 

Fig. 4. Inferior aspect of the atlas of the same subject. a, Articular surface. 

Fig. 5. Cervical vertebra from the same subject. a, Oblique process. 6. 
Part of the arch entering into the composition of the body of the vertebra. 


Notr.—Since writing the above, my attention has been 
called to Rathke’s work, ‘‘Ueber die Entwickelung der 
Schildkroten,” in which (page 77) the view that the odon- 
toid process is the centrum of the atlas is strenuously urged, 
and strong evidence brought forward in its favour. See also 
Owen, ‘‘On the Homologies of the Vertebrate Skeleton,” 
page 93. Rathke points out that the hgamentum suspenso- 
rium, which, in the birds and higher reptilia unites the 
odontoid process to the occipital condyle, is the serial repre- 
sentative of the intervertebral discs behind. He found that 
in most chelonians it consisted of true cartilage, and that 
in certain birds it was composed of fibro-cartilage. This 
view of the ligamentum suspensorium is quite consis- 
tent with the suggestion which I have offered, that the 


226 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


ligamenta alaria are homologous with the transverse liga- 
“iment. : 

The large portion of the cup on the anterior aspect of the 
chelonian atlas, which is formed by the expanded inferior 
extremities of the arch, illustrates very well the unity of 
plan upon which the articular surfaces of the atlas are 
formed in animals having one occipital condyle, and those 
which have two. This will be seen by comparing the wood- 
cuts above. 

When, in the human subject, a process of bone passes up 
from the arch of the atlas, to meet the superior articular 
surface, and convert the groove for the nerve and vertebral 
artery into a foramen, the process in question is a true 
oblique process. If, in addition, we were to imagine the 
tip of the transverse process thickened and projecting up- 
wards to meet the superior articular surface, we should then 
have presented to us the condition of parts found in the pig 
and the sheep. 


IV. Ornithological Notes. By Jonn Atexanper Smita, M.D. 
(Specimens exhibited.) 
(1.) Falco islandicus, (Lath). The Gyrfalcon. 


This specimen of Gyrfalcon was killed about the middle 
of last October by James Maclean, gamekeeper to Sir 
John Orde, on his property near Loch Maddy, in North 
Uist. Tne bird is probably a young male, and a very 
fine specimen of this extremely rare and occasional visitor, 
—no instance of its breeding in Scotland, he believed, was 
on record. It measured in length 224 inches; the wing, 
from flexure to point. of primaries, 15 inches. The head 
white, with longitudinal stripes of brown; the upper parts 
of body brown, tinged with grey; the feathers partially 
edged and spotted on the margins with white. Below 
white, with longitudinal spots of brown ; the flanks white, 
broadly dashed with brown. In the wings, the second pri- 
mary is the longest, the first and third being nearly equal. 
Tail brown, barred with white, the white mottled with 
brown. | 

Another specimen of this falcon was killed by Maclean | 


Ornithological Notes. 227 


during the autumn of the previous year; but unfortunately 
nothing but the head and wings were preserved. The bird 
was new to the keeper, being the first of the kind he had 
seen. 


(2.) Picus major. (Linn.) The Pied Woodpecker.—The 
Pied or Greater Spotted Woodpecker exhibited, was taken 
on Mr Trotter’s property of The Bush, near Penicuik, on 7th 
November. Mr James Stewart, who shot the bird,was at- 
tracted, at about 100 yards distance, by the noise made from 
its tapping on the trunk of a large oak tree. The bird was 
an adult male, showing the crimson occiput. It is one of 
our permanent residents, but rare. 

_ Dr Smith brought under the notice of the Society in 1851, 
a specimen killed in the neighbourhood of Dryburgh Abbey. 


(3.) Lanius excubitor. (Linn.) Zhe Great Grey Shrike. 
—Dr Smith noticed the capture of a Great Grey Shrike, 
on the 9th of November, in the vicinity of Dirleton, East 
Lothian. 


(4.) Perdrix cinerea. (Linn.) Common Partridge—An 
accidental variety of the Common Partridge was also exhi- 
bited, showing pure white feathers in the scapulars, wings, 
and tail. 


V. A large Cup-shaped Sponge was exhibited by Joun ALEXANDER 
Smitu, M.D. 


A very large and fine specimen of a Cup-shaped Sponge, 
Halichondria ventilabrum, attached by its base to a stone, 
was exhibited. It was sent from Shetland, where it had 
been dredged up from the sea bottom. The Sponge was 
sent for exhibition, at Dr Smith’s request, by Mr James 
Carfrae, Princes Street, who was desired to make inquiries 
as to the exact locality where it had been discovered.* 


* This sponge has since been acquired for the Museum of Natural History, 
University. 


VOL. Il. 2¢ 


OF 


228 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Wednesday, 26th December, 1861.—Wittiam Rutnp, Esq., President, 
in the Chair. 


The following gentlemen were elected the Office-bearers for the Session 
1860-61 :— 


Presidents—Thomas Strethill Wright, M.D,, Alexander Bryson, Esq., 
James M‘Bain, M.D., R.N. 

Council—John Coldstream, M.D., Andrew Murray, Esq., John Cleland, 
M.D., William Rhind, Esq., David Page, Esq., William Turner, M.B., 
Esq. 

_ Secretary—John Alexander Smith, M.D. 

Assistant-Secretary—James Boyd Davies, Esq. 

Treasurer—George Logan, Esq. 

Honorary Librarian—Robert F. Logan, Esq. 

Library Committee—W. H. Lowe, M.D., John Anderson, Esq., John 
Livingston, Esq. 


Wednesday, 23d January, 1861.—A.ex. Bryson, Esq., President, 
in the Chair. 


William Burns Thomson, Esq., surgeon, Superintendent of Medical 
Mission Dispensary, 39 Cowgate, was elected a non-resident member of 
the Society. 


The following donations to the library were laid on the table, and 
thanks were voted to the donors :— 

1. Biographical Sketch of the late William Oliphant, Esq., publisher, 
Kdinburgh.—From William Gibb, Esq. 2. Iagttagelser over Den Post- 
pliocene Eller Glaciale Formation I En del Af Det Sydlige Norge. Af 
Profr. Dr M. Sars og Lector Th. Kjerulf. Christiania, 1860.—From the 
Royal University of Norway. 8. Jahrbuch der Kaiserlich—Koniglichen 
Geologischen Reichsanstalt, 1859. X. Jahrgang, No. 3, Juli, August, 
September. Wien.—From the Society. 4. The Quarterly Journal of 
the Geological Society. No. 58, May 1859, Vol. XV., Part 2.—From the 
Society. 5. Fragmenta Phytographie Australie. Nos. VIII, IX. X. 
With Plates—From Dr Ferdinand Mueller, Victoria, Australia. 
6. Canadian Journal, Toronto. No. XXVI., for March, and No. XXX., 
November 1860.—From the Canadian Institute, Toronto. 


The Communications read were as follows :— 


I. On Inflammation in Fishes. By Awtmxanper M‘Kenziz 
Epwarps, Esq., F.R.C.S.E. 


About the year 1859, the attention of Scottish surgeons 
was drawn to some suggestions made many years before, hy 


On Inflammation in Fishes. 229 


their American brethren Physick and Levert, on the probable 
benefit likely to result in the treatment of wounds, from 
substituting metallic threads for those of silk or hemp 
usually employed. They were led to this opinion by ob- 
serving the small amount of irritation sometimes resulting 
from the presence of a metallic substance, such as a bullet, 
in the textures of the body. I was then engaged with 
Professor Simpson in experimenting upon animals, and 
endeavouring with him to collect reasons why the metallic 
thread should supersede the silk one. 

As an instance of how little irritation is caused by metal 
left in living tissues, I instanced the practice of marking 
par, grilse, &c., with wire, and these marks being found in 
the fish after months or years; whereas, had the material 
of the marks been non-metallic, they would most probably 
have cut or ulcerated out of the tissues. I was told that 
this was no argument, as fish did not inflame—at all events, 
that their tissues did not ulcerate or suppurate—and I was 
referred to the following passage in Macartney’s treatise 
upon inflammation: ‘In neither of the two classes of 
vertebrate animals with cold blood do I believe it possi- 
ble to produce the genuine effects of inflammation. In 
conducting some experiments on the swimming-bag of 
fishes, I was surprised to find that the wound made into 
the belly did not inflame. I was therefore curious to know 
what injuries fishes would bear without producing inflam- 
mation. Having taken some living fishes from the water, 
I introduced pieces of wire beneath the skin and amongst 
the muscles of the body; the fishes were then returned to 
the water, and on examining them several days afterwards, 
I found that no suppuration had taken place. The tracks 
of the wounds were pale and smooth, and only moistened 
with a serous fluid, and none of the usual appearances of 
inflammation were visible. A very common occurrence in 
fishes is the existence of worms, which perforate the tunics 
of the alimentary canal, without producing any change of 
structure, except an increased vascularity around the per- 
forations. The reproductive power of fishes is confined to 
the fins, which are sometimes regenerated after being lost 


230 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


by accident, or by a species of death which is quite different 
from that which is the consequence of inflammation in the 
higher classes of animals.” 

Dr Macartney’s book was published so far back as 1838, 
and many will be inclined to say, ‘ Nous avous changé tout 
cela ;” but I am not aware of any allusion to the subject in 
more recent works, and several authorities upon physiology, 
of whom I made inquiries, gave me answers to the same 
effect as Dr Macartney. 

But when I inquired of the fishmongers, who took a more 
practical view of the matter, I met with very different 
answers,—not only that pus was found in fish, but pretty 
frequently met with in particular kinds, in the turbot and 
the cod especially ; that they habitually looked for abscesses 
in the former fish, so that they might evacuate their con- 
tents before sending them away to customers. 

As it was now pretty clear that somebody was wrong, I 
endeavoured to test the different statements by the following 
experiments :— 

1. I passed four threads of Paisley twine through the 
back of a tench which weighed about 14 lb. 

2. And the same number obliquely through the side of a 
somewhat smaller tench. The threads were tied loosely in, 
and the fish were placed in a large metal bath. 

These setons seemed to give the fish no uneasiness for 
four days, but after that time they exhibited symptoms of 
discomfort ; instead of swimming round the bath side by 
side as formerly, they avoided each other, and kept their 
noses under a sod I had laid in the bottom. Round the 
orifices of each wound there was a dark red circle, and the track . 
of each seton appeared swollen and tender; they seemed 
rather to like being stroked with the hand on other parts, 
but if the seton tracks were touched, they would struggle 
violently and spring from the water. On the seventh day 
a yellowish fluid trailed away in the water from the lower 
wound of the smaller fish. This had the appearance of pus, 
but the microscope showed that it consisted of broken down 
muscular fibres and numbers of small round bodies. By the 
time the setons had been in the fish a week, I was able to 


On Inflammation in Fishes. 231 


collect, from time to time, sufficient of a yellow fluid which 
presented all the microscopic characters of pus, but was 
generally mixed more or less with muscular fibre, however 
gently I pressed it along the seton track. I had made the 
wound in the largest fish too transverse, and the water 
flowed through it, so that I obtained no satisfactory results 
until I made the water so shallow that this portion of his 
back was left bare, or floated him up with corks; I could 
then obtain some good yellow pus. 

Not only did the irritation of the setons induce the forma- 
tion of matter, but they produced a destructive ulceration 
in the smaller fish ; the substance was lost subcutaneously, 
until merely a layer of skin covered the threads, and the 
orifices of the wound grew daily wider. In the larger fish 
the tissue over the seton became of a purplish colour, and 
at the end of three weeks the latter had nearly cut its way 
out. After removing them the wounds speedily healed. 

Being now anxious to see how wounds were repaired in 
these animals, I cut a piece off the larger fish’s back, taking 
care not to injure important parts, as the spine. This ap- 
peared very cruel, but so far as ordinary evidences of sensa- 
tion go, it seemed to him a matter of total indifference ; he 
would make no movement if you scratched or pressed the 
surface of the wound; and so far from its affecting his ap- 
petite, he ate in one night twelve sticklebacks, six minnows, 
and four tadpoles, in addition to vegetables. 

For a fortnight this wound remained unaltered in appear- 
ance, except that it appeared sodden by the water; then 
three large straight blood-vessels were seen distinctly cross- 
ing it in an antero-posterior direction; and in twenty-four 
hours they were again obscured by a thick film, which grew 
thicker and denser, and then separated, floating off upon the 
water, and leaving a bright pink surface exposed; this 
changed to a darker hue, and granulations sprang up. I 
never saw any pus on the surface even when it was kept out 
of the water, the granulations did not bleed readily, but the 
raw surface now seemed very sensitive to pain; the unfor- 
tunate fish seemed to dread the slightest touch ; letting fall 
a drop of water over his part of the bath set him splashing 


232 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


and struggling round it. The colour of the sore gradually 
darkened, the granulations grew irregularly, and some 
seemed to get cedematous and languid, as we see in languid 
sores in mankind ; the edges assumed the bluish white tint 
we also observe on the margins of a healing ulcer. The 
wound seemed to be gradually contracting, but very slowly, 
and the fish was evidently in constant suffering. Some gold 
fish which I put into the bath along with him kept him con- 
stantly nervous lest they should hurt his back, and he 
would spring occasionally out on the floor; he did so one 
day, when no one was near to assist him, and beat his head 
against the leg of a sofa till he died. 

I next selected two large gold fish, and transfixing their 
sides from above downwards, with a sharp bistoury cut 
flaps with the free edge towards the tail, so that the water 
should keep the flaps in apposition. The fish went on feed- 
ing quite unaffected by the operation. In forty-eight hours 
I examined them, and found the flaps adherent at their 
thickest parts, but I could still lift up their edges. On the 
next day the edges were fixed down by a material which I 
did not observe while they were in the water, on account 
of its transparency. It was limpid and firm in consistence, 
painted freely over the line of incision, and for about an 
inch beyond it in each direction. In one fish I passed a 
probe through this material under the flap; this evidently 
gave the fish great pain, and a drop of blood escaped. 

Vessels formed and were distinctly seen with the naked 
eye in this exuded material ; they presented a very beautiful 
appearance, relieved against the brilliant golden scales. The 
cut in one of these fish had healed, and the line of incision 
was scarcely visible at the end of ten days, all exudation and 
the new vessels having gradually disappeared. But where 
I had passed my probe in the other under the flap, the exu- 
dation was not replaced, and a fistulous opening remained, 
which continued to give exit from time to time to a small 
quantity of pus, which continued to collect under the flap 
for several weeks. 

I repeated these experiments with similar results ; and I 
think it appears from them that injuries to the tissues of 


On Inflammation in Fishes. 233 


fish are followed by effects, at all events very similar to 
those we see in land animals,—viz., that there are the same 
efforts of nature to throw off from the body substances 
foreign to it of an irritating nature, by what we term ulcera- 
tion and suppuration ; that the formation of the pus appears 
to be accompanicd with disintegration of the tissues in 
which it lies; that simple cuts heal by primary adhesion ; 
and the entrance of water is prevented between the cut sur- 
faces by the exudation of some material resembling lymph; 
that raw surfaces throw out granulations ; and, if we may 
judge from this specimen, cicatrise.* 

My friend, Dr James Sidey, has sent me many specimens 
which corroborate this,—viz., two fish with abscesses in their 
livers, surrounding spicule of bone. Portions of skin show- 
ing firm, depressed cicatrices, and several specimens of what 
appears to have been fracture of bone, reunited by osseous 
material. I have especially to thank Mr Reid of Frederick 
Street for many preparations which he has sent me. 


II. Exhibition of Sponges, with Exuplanatory Remarks. By James 
M‘Bain, M.D., R.N. 


At the first meeting of the Royal Physical Society, held 
this session, Dr J. A. Smith exhibited a remarkably fine 
specimen of a British sponge, the Halichondria ventilabrum, 
sent by Mr Carfrae of Princes Street. It was not known 
exactly at the time from what part of Shetland the specimen 
had been obtained, but Mr Carfrae had since then received in- 
formation from its owner that it was caught up by a fisher- 
man’s net off Sumburgh Head, the southern point of Zetland. 
The specimen measured 214 inches in diameter, and 10 
inches in height. 

The specimens of Halichondria ventilabrum, which I now 
exhibit, were also found in the Zetland seas, and are intended 
to show the great range of variation in size and form to 
which this species is liable. 


* The specimen referred to was the tail of a ling, which exhibited three 
inches of a depressed cicatrix. Since the above was written I have received 
many more specimens and varieties of tumours. 


234 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


The description of H. ventilabrum given by Dr Fleming 
in his ‘‘ History of British Animals” is so accurate and com- 
plete, that it is quoted by Dr Johnston, when treating of 
the same species, in his “‘ History of British Sponges.” 

Dr Fleming describes it ‘‘as extremely variable in form, 
forming an entire cup, becoming shallower with age, of up- 
wards of a foot in diameter; or with a cup divided into 
irregular lobes at the margin, or split, and exhibiting a fan- 
shaped leaf; the base, by which it adheres to stones, is solid, 
and the stem is very short; the substance is thick at the 
base, becoming thinner towards the margin; when old, the 
central part thickens, becomes reticular, with a brittle ex- 
terior covering, which may be rubbed off, leaving a skeleton 
not unlike some Gorgonie ; the pores are of various sizes, 
those on the inside of the cup or leaf are larger and less 
angular than the external ones; the spicula are numerous 
and much matted; the gelatinous matter abounds in the 
young portions, especially towards the margins, and produces 
a cracked surface when drying.” 

The other species, belonging to the natural family of 
Spongiade, also vary extremely in size and shape, according 
to the difference of locality and conditions of temperature 
where they are found. I have here specimens of Halichon- 
dria infundibuliformes, from Zetland, that differ greatly in 
size and form. These examples prove how unsatisfactory 
any classification would be that was based upon external 
form alone. Nevertheless, Lamarck, in the second edition 
of “ An. 8. Vert.,” includes 188 species in the genus Spongia, 
without regard to mternal organisation, and divides them 
into groups according to external form, which he also chiefly 
employs to distinguish the species. 

As to what has lately been done, and is doing to elucidate 
this difficult and somewhat obscure branch of natural history, 
I will read a few extracts from letters received from my 
friend Dr J. 8. Bowerbank, undoubtedly our best authority 
on this subject ; and conclude with a short notice of his pro- 
posed mode of treatment and arrangement, as set forth in a 
valuable paper lately published in the “‘ Philosophical Trans- 
actions of the Royal Society of London.” In October 1855, Dr 


Exhibition of Sponges. 235 


Bowerbank writes, “I am very busy just now on Dr Flem- 
ing’s ‘Cydonium,’ and there are a few points regarding the 
original specimen that I shall be very glad to get information 
about. I have just finished a monograph of ‘Spongilla.’ 
I have, besides our two British species, six from India, and 
six from the river Amazon. I think this addition to the 
fresh-water sponges will rather surprise our friend Dr 
Fleming.” In December 1855, Dr Bowerbank says, ‘“ Dr 
Fleming’s arrangement of the Sponge genera is— 


1. Teruea. 3. SPONGIA. 
2. HaticHonpRIA. 4, GRANTIA. 


“Dr Johnston in his ‘Synopsis’ has— 


1. Ternra.  - 5, SpPonciLia. 
2. Groptia. 6. SpPonGia. 
3. PACHYMATISMA, 7. Haisarca. 
4, HauicHonpria. 8. GRANTIA. 


From both these forms of arrangement I feel strongly dis- 
posed to dissent ; and with regard to the latter form, I think 
Geodia and Pachymatisma, as being more highly organised, 
should have precedence of ‘ Zethea ;’ and ‘ Grantia’ should 
take precedence of the whole. I therefore propose the fol- 
lowing as the primary divisions of the tribe :— 

1. Caleareous sponges, 3. Keratose sponges. 

2, Silicious sponges. 


‘‘ The order of the existing genera would thenbeas follows: 


1. GrRantTta, 5, Teruea. 
2. Geopta. 6. HanicHonpRIA. 
3. PacHYMATISMA. 7. SPonGia. 


4. SPONGILLA. 


Halisarca merging into the Halicondracecee. Spongilla, from 
its highly organised reproductive system, and from the simi- 
larity of those organs in many respects to those of Geodia 
and Pachymatisma, requires that its position should be 
between the latter genus and Tethea. Halichondria will cut 
up into, at least, ten new genera. I am now very busy at a 
paper for the Royal Society, ‘On the Organisation of the 
Spongiade, which must be published before my new ter- 
minology can be understood. I intend to describe and 
figure every normal form of every organ, with a definite name 
VOL. II, 24H 


236 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


and description of each. I am really very much indebted to 
Dr Fleming for his kind assistance, and sincerely wish I 
could in conscience support his Cydoniwm to the exclusion 
of Geodia. Present my respects to him.” In February 
1856, Dr Bowerbank says, “I have just received such a 
glorious box of sponges from Western Australia, radiant 
with colour, purple, rose, cream, and all sorts of tints, and 
full of fleshy matter. There are forty-four grand specimens, 
some eighteen inches high, but when shall I get to work on 
them! Iam overwhelmed with material, having received 
advice of another large collection of sponges and corals from 
Madeira, which are on their way. I think I must take 
Finsbury Square by-and-by, or I shall have no chance of 
exhibiting them. I am glad you and I agree so well re- 
garding the arrangement of the Spongiade. It is quite 
delightful to have some one like yourself to write to about 
them, all the rest of the world seem to dread them as much 
as they do human sponges. I am working nightly for four 
or five hours at them, but seem to make slow progress ;_ but 
the labour is most delightful to me, and every day brings 
some new fact before my eyes. I have now named and 
ready for drawing above a hundred different forms of 
spicula, and I am working hard to get them ready for a paper 
for the Royal Society, if possible, this season. In the spring 
I shall go to Tenby, and have two or three weeks’ work at 
the living specimens, and work out all my suspicions and 
beliefs regarding them.” 

The result of this visit to Tenby was stated in a paper 
read at a meeting of the British Association in 1856, “ On 
the Vital Powers of the Spongiade,” in which Dr Bower- 
banks proved by observations made on Hymeniacidon carun- 
cula, that this sponge possessed the power of expanding and 
contracting the oscula at pleasure while in a living condi- 
tion, but he could not at that time satisfactorily determine 
the nature and powers of the imbibing pores, as these organs 
could only be seen distinctly in operation in very young and 
transparent specimens. These observations were followed 
up by others on the fresh-water sponge, Spongilla fluviatilis ; 
and in another communication at a meeting of the British 


Exhibition of Sponges. 237 


Association held in 1857, it was proved that the organs of 
incurrent action were situated within the large intermarginal 
cavities, as in Grantia ciliata, and not immediately around 
or within the pores. The vigorous imbibition and ejection 
of the surrounding water was as strikingly indicative in the 
fresh-water sponge, as it was in the marine one, of the 
period of feeding ; while the languid action in either case 
distinctly marked the erating process only, during which 
the digestion of the nutritive particles previously imbibed is 
eradually effected, and the effete matter partially ejected. 
“The structure of the pores, and the perfectly plastic nature 
of the dermal membrane, as exhibited in these observations,” 
Dr Bowerbank says, “‘ are very remarkable. The sensitive- 
ness of the sponge to injury, the rapidity of the act of closing 
those organs, and the power they appear to possess of opening 
new ones to any extent, and in any direction they please, 
attest an astonishing amount of vital energy in a membrane 
in which he had been unable to trace any indication of the 
existence of fibrous tissue.” 

On the 18th of June 1857, a paper was read before the 
Royal Society of London, “ On the Anatomy and Physiology 
of the Spongiade.” By J. 8. Bowerbank, LL.D., F.R.S., &. 
In that highly valuable and original monograph, Dr. Bower- 
bank points out the faulty system of Lamarck, founded upon 
external form, “inasmuch,” he says, “‘ as there is no class of 
animals in which the form varies to so great an extent, 
according to the difference of locality, or other circum- 
stances.” He remarks “ that the division of the Spongiadee 
by their chemical constituents, adopted by Fleming, Grant, 
Johnston, and other modern naturalists, may serve very well 
to separate them into primary groups, but that these are far 
too limited to be applied as generic characters.” He there- 
fore rejects both systems, retaining the latter for forming 
primary divisions only, and proposes founding the generic 
characters principally on the organic structure and mode of 
arrangement of the skeleton. Dr Bowerbank accepts all the 
well-established genera of his predecessors, such as Tethea, 
Geodia, Dysidea, but confines each genus strictly within the 
bounds indicated by the peculiar mode of the structure of the 


238 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


skeleton which exists in that species of sponge which is the 
oldest established and best known type of the genus, and 
refers all others that may distinctly differ from that type to 
new genera founded on structural principles. When Dr 
Bowerbank commenced, in like manner, a critical examina- 
tion of the specific characters of preceding authors, and 
endeavoured to collect and classify them, he found them to 
be still more indeterminate than those of class or genera ; it 
appeared to him that there was scarcely an approach to a 
distinct terminology of the science, and that the same author 
frequently designated the same organ, under different cir- 
cumstances, by a totally different name. He therefore felt it 
absolutely necessary, before proceeding to the description of 
new species, to enter into a thorough systematic examina- 
tion of the organisation of the whole of the species within 
his reach, and to characterise the organs in such a manner 
as to render the terms he applied to them definite in their 
meaning, and limited in their application ; and in pursuing 
that object he quickly found abundance of constant and 
well characterised forms and combinations of organisation 
capable of being applied with precision to the purposes of 
generic and specific descriptions.” 

He therefore proposes to characterise the elementary 
tissues in the following order :— 


1. Spicula, 4. Fibrous tissues, 
2. Keratode, or horny substance, 5. Cellular tissues, 
3. Membranous tissues, 6. Sarcode ; 


And to treat of the organisation and physiology as fol- 
lows :— 


1. The skeleton, 7. The oscula, 
2. The sarcodous system, 8. Inhalation and exhalation, 
3. The interstitial canals, 9. Nutrition, 
4. The intermarginal cavities, 10. Cilia, and ciliary action, 
_ 5, Dermal membrane, 11. Reproduction, gemmules, &c. ; 
6. The pores, 


And to conclude with observations on 


The generic characters, 
The specific characters, and 
On the method of examination. 


This is the outline of a comprehensive and scientific 


Exhibition of Sponges. 239 


method of investigation of the Spongiade, undertaken by 
Dr Bowerbank; and from his well-known microscopic ability, 
persevering industry, and accuracy as an observer, no one is 
better qualified for the task, nor more likely to do full justice 
to it. | 

In the paper referred to, the early stage and development 
of spicula is described. ‘‘ They appear to consist of a double 
membrane, between which the first layer of silex is secreted, 
and in this condition they present an internal cavity ap- 
proaching very nearly to the size of their external diameter. 
In this state they readily bend abruptly in any direction 
without breaking. An interesting fact, in regard to the 
animal nature of the sponge, is, that many forms of the 
spicula have their types in the more highly organised class 
of animals, and especially among the Zoophyta, the Tunicata, 
and the Nudibranchiate mollusca. The spicula are always 
of an organic type, and never crystalline or angular, Hach 
species of sponge has not one form of spiculum only, equally 
dispersed throughout its whole substance, but, on the con- 
trary, separate parts have each its appropriate form, and 
three, four, or even more forms often occur in the same indi- 
vidual ; and in Tethea cranium there are no less than seven 
distinct shapes. The spicula appropriate to particular parts 
of the sponge are uniform in their general characters 
throughout the whole of the Spongiade, and a great portion 
of them are so well characterised by their form as to enable 
the student, when once well acquainted with their peculiari- 
ties, to assign each readily to its proper place in the sponge.” 

These organs are treated of in the following order :— 


1. Spicula of the skeleton. 4, Spicula of the membranes. 
2. Connecting spicula. 5. Spicula of the sarcode. 
3. Defensive spicula. 6. Spicula of the gemmules. 


The monograph is accompanied with four beautiful plates, 
containing upwards of two hundred figures of the different 
forms of spicula, with a distinct appellation for each form. 
The scientific world is therefore indebted to Dr Bowerbank 
for a new arrangement of the Spongiade, with a precise ter- 
minology and nomenclature, founded on the anatomical 
structure and physiology of the species. 


240 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


I have taken this opportunity to give a brief notice of 
these recent investigations and discoveries, as they are un- 
questionably the most valuable additions to our knowledge 
of the Spongiade, since the original contributions of Dr 
Robert Grant, published in the ‘“ Edinburgh Philosophical 
Journal” for 1826. 


III. Report of the Committee on Marine Zoology ; with a Notice of the 
Sprat-Fishing in the Firth of Forth. By Gorge Locan, Esq., Con- 
vener. (With exhibition of specimens). 


Mr George Logan, W.S., the Convener, read the report 
of the proceedings of the Committee on Marine Zoology for 
the past year. The Committee, among numerous other cap- 
tures, obtained a fine specimen of Corystes cassivelaunus, the 
masked crab, dredged up in Aberlady Bay. Living speci- 
mens of Kellia suborbicularis, found plentifully in dead 
valves of Tapes virginea, near Inchkeith, in September last, 
lived for rather more than six weeks. Although great num- 
bers of the hermit crab, Pagurus, were examined, dredged 
in about six fathoms water, in expectation of finding the 
parasite Peltogaster pagurt frequently attached to it, not a 
single specimen was discovered. Sacculina carcint was 
found at Trinity attached to the abdomen of the com- 
mon edible crab, sometimes two or three on one animal. 
To show how very little particular the hermit or soldier 
crabs are in the choice of their residence, one was dredged 
up near Inchkeith ensconced in the large head of an 
ancient-looking tobacco pipe, covered with barnacles. One 
specimen of Psammobia Ferroensis was found near Inch- 
keith; and occasionally on old valves were observed the 
curious pear shapes, stalked ovarian niduses, of Pontobdella 
muricata, frequently passed over as the undeveloped state 
of Himanthalea lorea ; some specimens were also procured 
of Nemertes Borlassi, of a beautiful full dark purple colour, 
and of enormous length. On the 28th of September four or 
five specimens of a small flat fish came up in the dredge, 
which appears to be the Monochirus linguatulus (Cuvier), 
first observed in this country by Parnell on the Devonshire 
coast, and noticed by him in 1837 in the Transactions of the 


Report of the Committee on Marine Zoology. 241 


Royal Society of Edinburgh, and in the ‘‘ Magazine of Zoo- 
logy and Botany,” under the name of Monochirus minutus. 
He does notinclude it in his “‘ Fishes of the Firth of Forth,” 
and the Committee are not aware of its having before been 
obtained there; but from the occurrence of so many speci- 
mens in one day, it would seem to be not very rare. Some 
of the specimens were brought home alive, and one of them 
lived for nearly three months, until killed by the recent 
severe cold. It was very sluggish, remaining always at the 
bottom of the aquarium, and seldom moving unless disturbed. 
When fishing with the seine net along the shore eastward 
of Leith, a number of species were taken, which will give 
some idea of the fishes which occur on this limited portion 
of the coast. The most abundant fish, of course, by far, is the 
mud flounder, Platessa flesus, along with which were always 
a considerable number of plaice, Platessa vulgaris, and a few 
salt water flounders, P. limanda, the proportion of the latter 
being very small to the other two. One or two specimens 
of the common sole occurred during the season, and a single 
specimen of the brill, Rhombus vulgaris. Numbers of small 
thornbacks, Raza clavata, occurred along with these on the 
sandy portions of the shore, mingled with shoals of young 
Trigle. The sting fish, 7rachinus vipera, the armed bull- 
head, Aspidophorus cataphractus, and the one-spotted goby, 
Gobius unipunctatus, were in abundance in spots where 
much ulva and enteromorpha grew. Two or three specimens 
of the common pipe fish, Syngnathus acus, occurred along 
with these, and a considerable number of the green cod, 
Merlangus virens. A few specimens of the viviparous blenny 
and five-hearded rockling also occurred, and a single speci- 
men of the sordid dragonet, Callionymus dracunculus, and 
one of the short spined cottus, Cottus scorpius. The spotted 
gunnel fish, Mwraenoides guttata, was not scarce in pools 
among the Black Rocks, and proves a most admirable fish 
for the aquarium, living long, and becoming quite tame 
when fed with small earth worms. Two small salmon trout 
(Salmo trutta) were caught during the season, each about 
two pounds in weight, one close to the Black Rocks, and the 
other near Portobello. 


242 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


The Committee made reference to the herring and sprat 
or garvie fishery of the Firth of Forth, which has recently 
excited so much interest, and upon which so much contra- 
dictory has been said and written. Certain members of the 
Committee devoted much time and attention to the subject, 
examining separately the product of the fishery in the boats 
and in the fish-carts since the 4th of the current month of 
January, when the Fishery Commissioners withdrew the 
prohibition against sprat-fishing ; and the result of close in- 
vestigation of large masses of fry at various times has been, 
that the proportion of herring, Clupea harengus, less than 
6 inches long, taken among the sprats, Clupea sprattus, is 
very small ; one of the examiners found on an average only 
one herring fry among a hundred sprats over a very exten- 
sive field of investigation; others found the proportion of 
herrings rather larger; but they all concurred in thinking 
that the comparatively small quantity of herring fry caught 
with the sprats could not in any sensible degree affect the 
former ; and when it is considered that the roe of a single 
herring contains such an enormous quantity of ova (82,000), 
and that the fish spawns upon our shores in countless mil- 
lions annually, the sensitiveness which has been shown as 
to the taking of even a few tens of thousands of young her- 
rings among the sprats seems to be without foundation. A 
limited close-time, or protection in a limited area, would 
probably do infinitely more towards the protection of the 
fishery than any needless and unpopular prohibition of 
sprat or other fishing. Specimens of the smallest size of 
herring and the largest size of sprat ordinarily occurring 
amongst the masses caught were exhibited ; and, although 
the distinguishing marks were very apparent, even to the 
ordinary spectator accustomed to the appearance of the fish, 
there seemed to the Committee to be no mode of accounting 
for the outcry, so far as honest, which has been made about 
the destruction of herring fry, but upon the supposition that 
the two descriptions of Clupea, the herring and the sprat, 
have not been accurately recognised, and that well-grown 
herrings have been denominated fry. The abiding scientific 
distinctions are so well known that they need not be 


Report of the Committee on Marine Zoology. 243 


repeated. Dr Parnell has very concisely and most accu- 
rately stated them, as noticed in the last Report of the Com- 
mittee ; but it may be useful to mention the prominent and 
easily noticed markings which separate the two species, so 
that any one upon looking over the surface of a mass of fish 
so abundantly brought to market, may distinguish without 
difficulty the one from the other. The head of the herring, 
from the point of the lower jaw to the farthest part of the 
gill plates, is about a fourth part longer than the head of 
the sprat; the eye is one-third larger; the lower jaw pro- 
jects more beyond the upper jaw; the tail of the herring is 
dark ; that of the sprat light-coloured, much broader, shorter, 
and less forked than that of the herring; and the body of the 
fish at the insertion of the tail is also much broader; the 
abdominal line is strongly serrated and sharp all along; the 
same line in the herring is rounder and quite soft (except- 
ing in small specimens, but there is never any serration 
under the pectoral fins) ; the sprat is more plump and com- 
pact, and resembles in shape a miniature salmon, and the 
scales are larger, and their insertion much farther apart 
than in the herring. Upon the vexed subject of herring 
spawn it may be stated, that during several years while the 
herring have been upon the coast in abundance, the Com- 
mittee, from the beginning of August to the middle of 
October, have dredged and trawled in Aberlady Bay and off 
North Berwick down to Tyningham Sands, without bringing 
up a trace of herring spawn; and they are quite satisfied 
that none is deposited upon proper trawling or dredging 
ground. Among the millions of fry which have come under 
the observation of the Committee during the present month 
not a single specimen of whitebait, Clupea alba, has been 
detected, and, what is somewhat remarkable, although white- 
bait was found in abundance at Seafield in the autumn of 
1859, as the Committee then reported, without any admix- 
ture of sprats; during last season, at the same period, only 
sprats were found without any whitebait. 

A vote of thanks to the Committee on Marine Zoology, 
and to Mr George Logan, Convener, was moved by the Pre- 
sident, and was unanimously agreed to. 

VOL. II. 21 


244 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


tin Two Otters, Lutra vulgaris, shot near Edinburgh, were exhibited, he. 
By Joun ALEXANDER SuitH, M.D. 


Two full-grown otters, male and female, were sent for 
exhibition, at Dr Smith’s request, by Mr James Carfrae, 
Princes Street. They were killed at one shot by a boy, 
near Coltbridge, on the Water of Leith, in the beginning 
of December, the severe weather having forced them to 
descend so far down the stream, to the immediate vicinity 
of Edinburgh. 

A pure white specimen of the Alpine hare, Lepus vari- 
abilis, recently shot in Lanarkshire, was also exhibited. 

The late severe weather had been very fatal to the common 
squirrels, Sciwrus vulgaris, bringing them within the reach 
of the shooter; and at present the shops of the bird-stuffers 
were filled with them. in very unusual numbers. 


V. Ornithological Notes. (Specimens exhibited.) By Jonn ALEXANDER 
SutirH, M.D. 


(1.) Strix Tengmalmi. (Tem.); Noctua Tengmalmi. 
(Selby.) Zengmalm’s Night-Owl.—The specimen exhibited, 
apparently a female, from its size, which is larger than the 
male, now measures nearly a foot in length from point of 
yellowish beak to tail; length of wing from flexure is seven 
inches. It has a soft, downy appearance, and is of a choco- 
late-brown colour above, spotted with white; below, white, 
spotted with yellowish-brown ; legs and toes closely covered 
with feathers, except on the under surface of the latter ; 
facial disk very distinct, nearly perfect, with black ring 
round eyes, and black spot on inner side; the edges of the 
disk are prettily mottled with white spots on the brown 
feathers, and the upper part of face or head is also spotted 
over. 

It is a bird of northern Europe, and is only a rare, occa- 
sional visitor in Britain. It is believed to have been con- 
founded with the Strix passerina of ornithologists, but is 
distinguished by its facial disk being more distinct, its softer 
and more bulky plumage, and also by the more abundant 


Ornithological Notes. 245 


feathering of its legs and feet—the S. passerina having 
merely a few bristle-like feathers on the toes; hence some 
naturalists give it the synonyme of Strix nudipes. 

Only one or two instances of the capture of Tengmalm’s 
Owl in England are recorded. I have seen none mentioned 
as taken in Scotland. 

This bird was captured by a man named Lumley, on Cra- 
mond Island, during the severe snow storm, with easterly 
wind, about the end of the year. On entering the stable, 
Lumley was startled by the bird flying about, and attempt- 
ing to escape at the opened door: he struck it down with 
his hand, and captured it. It was then taken to Mr George 
Hutchison, gardener to Craigie Halket Inglis, of Cramond 
House, Hsq.; and was sent by Mr George Sanderson, George 
Street, for exhibition to the Society, and for the determina- 
tion of its species. 

(2.) Lanius excubitor. The Great Grey Shrike.—A. spe- 
cimen of the Great Grey Shrike was exhibited. It was shot 
in Peeblesshire about the 10th or 11th of January, and was 
intended to be added to the museum in the Chambers 
Institution, Peebles. 

(3.) Turdus musicus. Zhe Song Thrush—A pure white 
variety of the Song Thrush; was shot in a turnip field at 
-Roslinlee, near Roslin, in the month of October, by Mr John 
Dickson, gunmaker, Princes Street, who has sent it, at Dr 
Smith’s desire, to be exhibited. 

(4.) Alcedo ispida. The King Fisher.—Mr David Carfrae 
sends for exhibition two specimens of our beautiful King 
fisher. The one was shot about a fortnight ago on the 
Water of Leith, near Slateford; the other in the same 
locality, about a month since. They are ordinary residents, 
but are now very rare in this neighbourhood. 

(5.) Hybrid Grouse, between Blackcock and Red Grouse. 
—The bird now exhibited is probably the offspring of a 
male Blackcock, Tetrao tetrix, Pen., and a female Red 
Grouse, Lagopus scoticus. It bears considerable resemblance 
to each parent, and is intermediate in size, the length of the 
stuffed bird being rather more than nineteen inches. 

The general colour of plumage above, is dark brown, 


246 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


mottled with reddish-brown, almost black on sides of head, 
and part of back; feathers of head and neck moitled, and 
many of them edged with white; upper part of back mottled 
over with yellowish-red or light brown, with here and there 
a feather nearly black; scapulars, greater and lesser wing 
coverts, are many of them tipped with white; primaries 
brown, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, mottled on the outer 
web with white; secondaries mottled with reddish-brown, 
and tipped with white. 

Tail black, of eighteen feathers, like black grouse; the 
red grouse having sixteen feathers. The four outer feathers 
elongated and slightly curved outwards ; fourth feather very 
slightly longer than the others; two central feathers of tail 
mottled over with reddish-brown, and edged with white 
across the point of feather; upper tail coverts dark brown, 
mottled with reddish-brown, and slightly tipped with white. 

Below, breast nearly black ; feathers of abdomen slightly 
mottled with reddish-brown, and many of them broadly 
tipped with white; vent white; under tail coverts brown, 
broadly tipped with white ; under surface of wings, and axil- 
laries white. 

Legs closely covered all round with white and grey 
feathers, like red grouse, which also cover the toes for half 
their length (excluding the claws); toes covered above with 
transverse scutelle, on each side of which are a row of 
square-shaped scales, and beyond this a fringe or margin of 
more linear pectiniform scales—as in black grouse. 

This bird was shot in a wild state with other grouse in 
the neighbourhood of Midcalder, about the 10th or 12th of 
November, its peculiar appearance having attracted atten- 
tion; and has been preserved by Mr Small, George Street. 

Yarrell mentions that hybrids between the Blackcock 
and Red Grouse, have been suspected by naturalists, but 
does not appear to have seen any of them; he refers to 
Macgillivray’s “British Birds” for a notice of three speci- 
mens believed to be birds of this kind, one of which he ex- 
amined in the flesh, and describes in detail. Through the 
Jindness of one of our members, William Smellie Watson, 
Ksq., R.S.A., I am enabled to exhibit this bird, which is in 


Ornithological Notes. 247 


his collection. It is in beautiful preservation, and very 
much resembles the one now exhibited ; the feathers, how- 
ever, are less mottled in character, and tipped with white, and 
the brown colour of back is more uniform, showing perhaps 
a little more strongly the characters of the male black grouse. 
It was taken accidentally in a trap, Mr Watson informed 
me, in Perthshire in December 1836. (Vide Macgillivray’s 
British Birds, vol. 1. p. 162.) 

It seems rather strange that birds differing from one 
another as these do, should yet breed together; still we must 
remember that the black grouse is a polygamous bird, not 
pairing like the red grouse, and is therefore more promis- 
cuous in his amours during his season of excitement. There 
can be no doubt these birds breed occasionally together ; at 
least they have done so in a state of captivity. Some thirty 
years ago or more, the keeper of the pheasantry of Sir James 
Colquhoun of Luss succeeded in getting a male black grouse 
and a female red grouse to breed together, the hen red grouse 
rearing a couple of young birds, which were both males. Mr 
David Carfrae, George Street, informs me he saw both the 
parents and young birds, which were afterwards preserved 
for the museum of the University of Glasgow. The fact of 
these birds being reared is mentioned in the interesting 
volume, ‘The Moor and the Loch,” by John Colquhoun, 
Hsq., son of the late Sir James, and one of these birds is 
figured, and forms the frontispiece to the work; there can 
therefore be no doubt of the truth of the statement, and it 
is well known hybrids occasionally occur between other 
birds of the Family. 

(6.) Querquedula caudacuta. The Pintail Duck.—This 
bird is one of our rare winter visitors—the birds seen at 
times in our poulterers’ shops being generally brought from 
London, and the Continent. This specimen is a young 
male, and was shot by Mr Henderson near Dunbar, about 
the beginning of January. 

(7.) Mergus albellus. Zhe Smew.—The beautiful speci- 
men of an adult male smew exhibited, was shot at Tynning- 
ham, on the loth of January, by Lord Binning. Another 
Smew, a young male in the first year’s plumage, was also 


248 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


exhibited. The bird does not assume the white plumage 
until the second autumn. It was shot by Captain Firman, 
R.N., at Taynash, Argyleshire, in the beginning of this 
month. Its plumage very much resembles the adult female ; 
it is, however, rather larger in size, measuring, when stuffed, 
sixteen inches in length (the female being about fourteen 
inches long). The smaller wing coverts, instead of being 
pure white, are edged with dusky brown, and it shows no 
patch of black at the base of the upper mandible, and round 
eye, in the reddish-brown of head, as in the adult female and 
male ; resembling in this respect the young female. The 
trachea of the bird which was exhibited shows the charac- 
teristic dilated box at its bifurcation; this is awanting in 
the female. 

The smew is a bird of eastern Europe, and is only an 
occasional visitor or straggler to Scotland, being more fre- 
quently seen in the south of England. One or two speci- 
mens taken in Scotland have been previously exhibited to 
the Society. | 

The very cold weather of the winter, he might remark, 
had been very severe on many of our small birds, as well as 
on our regular winter visitors, great numbers of which had 
been destroyed. | 


VI. Petromyzon marinus. The Sea Lamprey. Exhibited by Joun 
ALEXANDER Smitu, M.D. 


Dr Smith exhibited a specimen of the sea lamprey, Pe- 
tromyzon marinus, measuring thirty-three inches in length ; 
and about six in circumference, near the middle of the fish. 
The mottled appearance of its sides was very distinct. It 
was taken on the 12th January, above Inchgarvie, in a net 
used for fishing garvie herrings, and was kindly sent to 
Dr Smith by Mr Muirhead, Queen Street. Parnell, in his 
“Fishes of the Forth,” says it is not uncommon above 
Alloa, on the Forth ; the fishermen, when they accidentally 
take them, having a prejudice against them, return them 
to the water. They are consequently never, under any cir- 
cumstances, seen in the Edinburgh market. In some parts 
of England they are esteemed a great delicacy. 


Portuguese Man-of-War. 249 


VII. Specimens of various Marine Animals, sent by Dr E. W. Dusue, 
R.N., from Ceylon, &c., were exhibited by Mr James B. Davtss. 


A small Physalia (Portuguese man-of-war) from the shore 
at Kurrachee, Scinde. Specimens of a species of Pinna, both 
dry, and dissected in spirit, from Trincomalee, Ceylon ; two 
species of Pinnotheres (a small crab), one of which inhabits 
the interior of the shell of Pinna, and the other the Placuna 
placenta, also from Ceylon. 

Specimens of the Trepang, or edible Holothuria, in spirit, 
and dried, as for the Chinese market. Regarding these, Dr 
Dubuc supplies the following notes:—‘‘ Whilst at Trinco- 
malee, in the summer of last year, in medical charge of the 
hospital hulk Sapphire, my attention was drawn to a species 
of Holothuria, very abundant on the sandy bottom of the 
inner harbour, at a depth of about two or three fathoms. 
The animal is of a yellowish-brown colour, the skin over the 
dorsal aspect being tough and coriaceous. The ventral sur- 
face presents numerous ambulacra, and is of a pale colour, 
and close to the anal orifice there is the retractile branchial 
tuft. At Naples the Holothuria tabulosa is employed as an 
article of diet, and at the Marianne Islands the Holothuria 
guamensis ; whilst the Chinese prefer the Holothuria edulis, 
or Trepang, which is common in the Chinese seas, princi- 
pally at the Anamba Islands, where the Malays fish for it 
with hooks fastened to the ends of long bamboos. They 
are then cut open, eviscerated, dipped in boiling water, and 
dried in the sun. It was with some interest I learned 
that they were prepared in the way mentioned above at 
Trincomalee, for the Chinese market. The natives dive for 
them, as they are not familiar with the use of the dredge.” 


Wednesday, 27th February 1861.—James M‘Batn, M.D., R.N., Pre- 
sident, in the Chair. 


Thomas Robertson, Esq., Minto Street, was elected a member of the 
Society. 

The following donations to the library were laid on the table, and 
thanks were voted to the donors :— 

1. Description of the Plant which produces the Ordeal Bean of Calabar. 


250 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


By Professor Balfour.—From the Author. 2. Transactions of the Bo- 
tanical Society. Vol. VL, Part III. Edinburgh, 1860.—From the Society. 
3. On the Tertiary Deposits associated with Trap-Rock in the East Indies. 
By the Rev. Stephen Hislop.—From the Author. 4. On the Arrange- 
ment of the Muscular Fibres of the Ventricular Portion of the Heart of 
the Mammal. By James Pettigrew, Esq.—From the Author. 5. The 
Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society. No. 62, May 1860. Vol. 
XVI., Part Il.—From the Society. 6. Jahrbuch der Kaiserlich—K6- 
niglichen. Geologischen Reichsanstalt, 1860. XI. Jahrgang, No. I.,Jan., 
Feb., Marz. Wien.—From the Imperial Geological Society of Vienna. 


The Communications read were as follows :— 


I. Observations on British Zoophytes and Protozoa. 


On Atractylis palliata and coccinea (new species). By T. SrreTHity 
Waraieuat, M.D. 


1. Atractylis palliata, nu. sp. Pl. XI. fig. 6. 

Polypidom creeping, closely reticulate. Polyps fusiform, 
shortly stalked, minute, white, with eight alternating 
tentacles; body of polyp clothed with a thick layer of 
‘colletoderm. Free medusoids springing from meshes of 
polypary, with four-lipped peduncle ; four lateral canals ; 
two long marginal tentacles and two tentacular tubercles 
alternately placed. 


This zoophyte was found on a shell inhabited by Pagurus 
Bernhardus, at Granton. When first observed, its closely- 
set and dense white polyps, surrounded by their gelatinous 
envelopes, were mistaken for a mass of minute ova. These 
envelopes cover the whole of the body of the polyps up to 
the border of the mouth, and consist of an exaggerated 
development of the gelatinous coat which probably exists 
on the polypidom and body of all the Hydroide, in some as 
a delicate epidermis, in others (as in Bumeria vestita and 
the subject of this notice) as a thick, imputrescible coat— 
the “ colletoderm.” 

The Medusoids (Pl. XI. fig. 7) are of great size when 
compared with the very minute polyp, and resemble exactly 
those of Atractylis repens. I have not witnessed any fur- 
ther development in them after their separation from the 
zoophyte. In those of A. repens, when kept alive for some 
time, the two tentacular tubercles put forth short tentacles, 


Observations on British Zoophytes and Protozoa. 251 


and four other tubercles appear on the marginal canal, as 
shown in fig. 8—a change analogous to that undergone in 
Bougainvillea Britannica. 


2. Atractylis coccinea, n. sp. 


Polypidom creeping, widely reticulate. Polyp fusiform, set 
at an obtuse angle to its stalk, rich crimson or pink, with 
eight alternating tentacles, four long and four short. 


This zoophyte was found at Inchgarvie in August last, 
growing on the roots of Lamnaria saccharina. The poly- 
pary consists of an open network of milk-white fibres, which 
closely invests the branches of the root. From this net- 
work the polyp-stems are given off, each about a quarter of 
an inch in length, of a rich pinkish cream-colour, and bear- 
ing at its summit a single crimson polyp with a double row 
of transparent colourless tentacles. The body of the polyp 
is fusiform, sometimes nearly cylindrical, and consists of an 
endoderm having its cells laden with granules of the richest 
carmine-colour, covered by an ectoderm of transparent 
white—a white blond dress over a crimson satin petticoat. 
The polyps, like others of this class, have the habit of turn- 
ing themselves inside out, when the internal surface of the 
deep-coloured velvety endoderm is readily observed. On 
such occasions masses of granular matter are frequently 
ejected, which are composed of small pigment-globules filled 
with crimson fluid. The tentacles are eight in number, 
four of which are long and held nearly erect, and alternate 
with the rest, which are shorter and more expanded. The 
thread-cells are inconspicuous. 

This beautiful little zoophyte, when seen with a single 
lens, presents a perfect garden of minute animal flowers 
covering the roots of the sea-weed. The reproductive appa- 
ratus was not observed. 


3. On Rhizopod Structure. 


One of the most interesting and important questions of 
the day to the comparative physiologist is that of the con- 
stitution of Rhizopod structure. The Foraminiferous or Rhi- 
zopod animals are before our microscopic eye every day. We 

VOL. II. 2K 


252 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


see their beautifully chambered shells imitating some of the 
most graceful objects of nature and art,—the living streams 
of nearly fluid sarcode, of which they are composed, flowing 
forth from the almost invisible pores of their shells, uniting 
with each other, and forming glairy masses, and reticula- 
tions, and expansions, which absorb animal matter coming 
in contact with them,—single and compound animals build- 
ing their aggregated homes in the most graceful lines and 
spirals,—single dwellings and populous towns slowly moving 
along, of which the inhabitants are but patches of transpa- 
rent slime,—vast Polythalamian cities, where the huge pri- 
mordial Rhizopods reign, surrounded by the multitudes of 
their dwarfed descendants, in widening circles and triple tiers. 
Such is Rhizopod life. At present no true generative ele- 
ments have been recorded as discovered in the Rhizopods, 
though Carpenter and Schultze have noticed bodies which 
they have suspected to be ova. In the autumn of 1859 I 
was preparing a number of specimens of Hydractinia for the 
microscope. ‘They were first soaked in whisky for several 
weeks, then immersed in dilute nitric acid to remove them 
from the crab’s shell, and finally washed in strong spirit, 
and put up in Canada balsam. On examining one of these 
preparations under the microscope, it was found that two 
specimens of Truncatulina had been accidentally prepared 
_at the same time. The development of Truncatulina com- 
mences with a single cell; this multiplies by gemmation in 
series until a colony of animals is formed, each larger than 
its predecessor, arranged in a spiral, somewhat resembling 
the shell of the Nautilus. In the Nautilus, the last chamber 
of the shell only is occupied; but in Truncatulina every 
chamber contains its tenant, while the whole colony are 
united by a band of sarcode, which passes from chamber to 
chamber along the inner curvature of the shell. All the 
cells or houses in this Rhizopod town are full of minute 
pores, from which the inhabitants protrude their delicate 
arms of slime in search of prey, or to move the assemblage 
from place to place. When the Truncatulina is treated as 
before mentioned, the shell is removed, and the separate 
zooids appear united by their connecting band. One of the 


Note on Trilobites, kc. 2593 


two Truncatulinas, when examined by aid of the microscope, 
was found to consist entirely of homogeneous matter; but 
the other presented a far different appearance. Its segments 
or zooids, and their connecting bands, all appeared to be 
enclosed in a well-defined membrane. Each segment was 
nearly destitute of sarcode, and contained a highly refrac- 
tive body, in which appeared, with the utmost distinctness, 
a germinal vesicle or spot. I can regard this body only asa 
true egg, which has been developed at the expense of the 
sarcodal element of the segments, in many of which the repro- 
ductive process is occurring simultaneously. Yet it may be 
objected that the ova in the larger segments are greatly 
larger than the young or original animals of Truncatulina. 
In some animals, however, as in Spongilla, Gregorina, &c., 
many individuals are produced from a single egg; and it is 
not improbable that a process of great division of the egg or 
swarming may take place in Truncatulina, by which a great 
number of animals may be produced from each segment. 


II. Note on the Occurrence of Trilobites in the Carboniferous Limestones 
of Fifeshire. By R. H. Traquair, Esq. (Specimens exhibited.) 

In the neighbourhood of St Andrews, Fifeshire, remains 
of a trilobite (Grifithides mucronatus—M‘Coy) are pretty 
common in the shale overlying the thick bed of limestone 
worked at Ladeddie, Wilkieston, and Newbigging, and be- 
longing to the Carboniferous Limestone series. 

At each of these quarries the limestone itself is hard, blue, 
and crystalline, and contains but few fossils; but these, 
consisting of corals, polyzoa, shells, and trilobites, are 
abundant in the overlying shale, though generally in a very 
fragmentary condition. This is especially the case at Lad- 
eddie, and, combined with the soft and friable consistency 
of the shale, renders it difficult to obtain good specimens 
from that locality. At Wilkieston, however, the shale has 
assumed a more firm and slaty aspect, and the contained 
fossils are in a much better state of preservation. 

The trilobites occur for the most part in a very disjointed 
and fragmentary condition, entire specimens with head, 
thoracic segments, and caudal shield in apposition, being 


254 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


very rarely met with. By far the most abundant relics are 
the caudal shields, or pygidia, which are sometimes found 
two or three lying together on one small piece of shale. 
The head is of rarer occurrence; it is sometimes found en- 
tire, but very frequently disjointed, the glabella, or central 
part, lying apart from the two lateral cephalic shields. Of 
entire trilobites I found one very good specimen (in the ex- 
tended position) at Wilkieston, and two doubled or rolled 
up (after the manner of certain Oniscide when alarmed). 
Mr Walker, of the University Museum, St Andrews, showed 
me also a very good-specimen of the entire animal extended, 
which he obtained at Ladeddie. 


III, Note on the Exposure of the Liberton Old Red Sandstone Conglome- 
rate Bed, in a Quarry recently opened near the Grange House, New- 
ington. By Anprew Tayrtor, Esq. 


The existence of the conglomerate, only visible for a few 
yards at Liberton Brae, and sinking to the E.S.E. at about 
30°, was noted, so far back as 1839, by Cunningham, in his 
prize essay on the Geology of the Lothians. In the excellent 
descriptive catalogue of the rock specimens in the Jermyn 
Street Museum, Mr Geikie catalogues this rock as a cal- 
careous conglomerate; being one of the passage beds between 
the Old Red Sandstone and Lower Carboniferous series; the 
basis being stated to be a calcareous sand, with the pebbles 
generally well rounded, and consisting partly of a compact, 
cherty limestone, partly of different felstones, and sometimes 
of various gray micaceous grits. The stratigraphical import- 
ance of this bed in our local geology has likewise been duly 
recognised in the recently published geological survey map 
of the district ; in which it has a distinctive colour and boun- 
dary assigned to it, which is made to terminate at the margin 
of the great fault, marked as running from the northern base 
of the Pentland range to near Wester Duddingston. The 
strata north of this fault-line, and on which Newington with 
the rest of the city is built, are, on the other hand, pectorially 
distinguished as decidedly Lower Carboniferous, and beneath 
the horizon of the Burdiehouse limestone. In the field to the 
west of that section of the Lover’s Loan which runs past the 


Liberton Old Red Sandstone Conglomerate Bed. 2050 


Grange House, a quarry has recently been opened, in which 
a conglomerate, precisely similar in mineral composition to 
that of Liberton Brae, is disclosed. The bed has been 
opened at its outcrop with the surface; and this may he 
traced as an elevated ridge, running nearly in the direction 
of Professor Syme’s villa on the one hand, and Marchbank 
on the other. The dip of the exposed beds, about 25°, is 
N.E., similar to that of the Grange Quarry. The mineral- 
ogical character of the bed varies very much even in the 
small space exposed. For while the conglomerate structure 
is manifest in that part in proximity to Grange House, the 
exposed beds in the Morningside direction exhibit the ap- 
pearance of a coarse-grained sandstone, with here and there 
a pebble interspersed,—in short, very much the structural 
appearance presented by the lower beds of the old Grange 
Quarry, situated a short distance above this new one. The 
exposed beds we are describing are generally very fissile ; 
several vertical dislocations are exhibited; they are five feet 
in depth, being bounded below by a seam of brownish yellow 
clay, very similar to that exhibited beneath the greenstone of 
Salisbury Crags. The direction of this bed, whichis generally 
synchronous with the rest of the Lower Carboniferous series 
surrounding the city, and its position being considerably be- 
yond the supposed fault, skirting the valley of the Braids, 
throws great doubt on the stratigraphical importance as- 
signed to the Liberton conglomerate. Both beds evidence 
a rapid current, carrying with it debris from the outlying 
flanks of the Braids and the Pentlands; but that they are 
the passage-beds of one great life system into another, has 
by no means been proved. The method of seeking the 
classification of the English carboniferous beds in the Scot- 
tish system, neglecting the physical proofs whether such 
beds really exist, has done much to involve in confusion the 
physical geography of Britain during the Coal era. The 
appearance of the Liberton bed at the Grange may be chro- 
nicled, then, as one more fact tending towards the conclu- 
sions of that increasing class of geologists who hold that the 
Scottish and Irish carboniferous beds are not on the same 
geological horizon with those of England, but belong to an 


256 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


earlier age,-which the progress of paleontology may yet 
demonstrate to have a closer affinity to the Devonian than 
the true Carboniferous system. 


IV. On the Occurrence of the Argentine, Anchovy, and other Fishes, on 
the Coast of Caithness ; with a Note on the Termination of the Vertebral 
Column in the Tails of the Salmon tribe. By Cuartes W. Prac, 


Esq., Wick. 
/ 


(Muller's Topknot was exhibited, and also specimens of 
the tails of salmon, smolt, and trout, showing the upward 
terminal turn of the vertebral column.) 

1. Scopelus Humboldtii. (Cuvier.) The Argentine. 

A fine specimen of this really handsome little fish was 
picked up on Shaltigo beach, Wick, on the 15th January 
last, by Mr William M‘Leod, pilot. He had kept it in his 
pocket for a day or two before giving it to me, and shown it 
to many as the young of the herring. It is somewhat in- 
jured in the fins by the handling, but, on the whole, is in 
pretty good condition. The spots on the lower part of the 
body are very distinct; the row above these not so clear ; 
those on the head and gills perfect. Its length about 17 
inch, depth nearly half an inch. When examining it to 
observe the fins, a great deal of oil oozed out of it, covering 
large spaces on my fingers. In the second edition of Yar- 
rell’s “ British Fishes,” 1851, pp. 161 to 168, I find that it 
has been taken at Orkney, Firth of Forth, Yorkshire, and 
Devonshire, also in the Mediterranean; and, although not 
abundant, it has a wide range. The dates of its capture are 
recorded in Yarrell,—viz., “ Firth of Forth, April 1833; 
Redcar, May and March 1841;” now, in Caithness in Jan- 
uary 1861. Thus it has been taken in the British islands, 
from midwinter to near midsummer. Mr Couch of Polperro, 
Cornwall, informs me that he has had four specimens sent 
him from a gentleman in Somersetshire, which he intends 
to publish coloured figures of in his new work on the British 
Fishes, now coming out in numbers. 


2. Trachinus Draco. (Linneus.) 


The Great Werever has been taken off hére in the drift 


On Argentine and Anchovy on the Coast of Caithness. 257 


nets during the herring fishing season. I have seen two 
very fine specimens. This is considered a dangerous fish, 
and fishermen stung by it have been lamed for life. In 
some countries there is a law compelling the fishermen to 
cut off the dorsal fin before bringing them ashore, under 
pain of a penalty if they neglect doing so. 

3. Trachinus Vipera. (Cuvier et Valenciennes.) Lesser Weever. 

Common in the sand at times at the back of the pier here, 
and as well in other localities. In Cornwall this is called 
‘a bishop.” As people are often stung by these fishes, I 
hope it will not be considered trifling if I mention an ex- 
cellent and almost instantaneous remedy for these wounds. 
Many boys were cured by me in Cornwall when they had 
caught these Tartars, by applying sweet oil with some laud- 
anum mixed with it. I never knew it to fail. The belief 
there is, that any one thus wounded will get no relief from 
the pain and swelling until after the going down of the sun: 
this remedy has shaken the superstition. I have met with 
a similar belief in many other places, not only as regards 
the sting of the weever, but of the bite of snakes. 

4, Engraulis Encrasicolus. (Fleming.) The Anchovy. 

A fine specimen of this great delicacy was taken off here 
in a drift-net amongst herrings in August 1860. I am in- 
debted to Mr David Gunn of this place for it. It is common 
in the Mediterranean, occurs occasionally on the coast of 
Norway, and in the Baltic, “ but is not mentioned by Dr 
Johnston as having been taken on the coast of Berwickshire, 
nor does Dr Parnell include it in his fishes of the Forth.” 
This capture adds another locality. 

5. Monochirus Linguatulus.* (Cuvier.) The Solenette. 

I have taken this pretty little sole out of the stomachs of 
fishes, both here and at Peterhead. Having often got it 
from trawl-boats in Cornwall and Suffolk, I am well ac- 
quainted with it. Tobecertain about those got in Scotland, 
I tested the scales under the microscope before admitting 
them to my list. 


* This fish was added to the list of fishes taken in the Firth of Forth, in 
the last Report of the Committee on Marine Zoology of the Society. 


258 . Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


6. Rhombus Hirtus. (Yarrel.) Muller's Topknot. 

I am indebted to my friend Mr Dick for a fine specimen 
of this curious fish. It was taken in the Pentland Firth 
off Thurso. The under-side of the specimen is perfectly 
smooth. It measures 7? inches in length, by 42 inches in 
its greatest breadth. 

7. Orthagoriscus Mola. (Schneider.) The Short Sun Fish. 
8. Lamna Cornubica. (Cuvier.) The Porbeagle. 

Seldom a herring fishing passes without specimens of both 
being captured in the nets, &c. Last year the sun fish was 
rather abundant. It is often lifted by its fins into boats 
when basking in the sun. 

As it is not my intention now to give a list of all the 
fishes observed by me on this coast, I shall conclude, by way 
of tail-piece, with a few words on some of the last joints of 
the vertebral column of the salmon tribe, for they, like the 
tail of Luath’s dog, have an “ upward curl.” Some months 
since I was eating for breakfast a trout, when, to my sur- 
prise, I found that it had a crooked tip to its vertebral 
column. Since then I have found this to be constant in 
trout of all sizes, whether from rivers, lochs, or the sea; and 
that. salmon, from the smolt to old age, have it also, as 
may be seen by the tails herewith sent. The three last 
joints of the vertebral column take a turn towards the edge 
of the upper lobe of the tail, the tip of the last joint is 
pointed, and from it a strong cartilaginous cord is continued 
into the upper lobe, and thus these fishes have a true hetero- 
cercal tail. I refrain from further remarks on the other 
peculiarities connected with these turned-up joints, or offer- 
ing any comparison with the heterocercal fish of the Old 
Red Sandstone, being now only concerned for the turn in 
the recent fish. Not finding any information on the subject 
in the various works on fishes that I have access to, I for- 
warded a series of tails to Professor Huxley. I believe he 
had observed this peculiarity, but had laid it aside: he is 
now working at it; and although I know that the subject 
is in excellent hands, I am desirous of laying it before my 
brother members, in order that, should it already be a well- 
known fact, they may instruct me where to search for infor- - 


On Argentine and Anchovy on the Coast of Caithness. 259 


mation, and, if new, examine for themselves. I ought to 
observe, that I am quite aware that this upward turn is, as 
a foetal one, well known: it is of adult fish that I now speak. 
Whether new or not, it appears to have escaped Cuvier’s 
notice, for he says, ‘The one-sided condition of tail exists 
in no recent osseous fish known to naturalists, except the 
bony pike,—a Sauroid fish of the warmer rivers of America.” 
Such is no longer the case, for the trout and salmon of our 
coast must be added to it; not having had an opportunity 
of examining any other of the Salmonide, I cannot say 
whether this peculiarity runs through the whole family. 


The Secretary exhibited several diagrams in illustration 
of some of the various degrees of change, which appear to 
have taken place in the caudal termination of the vertebral 
column of fishes, from the Silurian periods to those of our 
own day. 


It was stated that Professor Goodsir had been in the 
habit for many years of exhibiting and describing, in his 
lectures oncomparative anatomy, the upward terminal curve* 
of the vertebral column in the tail of fishes. It was a fact 
long known to Knox and to other anatomists here. Mr 
Peach, however, had the merit of discovering a fact, pre- 
viously unknown to himself, and of calling special attention 
to it, in relation to the fossil fish of past ages. 


V. Ornithological Notes. 
(1.) Larus glaucus. Glaucous Gull. By P. A. Dassauviuue, Esq. 


Mr Dassauville exhibited a specimen of the glaucous gull, 
Larus glaucus (Temm), sent by Mr Small, bird-stuffer. It 
was recently shot by R. J. Hebden of Eday, EKsq., Orkney, 
and appears to be in the pale yellowish grey mottled plum- 
age of its second winter. The bird is rare, and is not known 
to breed in any part of the British Islands. 

(2.) Cygnus Bewickii. Bewick’s Swan. By Joun Axex. Smitu, M.D. 

Dr Smith exhibited a fine specimen of our smallest British 
swan, Cygnus Bewickit (Yar.), which was killed on Loch 

* Vide Handbuch der Zootomii von V. Siebold und von Hermann Stannius. 


Berlin, 1854.—Ep. 
VOL, Il. SA 


260 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Lomond in the beginning of January last. The bird was 
sent by Sir James Colquhoun of Luss, Bart., to Mr Small, 
bird-stuffer, for preservation. Bewick’s swan is distinguished 
from the other swans by its smaller size, and by the yellow 
spot on the base of the bill, which colour, however, does not 
reach to the nostrils. Jrides orange-yellow. Bewick’s swan 
does not appear to be common in Scotland, or it may not 
have been distinguished in many cases from the common 
wild swan or Hooper. 

Of the four swans noticed in Britain, two—the Hooper and 
Bewick’s swan—have the base of the bill yellow, and the front 
black; and have the trachea elongated, and a loop of it en- 
closed in the dilated keel of the breast bone. The other two 
—the Mute swan and the Polish—have the base of the bill 
black, and the front yellow, and have apparently no elonga- 
tion of the trachea, and no enclosure of it in the breast bone. 


Wednesday, 27th March 186i. Tuomas Stretuit, Wricut, M.D., 
President, in the Chair. 

The following gentlemen were elected Members of the Society :— 
Mr Huen Foxton, Deputy Harbour-Master, Granton; James STRUTHERS, 
M.D., Charlotte Street, Leith; Joun Wutson, Esq., Janefield House, 
Duddingston; Atexanper Logan, Esq., Teind Office, H.M. General Re- 
gister House. 

As Non-Resident Members :—Rozrrt Loean, Esq., Surgeon, Lanark ; 
and Rev. Joun Strutuers, Minister of Prestonpans. 

The following donations to the Library were laid on the table, and 
thanks voted to the donors :— 


1. The Canadian Journal, New Series, No. XXXI., January 1861.— 
From the Canadian Institute, Toronto. 2. A Lunar Tidal Wave in 
Lake Michigan. Demonstrated by Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel J. D. 
Granam, U.S. Top. Engineers (with Plates). Chicago, 1860.—From the 
Author. 

The Communications read were as follow :— 

I. Note on the Occurrence of Vanessa polychloros and Cheimatobia bo- 
rearia in Edinburghshire. (Specimens were exhibited.) By R. F. 
Loesn, Esq. 

Mr R. F. Logan exhibited two additions to the entomo- 
logy of Mid-Lothian, Vanessa polychloros and Chevmatobia 
borearia, the former a single specimen, taken in a garden 
at Duddingston—the latter found in the larva state, on 
birches, at the base of the Pentlands, in June 1860, and re- 


The Skull of the Manatus Senegalensis and Manatee. 261 


sembling so closely, in that state, the larva of the common 
Cheimatobia brumata, as to be almost undistinguishable. 


Il. Remarks on some Comparative Anatomical Distinctions between the 
Skull of the Manatus Senegalensis and that of a Manatee from the 
Bay of Honduras. By James M‘Bain, M.D., R.N. (Specimens 
exhibited.) 

The skull of a Manatee from the Bay of Honduras, which 
I now exhibit to the Royal Physical Society, was presented 
to the Hunterian Museum of Glasgow about seventeen years 
ago, along with a considerable portion of the skeleton, by 
Mr James Banks, late of Belize, Honduras, but latterly re- 
siding at Prestonpans.* 

In the remarks which I shall have occasion to make on 
this skull, it will be necessary to refer to the “ Notice of a 
Skull of a Manatee from Old Calabar,’ which I read at a 
meeting of the British Association at Aberdeen in Septem- 
ber 1859, and which was published in the Proceedings for 
that year. 

In the skull from Old Calabar, which I have brought here 
for comparison, the occipital bone, petro-mastoid, and tym- 
panic bulla, are wanting; and in the skull from the Bay of 
Honduras there is a transverse section at the base of about 
an inch in breadth, extending across between the tympanic 
bones, which involves the loss of nearly the whole basi- 
occipital. It is in this lost part that several of the princi- 
pal foramina at the base of the skull are situated. 

That portion of the crista interna formed by the inner 
tables of the frontal bone, extending upwards and back- 
wards from the largely developed crista galli of the ethmoid 
in the skull from Old Calabar, is almost wanting in the 
skull from Honduras. The parietal part of the crista in- 
terna in the latter skull is well-marked, increasing in size 
backwards until it expands into a large internal occipital 
protuberance, with a broad transverse ridge which separates 
the cerebrum from the cerebellum. The palate of the skull 
from Honduras, measured from the incisive edge of the pre- 
maxillary bones to the posterior part of the spinous cleft of 


* T regret to see a notice of Mr Banks’s death in the “ North British Ad- 
vertiser,” as having occurred at Prestonpans on the 6th instant. 


262 Proceedings of the Loyal Physical Society. 


the palate bone, is 84 inches; from this point of the palate 
bone to the posterior edge of the basi-sphenoid, the distance 
is 24 inches ; the length from the incisive edge of the pre- 
maxillaries to the coalesced basi-sphenoid and basi-occipital 
is, therefore, 11 inches, or half an inch less than in the skull 
from Old Calabar ; and from the anterior border of the pre- 
maxillary bones to the anterior edge of the foramen magnum, 
the total length at the base of the Honduras skull is 13 
inches. The pterygoid bones are 24 inches in length, with 
a smooth outer ridge behind, and another inner ridge, which 
terminates in a short obtuse hamular process, They coalesce 
with the pterygoid processes of the palate bone, which are 
large, twisted backwards and outwards, and cover, without 
concealing, the posterior aveoli. 

The foramen magnum is oval transversely, 2 inches from 
side td side, and an inch and a half from above downwards. 
The occipital condyles are 1,8;th inch in length, and 1?,th 
inch in breadth, and pete lag to each other in es 
The paroccipital wings at the posterior roots of the condyles 
expand upwards, inwards, and outwards, in a broad semi- 
lunar form, convex above and concave below, where they 
join the less prominently developed mastoids. 

From the posterior edge of the foramen magnum, along 
the perpendicular occipital spine, to the large straight trans- 
verse occipital ridge, the distance is 2,8,th inches; and from 
the middle of the occipital crest to the anterior incisive 
margin of the premaxillary bones, following the curve of 
the coronal aspect, the length of the skull is 15 inches. 
There is a deep hollow space extending along the middle of 
the upper convex aspect of the skull, which is formed by a 
strongly developed longitudinal ridge on each side. These 
lateral ridges commence at the posterior inferior parietal 
angle, where they are 3 inches apart ; the parietal portion of 
the ridges gradually approximate as they advance forwards, 
until, at the coronal suture, they are only an inch apart. 
The ridges again diverge, increase in size, and form two 
anterior superior parietal processes, which extend forwards 
for about 2 inches in a notch in the frontal bone. They 
then advance forwards and outwards as frontal ridges, nar- 


The Skull of the Manatus Senegalensis and Manatee. 263 


row at first where they bound the upper part of the tem- 
poral fosse, but gradually spread out into thick, broad, tri- 
angular-shaped orbital plates, convex above and concave 
beneath, to form the roof of the orbital chambers. These 
orbital plates are larger than in the African skull. The 
premaxillary bones are 7 inches in length, and extend back- 
wards at the inner edge of the orbital plates of the frontal 
bone for about 2 inches in the skull from Old Calabar ; the 
premaxillaries are much smaller, less deflected in front, and 
terminate behind at the anterior part of the frontal bone. 
The distance from the incisive edge of the premaxillaries 
to the fore part of the orbital cavities is 5 inches, or an inch 
less than in the African skull. The orbital cavities are 
larger and more rounded in the Honduras skull than in 
that from Old Calabar, The length of the zygomatic pro- 
cess is 5 inches, or half an inch less than in the African 
skull; itis also much less massive, more curved and concave 
below. The glenoid surface is more elevated, with two 
deep depressions at the under and back part, which are 
but very slightly marked in the African skull. The malar 
bone is 64 inches in length, and extends from the outer 
edge of the glenoid ridge to the anterior part of the orbit. 
It has a narrow zygomatic process behind, which gradually 
expands into a broad vertical maxillary process, which ter- | 
minates in a twisted curved horizontal orbital plate, to form 
the outer part of the floor of the orbital cavity; and this 
orbital plate rests on a similar curved orbital process of the 
superior maxillary bone. The inner part of the floor of the 
orbits is formed by a bridge-like process of the orbital plates 
of the superior maxillary bones, which extends outwards 
from the alveolar processes of the upper jaw. There is a 
large infra orbital foramen, about an inch in diameter, 
opening directly in front. The anterior nasal aperture is 
considerably larger in the American than in the African 
skull, although the extreme length and breadth of both is 
almost the same. In the African skull the aperture is con- 
tracted from side to side, both before and behind; and as 
the nasal fossa is narrower, shallower, and altogether less 
capacious, the size of the anterior nasal aperture appears 


264 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


less than it really is. The frontal and premaxillary bones, 
as already described, are much larger in the American than 
in the African skull; and as the parts of these bones which 
form the boundary of the anterior nasal aperture are also 
broader, thicker, and more expanded from side to side, there 
is a corresponding difference in form and size of the anterior 
nasal aperture in the two skulls. The posterior nasal aper- 
ture is somewhat less in the American skull. 

The left bulla tympani is present, but without any open- 
ing; itis of an oval shape, keeled beneath, an inch and a 
half in length, an inch broad, and rather more than half an 
inch in thickness. It is attached in front by a short twisted 
process to the anterior portion of the pars petrosa, and by 
another larger transverse process behind. There is a deep 
oval depression at the upper and back part, a third of which 
is open above and a little in front, the roof being formed by 
the under concave surface of the anterior process of the 
petrous bone, which is lodged in a deep cavity at the under 
and back part of the root of the zygomatic arch. The pars 
petrosa and the posterior process occupy another depression, 
formed partly by the root of the zygomatic process and 
partly by the mastoid bone. The posterior process of the 
pars petrosa slightly projects externally by a transverse 
opening more than an inch in length, and half an inch from 
above downwards, situated between the occipital and mas- 
toid bones, corresponding to the position of the foramen 
mastoideum. The anterior and posterior processes of the 
petrous bone, which are quite distinct in the Baleen cetacea, 
are so compressed together with the petrous part in this 
skull, as to appear to form but a single bone, about 2 inches 
in length, and rather less in breadth. 

The lower jaw is less massive than that of the African 
skull. Its length on each side, from the incisive edge to 
the angle of the jaw, is 74 inches, and the depth about 
2 inches. The perpendicular height from the angle to the 
condyle is 538;th inches, and the posterior part of the rami 
curves upwards from the angle towards the root of the 
condyle, but is nearly straight in the African skull. The 
distance from the condyle to the anterior point of the co- 


The Skull of the Manatus Senegalensis and Manatee. 260 


ronoid process is nearly 4 inches, the upper border of the 
coronoid process rising two-thirds of an inch higher than the 
condyle. The maxillary canal greatly exceeds in size that in 
the African skull, and is not separated from the inflated 
extremity of the alveolar process posteriorly. It terminates 
in front in a wide-grooved foramen menti, with another fora- 
men behind, which communicates with the maxillary canal, 
and is equal in size to the true foramen menti in the African 
skull. The distance from the angle of the lower Jaw to the 
symphysis menti is about 4 inches, and the angle of the jaw 
is but slightly inflected, whilst in the African skull there is 
an acute inflected angle, the two inner points of the angles 
being only 3,2,th inches apart. In the lower jaw of the 
skull from Honduras, the distance between the two inner 
points of the angles is 4,3,th inches. 

The alveolar process of the lower jaw is 5 inches in length, 
slightly curved outwards and upwards at the posterior ter- 
mination, where it perforates the roof of the coronoid pro- 
cess, and protrudes by its inflated extremity into the maxil- 
lary foramen. 

There are eight molar teeth on the left side of the lower 
jaw, and an empty socket in front; each tooth has two large 
transverse bi-tuberculated ridges, and a smaller ridge be- 
hind, implanted by two roots in sockets about an inch deep, 
like those in the lower jaw of the African skull. The roots 
of the teeth are flattened transversely, corresponding to the 
transverse coronal ridges, and the posterior root is bifurcate 
at the apex. 

The molar teeth in the upper jaw have two transverse tri- 
tuberculated ridges, with a ridge-like thickening at the 
cervix anteriorly and posteriorly, similar to, but less in size 
than those in the African skull. Each molar tooth in the 
upper jaw has three roots, the inner root compressed longi- 
tudinally, the two outer roots compressed transversely ; but 

the roots of the teeth are less divergent, and the external 
anterior root is less curved backwards, than those in the 
African skull. The three posterior teeth on each side of each 
jaw are nidamental ; the three succeeding teeth are but very 
slightly worn; whilst those in front, still 7m sztw, have their 


266 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


crowns much worn down and hollowed out in the middle, 
showing the central brown dentine, surrounded with a 
coat of enamel, and a slight outer layer of dark coloured 
cementum. 

There are fifteen molar teeth remaining in the upper jaw, 
and fifteen in the lower, with six distinct empty sockets ; 
the dental formula in the skull from Honduras is, therefore, 

i 9 

219 339 
species, the Mandtus australis of the British Museum Cata- 
logue, that Daubenton, Cuvier, Gray, and others, have 
adopted the dental formula of the genus Manatus. In the 
British Museum Catalogue for 1850, the number of grinders 
in the genus Manatus is said to vary according to the age or 


= 36. It appears to have been from the American 


state of the specimens, but when complete to be m — = 36. 


It is added that the front ones are often deciduous; hence 
Sir Everard Home describes them as m oe = 24, and 
Cuvier as m 2D = 32 

eS a as 


There is no skull of the African species mentioned in the 
Catalogue as existing in the British Museum ; and there is 
none described in the Catalogue of the Royal College of Sur- 
geons of London; and at a meeting of the British Associa- 
tion held at Cheltenham in 1856, Professor Owen stated, 
that he had not then had an opportunity of examining the 
dentition of the known African Manatee. 

The difference in the number of the molar teeth in these 
two distinct species corresponds with the difference in the 
length of the aveolar portion of the palate, and with other 
corresponding modifications which have been shown to 
exist between the two skulls. 3 

I am indebted to Professor H. D. Rogers of Glasgow for 
an opportunity of comparing the skull of the Mandtus aus- 
tralis, with that of the Mandtus senegalensis ; and the result 
of this anatomical comparison appears to me to justify the 


conclusion, that. m es a = 44, is the normal number of 


the dental formula for the genus Man4tus, as this number 


Metamorphism in the Mineral Kingdom. 267. 


was found to be present in the skull of the Mandtus senega- 
lenses, which inhabits the rivers at Old Calabar. 


Ill. Historical Review of the State of our Knowledge respecting Meta- 
morphism in the Mineral Kingdom, with special regard to certain 
recent Researches. By Joun S. Livineston, Esq. 


Mr Livingston stated, that within late years great addi- 
tions had been made by the labours of chemical geologists 
to our knowledge of the more recondite geological pheno- 
mena. To these additions he wished to direct the attention 
of the Society, as they seemed in this country to have, in a 
great measure, escaped notice. After expressing his opinion 
that, if we are to make any advances in our knowledge of 
the deep-seated causes of metamorphic changes, it must be 
brought about by introducing into the methods of geological 
research much more of the experimental than had hitherto 
been considered necessary, he rapidly sketched the progress 
of inquiry into metamorphism. Every year was enabling us 
more and more to imitate the mineral productions that occur 
in nature, though we cannot reproduce all the conditions 
under which they were formed. What the influence of the 
long lapse of ages might have been, must of course ever 
remain an insoluble problem. After passing under review 
the opinions of Hutton, Mr Livingston referred to the expe- 
riments of Sir James Hall, but especially to his having 
succeeded in producing a crystalline marble, by placing 
powdered cale spar in a gun-barrel hermetically sealed, and 
exposing it to a high temperature,—an experiment that had 
been recently impugned by Gunstav Rose, but on insufficient 
grounds, Reference was then made to the processes adopted 
by Berthier, H. Daville, and Caron, for artificially producing 
minerals by fusion alone, and especially to the production 
of corundum by Ebelman. But the most important re- 
sults were obtained when Senarmont, by experimenting on 
minerals with water at high temperatures, and under enor- 
mous pressures, produced crystalline quartz, spathic iron, 
sulphate of baryta, and sulphide of antimony. Daubrée in. 
1857 had, by using a temperature of 572° Fahr., converted 
wood into anthracite; and Baroulier in 1858 obtained coal 

VOL, II. 2M 


268 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


by placing vegetable matter in moist clay, and exposing to 
heat. Daubrée’s observations made at the thermal springs 
of Plombiéres were next mentioned. These issue, with a 
temperature of about 172° Fahr., from a porphyritic granite 
in the mountains of the Voges. To convey the water of 
the springs to the baths, which the Romans had built there, 
a structure of brick and sand had been erected. Through 
this the water had trickled. On breaking into the mass 
numerous minerals of the zoolite family were found, but 
chiefly Apophyllite and. Chabasite. Mr Livingston then 
mentioned the extensive changes effected by the juxtaposi- 
tion of certain rocks, and especially the phenomenon termed 
Endomorphism by Fournet. He then discussed the bearing 
of these and other facts, and showed that, though the hypo- 
thesis of a central fire would undoubtedly explain much, 
yet that it would not all, If heat were the only agent in 
these changes, he asked why did. they not take place accord- 
ing to the known laws of the propagation of heat and the 
conductibility of rocks? That water had to do in effecting 
these changes was evident from the occurrence of chiasto- 
lite, augite, garnet, and felspar in sedimentary rocks. The 
presence of water chemically combined in the masses ejected 
by volcanoes was a proof that it played an important part 
in the phenomena that take place at great depths. He then 
referred to the facility with which minerals, and especially 
the silicates, can be formed when water is present, to Dau- 
brée’s production of Wollastonite,to his process of forming the 
anhydrous silicates in the moist way, and his production of 
a substance like mica and chlorite. Mr Livingston believed 
that these researches invite us to hesitate before we commit 
ourselves to the views of the igneous rocks at present in 
vogue, and expressed his conviction that the faith of geolo- 
gists, after much weary tossing between fire and water, would 
finally settle down somewhere between these two extremes. 


A conversation followed on the plutonic and aqueous 
agencies in the formation of rocks, and on the probable 
aqueous origin of granite, in which Professor M‘Donald, Mr 
Alex. Bryson, and others, took part. 


0 ae a 


Natural History of the Herring. 269 


Wednesday, 24th April 1861.—A.Exanper Bryson, Esq., President, in 
the Chair. 

The following gentlemen were balloted for, and elected non-resident 
members of the Society :— 

The Rev. George Gordon, LL.D., Manse of Birnie, Elgin ; Lieutenant- 
Colonel George Logan Home, K.L.H. and K.R.G., of Broom House and 
‘Edrom, Dunse. 

“The usual Committees were appointed for special investigations during 
the summer. 

Memorial against 'Salmon Fisheries Act.—Mr Grorce Loean, Con- 
vener of the Committee on Marine Zoology, read a memorial to the Lord 
Advocate, which had been prepared, praying for various alterations on 
his proposed Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1861, which, unless the 
prayer of the memorial was granted, would put a stop to a considerable 
part of the means used by the Committee in investigating marine zoology. 
‘The memorial was approved of, and powers were granted to the Com- 
mittee to use its best endeavours to get the prayer of the memorial 
carried into effect. 


‘The following donations to the Library were laid on the table, and © 
thanks voted to the donors :— : 

1. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Vol. X., 1859-60, 
and Part I. of Vol. XI1—From the Society. 2. Proceedings of the Aca- 
demy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 1860. 3. A Notice of the 
Origin, Progress, and Present Condition of the Academy of Natural 
Sciences at Philadelphia. By W.S. W. Ruschenberger, M.D. 1860. 
—From the Society. 4. The Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society. 
No. 64, November 1860, Vol. XVI., Part IV., and No. 65, February 
1861, Vol. XVII., Part I—From the Society. 


The following Communications were read :— 


I. Some Statements in Cuvier’s *‘ Natural History of Fishes,” as to the 
Herring, shown to be erroneous. _By J. M. Mitcuett, Esq. 

MrJ.M. Mitchell stated that he had observed several errors 
in some of the principal works on natural history as to the 
herring, which he might afterwards more fully discuss ; but 
in the meantime he would point out some erroneous state- 
ments in Baron Cuvier’s “ Histoire Naturelle des Poissons,” 
edited by Professor Valenciennes. In the twentieth volume 
of the quarto edition, page 35, it is said, ‘‘ that in the northern 
seas, as far as the White Sea, all the individuals have an 


210 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


invariable largeness, always superior to that of our herrings 
of the Channel, of which the small dimensions are equally 
constant.” Now, he said, it was true that considerable 
shoals of large herrings do appear on the Norway coast in 
the winter and spring; but the author seems not to have 
been aware that there is always in summer considerable 
shoals and a large fishery of small herrings, generally of a 
superior quality, but of a smaller size on the average than 
those caught in the English Channel (La Manche) or on the 
Scottish coasts; and he exhibited a specimen of each size, 
the one a giant of 134 inches, and the other a dwarf of 
about 9 inches, each with the ova fully developed, and said 
that any number of each size could be obtained. He alluded 
to the statement in the same work as to the exceedingly 
deciduous nature of the scales of the herrings, and said that 
this was an exaggeration, as was evident even from the spe- 
cimens he produced, which were covered with their scales. 
It is stated in this work, that the herring spawns apparently 
indiscriminately, without selecting any position, even in the 
middle of the sea—‘‘ au milieu de la mer.” But this is not 
the case ; for Mr Mitchell had ascertained that the herring 
always selects rocky, stony, or gravelly ground, on which to 
deposit its spawn. He would also point out that at page 
62, vol. xx., it is said, ‘‘ c’est pendant l’hiver qu ils appair- 
rissent sur les cotes d’Hurope.” Now, it is well known that 
great shoals of herrings approach the coasts of Europe in 
summer and autumn, and are fished then, as already stated, 
in great quantities. 


II. Observations on British Zoophytes and Protozoa. By T. SrrerHiut 
Wraicat, M.D. 


1. On the Reproductive Elements of the Rhizopoda. Plate IX. 


We have, as far as I am aware, no definite observations as 
to the reproductive elements of the Rhizopods. All who are 
accustomed to the observation of minute marine life know 
that these creatures increase with great rapidity; but how 
they increase is at present a mystery. © 
Professor Carpenter * has recorded and figured a peculiar 
* Phil, Trans., vol. cxlvi. p. 212. 


Observations on British Zoophytes and Protozoa. 271 


state of the sarcode as occurring in spirit specimens of Orbi- 
tolite, which appeared to be broken up into little spherules, 
though still retaining the structure of unchanged sarcode. 
He also states that similar spherules are figured by Hhren- 
berg in several of the cells of Sorztes orbiculus, and by 
Schultze in the chambers of Rotalia. Dr Carpenter is in- 
clined to believe that these bodies are gemmules. I have 
repeatedly noticed bodies, apparently similar to those figured 
by Carpenter, in Gromia ; but I have considered them to be 
of the same nature as the coloured spherules which are found 
within the endoderm of the Hydroid Zoophytes. 

Besides these spherules, however, Dr Carpenter has met 
with other bodies, apparently imbedded in the sarcode, which 
he considered might be gemmules in a later stage, or ova. 
These were of a deep-red colour, and exhibited various 
stages of binary division. He has also figured a third ob- 
ject, found in an imperfectly closed shell of Orbvtolite, which, 
with his usual caution, he considered might possibly have 
been introduced from without. 

It is under these circumstances that I bring forward the 
following observations. 

With regard to the female element, it will be necessary 
first to ascertain the essential characters of an ovum. Pro- 
fessor Allan Thomson* defines it as “a detached spheroidal 
mass of organised substance, of variable size, enclosed in a 
vesicular membrane, and containing, in the earlier periods 
of its existence, an internal cell or nucleus.” But the pre- 
sence of a nucleus is not essential to the constitution of an 
ovum ; for in the ova of Chrysaora hyoscella and some of the 
Ctenophora (Beroé) it cannot be detected at any stage. 
The ova of these animals may be defined as “ detached 
masses of highly refractive substance.” Such appears to be 
the simplest definition of an ovum—a definition which will 
apply also to the first stage of the ovum of Lhizostoma as 
figured by Professor Thomson,t where he shows, first, the 
‘“ primitive ovum” destitute of germinal vesicle and spot ; 
secondly, the appearance of the germinal vesicle; thirdly, 


* Cyclopedia of Anat. and Phys., vol. v. p. 128. 
1 Op. Cit. p. 128. 


272 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the advent ‘of the macula within the vesicle; and, lastly 
the formation of the enclosing membrane. 

On examining a great number of specimens of Gromia, 
Miliolina, Rotalina, and Orbulina, I have repeatedly dis- 
covered bodies which correspond in all respects with the 
‘primitive ovum” defined above. They consist of trans- 
parent spheres or ovoids formed of a finely molecular sub- 
stance, but in which the molecules are masked or rendered 
indistinct by the highly refractive matter in which they are 
imbedded. No germinal vesicle or spot appears in the living 
specimens. It may be masked in a similar manner to the 
molecular structure; but in.a specimen of Zruncatulina 
(PI. 1X. fig. 6) which has been hardened in spirit, decal- 
cified by dilute nitric acid, and mounted with strong heat in 
Canada balsam, four of the segments or zooids contain each 
an ovum which shows a germinal vesicle and spot with the 
utmost distinctness, while the rest present the usual appear- 
ance of granular, low-refracting sarcode.* 

I have not been able to trace the development of the ova 
of Rhizopods. .Bodies similar to those I have considered 
ova in Gromia are found attached to Alge in vessels where 
that animal abounds. The ova of Gromia are very small ; 
and young Gromias slightly larger than the. ova also occur. 
In Gromia, therefore, the ova may be at. once transformed 
into young, and directly acquire an envelope. Such is the 
mode of development in the ova of most of the Hydroide, 
which are transformed into planuloid larve without under- 
going fissure. In Orbulina, however, the ovum is of very 
large size, and consists of a colourless spherule of sarcode 
enclosed in a membraneous test.and covered by a thin glairy 
layer. Here the sarcode presents traces of fissure, though 
these are lost when it is pressed out of its envelope. In both 
this genus and Truncatulina it is impossible that the full- 
sized ova can obtain exit from the animal, except by the 
destruction of the chambers of solid shell in which they are 
enclosed. In the case of Zruncatulina, moreover, the ova 
are at least ten times as large asthe primordial segment or 


* J shall be happy to lend this preparation to any gentleman who may take 
an interest in it. 


Observations on British Zoophytes and Protozoa. 273 


zooid of the adult. It is therefore probable that the ova of 
these genera undergo a “ polymorphic” development of many 
months’ duration, similar to that described by Carter as 
occurring in Ameba verrucosa,* and that each ovum be- 
comes transformed into numerous Ameceboid zooids, which 
escape through the openings of the shell and form the pri- 
mordial segments of future Rhizopods. 

With regard to the male element, I have only one obser- 
vation to record. Amongst a large number of dark-brown 
Gromias which I have possessed for many months, one 
appeared filled as to its upper part with a milky matter, 
which, when pressed out, proved to be a congeries of cells 
and large active molecules, such as are obtained from the 
sperm-sacs of Hydra viridis. I was not able to make out 
the tails of the spermatozoa; but there could be no mistak- 
ing the characteristic shape and movements of the cells and 
molecules. The sarcode of the body in Rhizopods is itself 
finely molecular in structure, and, when crushed, exhibits 
slight molecular movements ; but these movements are alto- 
gether different from those of the objects which I am per- 
suaded are the spermatozoa of Gromia. 

Since the foregoing paper was sent to the press, I have 
received the April Number of the “ Annals,” in which 
Schultze’s discovery of living young in the chambers of 
Riotalia is brought before the readers of this Journal. Pro- 
fessor Williamson, in his “Treatise on Recent Foraminifera” 
(Ray Soc. Publ.) states, in regard to his Sp7rillina perfo- 
rata, “ He (Professor Ehrenberg) assigns to it the trivial 
name of vivipara, owing to the circumstance that just within 
the septal orifice of his specimen he found two small spiral 
shells, which had obviously found their way there by acci- 
dent ; from this unimportant circumstance, he concluded 
that the shell was viviparous.” S. perforata is plentiful in 
the Firth of Forth, on Fucus serratus. Immediately after 
reading Schultze’s paper, I examined a quantity of the sea- 
weed, and found two large specimens of S. perforata sur- 
rounded by a multitude of very small ones. In one of the 
large specimens three small living Spirilline existed. Eh- 

* Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 2, vol. xx. p. 37. 


274 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


renberg was doubtless right in considering this animal vivi- 
parous; but it remains to be determined whether the young 
are produced by gemmation or ovulation. In Spirillina 
foliacea I have found the highly refractive bodies I have 
above described as “‘ primitive ova.” 

Eaplanation of Plate IX. 
Fig. 6. Specimen of Truncatulina, decalcified ; a, membranous basis of shell ; 


6b, sarcode; c, ovum, with germinal vesicle and spot; d, segment or 
zooid destitute of ovum. 


2. On the Reproduction of Ophryodendron. 


Ophryodendron abietinum, which I have figured in various 
attitudes in Pl. X., has been noticed elsewhere by Claparéde 
and Lachmann* and myself { several years since; but it 
was not until the spring of the present year that I was able 
to discover its mode of reproduction. The animal presents 
the appearance of an oblong sac filled with homogeneous 
and finely molecular matter, and is found attached to the 
corallum of Sertularta pumila. From one end of the body 
or sac arises a proboscis, generally appearing as a short and 
closely-wrinkled club, but capable of being produced to a 
remarkable distance as a glassy ribbon surmounted by 
numerous twining tentacles. The sac usually shows no 
trace of a nucleus or contractile vesicle, nor are its contents 
differentiated into an external and internal tissue (ectosare 
and endosarc), as in Actinophrys and others of the class 
(“ Acinétiens”) into which it has been introduced. The 
structure of the proboscis differs from that of the sac in the 
development within it, of a clear and highly refractive tissue, 
corresponding to the muscular element in the branches of 
Zoothamnium, and in the more directly contractile pedicle 
of Zooteirea. In the proboscis of Ophryodendron, as in the 
body of Epistylis, the contraction of the muscle throws its 
outer covering into close folds. The tentacles are formed 
of a continuation of the contractile tissue of the proboscis, 
and are covered to within a short distance of their tips by 
the integument. The proboscis, when extended, hangs 


% Etudes sur les Infusoires et les Rhizopodes, par Edouard ena et 


Johannes Lachmann. — 
t Edin. Phil. Journal, July. 1859. 


IP I AN WI) Ce 


Royal Physteal Society, Edinburgh’ 


i 


Reese iene eee eS 


ae = < 
TERRES 


ae 


Boeawawe sn 


W. H.M® Farlane, Lith? Pdint 


“1. Strethill Wright, delt 


Ophryo dendron. 


Observations on British Zoophytes and Protozoa. 275 


suspended or floating in an erect position, or slowly swims 
about in large curves by the continuous and very active 
motion of its tentacles. This animal may be called the 
homomorph, amongst the Protozoa, of Sipunculus Bernhardt. 
I have never been able to satisfy myself as to its mode of 
feeding, though portions of matter are occasionally seen 
entangled amongst the tentacles, and apparently pressed in 
contact with the substance of the proboscis. 

In the sketch of this animal appended to my notice of 
1859, I figured several globular bodies within the sac, which 
my friend, M. Claparéde, to whom I showed it, had not 
observed ; and on further observation, I was led to consider 
the figure erroneous. In March last, however, the Ophryo- 
dendra (Pl. XI. fig. 1) again contained these bodies, and by 
a somewhat “‘meddlesome midwifery,” I was enabled to 
force them from the sacs, and to find that they were living 
young, from four to nine in number. 

The young thus obtained consist of ovoid bodies of higher 
refractive structure than the body of the parent, and contain 
olive-brown corpuscles, shaped like the chlorophyll-granules 
of Hydra viridis. At a later stage, when the wrinkled 
trunk of the parent hung lax and dead, the young larvae 
assumed a pyriform shape, flattened on their inferior surface 
(PL XI. fig. 2). This surface was also marked with longitu- 
dinal strie, carrying short, soft, slowly-moving cilia or pro- 
cesses. Their natural mode of extrusion was not observed ; 
but several families of them were found, each enveloped in 
a soft gelatinous ball, and attached to the Sertularia and 
other bodies. Single individuals were seen slowly moving 
on the zoophyte, and others attached were putting forth the 
rudiments of the proboscis. The proboscis was at first finely 
molecular, like the contents of the sac, unwrinkled and non- 
contractile. A few tentacles were presently put forth from 
its summit (fig. 3), and it gradually assumed the structure 
of that of the adult. 

The body of Ophryodendron frequently bears fusiform 
bodies, from one to four in number, which I have already 
described, and which appear to be gemme. 


VOL. II, Qn 


276 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Explanation of Piates X. and X1., figs. 1-8. 


Pl. X. Two cells of Sertularia pumila, on which Ophryodendra are attached,— 
the figure on the left side of the centre with gemma and contracted 
proboscis, that on the right side of the centre with proboscis extended ; 
the trunks of two others are shown in various stages of extension. 

Pl. XI. figs. 1-8. Young of Ophryodendron in various stages of development. 


3. On Dendrophrya radiata and D. erecta (nov. gen. et sp.). 


The Rhizopodous animals to which I have given the name 
of Dendrophrya are found plentifully on Sertularias, Flus- 
tras, Fuci, and stones, in low water pools at Granton Quarry, 
near Edinburgh. There are two species, D. radiata and 
D. erecta. 

D. radiata. 


Its general appearance is that of a small shelly mass, 
from the borders of which radiates a system of branched 
membranous tubes, more or less coated with mud or other 
matters. In young specimens the central shell is absent, 
and the animal presents the appearance of an irregular 
system of branches radiating from a centre. The shape of 
the adults is very various, and depends on the surface to 
which they are attached ; they attain sometimes a diameter 
of nearly a quarter of an inch, though generally much 
smaller. The shell is not acted on by acids, and is there- 
fore siliceous. The animal itself can seldom be detected, 
as it lies concealed within its central flinty stronghold and 
the complicated system of earthworks surrounding it. 


D. erecta. 


In this species, found on stones, the branched, mem- 
branous, and mud-clothed tubes, instead of creeping over the 
surface to which the animal is attached, spring upwards 
and outwards, as in Pl. XI. fig.4. Delicate pseudopodia, 
linear or forked (figs 4. and 5), are readily observed to pro- 
trude themselves from the extremities of the branches, 
accompanied sometimes by lobular processes of the sarcode 
of the animal. The patelloid shell of D. erecta may be 
easily detached from its seat, and its tenant, a small patch 
of semitransparent sarcode, scooped out with a flat-pointed 
needle and transferred to the stage of the microscope. It 


De by AP 13 Ue 


ety, Edinburgh. 


: 
EIS LEE 


1-3. Uphryodendron. 4.5 Dendrophrya. 
6:3. Atractylis palliata. 


OL A a ae 


Lith? Edin? 


Farlane, 


W. HME 


Souety Edinburgh 


Royal Physi 


£ delt et Jith. 


¢ 


Wrik 


tzethill 


«. 
a 


Vol. IT. 


Gag 


. 8. Lar Sabellarum. 9. Trichydra pud 


ila 


7. Hydracti 


1 


Il. Cunina Slobosa. 12. Sertalaria pumila. 


Appendix to Cionistes reticularis. 277 


differs from the sarcode of other Rhizopods in being filled 
with delicate short fibres instead of the usual molecular 
matter, and contains, both within the shell and tubes, the 
highly refractive bodies I have mentioned in a former paper 


as OVa. 
Explanation of Plate XI. 


Fig 4. Dendrophrya erecta seated on a portion of stone, and showing pseudo- 
podia projecting from summits of branches. 

Vig. 6. Summit of one of the tubes of D. erecta, with projecting La: of 
sarcode and pseudopodia. 


4, On Lecythia elegans (nov. gen. et sp.) 


This animal, of which I give drawings in Pl. XII. fig. 
10, is found on Sertularia pumila. It is exceedingly 
minute, and requires high microscopic power and careful 
adjustment of light for its accurate definition. The body 
is flask or carafe-shaped, mounted on a long, fine, rigid 
pedicle, and enclosed in a closely fitting envelope. The 
summit of the body is dilated, and furnished with a variable 
number of long, slender, divergent processes or tentacles, 
which appear to correspond with those of Actinophrys. 
When the tentacles are contracted, they become capitate, 
and assume the form of a bossed crown, as shown in the 

figure. 


Appendix to Cionistes reticularis (Kionistes retiformis), printed at p. 91. 


This zoophyte resembles the Sertulariade in the simple 
columnar form of its non-tentacled reproductive polyps, and 
forms the connecting link between these organs in the 
Tubulariade and Sertulariade. It exhibits the most de- 
eraded form of the reproductive polyp, previously to the 
latter being altogether dispensed with and the generative 
sacs being developed directly from the polypary. Thus we 
have, in the chain of degradation,— 


Generative sacs or medusoids attached to ordinary ali- ) Clava, Coryne, 
mentary polyp, as in 4 \ &e. 

Generative sacs attached to reproductive alimentary po- Podocoryna 
lyp, which differs from ordinary alimentary polyp in > fucicola 
having fewer tentacles (Sars). 

Generative sacs attached to reproductive polyp with rudi- Hydractinia 
mentary mouth and tentacles, as in : : \ echinala. 


278 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Soctety. 


Generative sacs: attached to reproductive polyp without Eudendrivm 
mouth or tentacles ; summit of polyp surmounted by a ¢ confertwm 
cluster of large thread-cells, as in ; (Alder). 
Generative sacs or ri etal attached to reproductive ) Cionistes, 
polyp without mouth, tentacles, or cluster of thread- Sertularia, 
cells, as in Campanularia. 
Reproductive polyp dorided longitudinally eee several) Eudendriwm 
portions, each surmounted by its cluster of large thread- | arbusculum 
cells ; sperm-sacs formed, as in Hydra, by simple dila- 7 (T.S. W.), 
tation of the ectoderm ; "each division of polyp trans- | E. capillare ? 
formed into a “ moniliform” Sperm-sac, as in . ; (Alder). 
Atractylis 
(T.S. W.), 
Hydractinia 
(Alder and 
a. W.), 
Cordylophora 
(Allman). 


Generative sacs or medusoids attached to the polypary, 
as in , ‘ ; 


It will thus be seen that there is a very gradual transition 
from the alimentary polyp to the reproductive polyp, and 
from the latter to the simple generative sac. Professor All- 
man’s term “ blastostyle,” applied to the reproductive polyp, 
is apt to mislead, as it indicates that the alimentary and re- 
productive polyps are not homologous parts. Still more 
decidedly does that accomplished naturalist confuse the 
homology of these parts by applying the same term to the 
branched pedicle of the aggregated generative sacs of Tubu- 
laria tndivisa, which is merely formed of the conjoined and 
elongated pedicles of the individual sacs. 

It is impossible to construct any classification of the Hy- 
droid Zoophytes on the form or position of their generative 
sacs or medusoids, as these vary not only in different species 
of the same genus, but also in males and females of the 
game species. Thus, in Hudendriwm rameum the sperm-sacs 
are moniliform, the egg-sacs single ; the former are attached 

to the alimentary polyp, the latter to the polyp and also to 
the polypary. In Hydractinia, although the generative sacs 
generally spring from the reproductive polyps, they are also 
found attached to the polypary; and in a most interesting 
species of this genus lately discovered by Mr Alder, medu- 
soids spring from the latter part of the zoophyte. In Atrac- 
tylis ramosa, T.S8.W. (Eudendrium ramosum, Van. Ben.), the 
medusoids, the males and females of which differ in shape, 
spring from the polyps, from club-shaped bodies, and from 


Appendix to Cionistes reticularis. 279 


the polypary ; in other species of Atractylis they arise from 
the reticulated base of the zoophyte. In certain species of 
the genera Sertularia and Campanularia, marsupial forms 
occur which bear no homological relation to each other. 

The gradual transition in the Hydroide from the simple 
generative sac to the perfect Medusa is exceedingly interest- 
ing. I attempt to indicate it in the following sketch :— 
Generative elements (spermatozoa or 

ova) contained in a simple generative 

sac or dilatation of the ectoderm; pla- \ Hydra. 

centa formed of endodermal floor of 

sac, 
Placenta protruding into generative sac, 


and forming ‘‘ spadix” (Allman) sur- 
rounded by generative elements, 


Coryne. 


Hydractinia, Pen ne 


rative sac. 
Campanularia 
lacaerta 
(male). 
ee Hudendrium 


—or branched and permeating them, 


—or folding round single ovum, rameum (fe- 
male). 

Eudendrium ) Generativesac 
become a pe- 
duncle (““ma- 
nubrium,”’ 


Allman). 


Placenta adherent to summit of genera- 
tive sac; summit of sac furnished 
with cluster of large thread-cells ; sac 
the equivalent of the Sa of | EL. confertum 
Coryne gravata, 

Summit of sperm-sac fares hed with a 
row of tentacles indicating the pre- 
sence of a non-differentiated subum- 
brella, . ‘ 

Generative sac transformed into a ra) 


arbusculum 
(male). 


(female).* 


present, but 
not differ- 
entiated. 


walking medusoid ; peduncle furnished 
with branched tentacles, as in Bou- 
gainvillea ; subumbrella not differen- 
tiated, its presence indicated by eye- 
specks and otolitks; umbrella absent, 


Ovisae fixed, enclosed in a meiorentitcd Laomedea 


Eleutheria, 
medusoid of 
Clavatella 
(Hincks). 


Subumbrella 
differen- 
tiated. 


Laomedea 

Lovent 

male). Subumbrella 
subumbrella with lateral and circular > Loveni (fe- \ 

canals and tentacles, male). 

* In the ovisac of H. confertum (see figure in margin), 
which I have had an opportunity of examining through 
the kindness of Mr Alder, the endoderm and ectoderm 
at first adhere together at the summit of the sac, and 
at this point a few large thread-cells occur in the ecto- 
derm. A similar occurrence of adhesion and thread-cells 
is found in the sperm-sac of #. arbusculum, and also in 
the false and mouthless peduncle of the medusoid of 
Coryne gravata. 


280 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Sperm-sac surmounted with large thread- 
cells, and forming the peduncle of a( Coryne gra- Umbrella dif- 
fixed medusoid with differentiated( vata. ferentiated. 
subumbrella and umbrella, 


Peduncle or 


alimentary 
; Medusa of olyp and ge- 
Imperfect free medusa; peduncle with ek Lcd 
tubular mouth, and ‘united with a ee Bee Pa a 
Peat kha ; ; 2 
single-cavitied generative sac ys MLA Engen 
each other 
(see post). 
duncle four-tentacled or lipped, and] ramosa (fe- Gelerative 


male). 


: 8 i 
Turris neglec- acs differen 


ta, the Me- tiated from 


dusa of Ola- alimentary 


vula Gossii | POlyp, but si- 
(female) tuated on it. 


lescing into four, which are situated 
alternately with the tentacles or lips, 


Perfect free Medusa of low type; pe- 
dunele four-lipped or tentacled, with 
eight distinct generative sacs, one 
placed on the side of each lip, 


Oceania epi- 
scopalis, 


/Peduncle and 


Bougainvillea 
Britanwica, 
the Medusa 
Perfect free Medusa of low type; pe-| of Atractylis 
containing eight generative sacs coa- 


generative 
Perfect free Medusa of higher type; Mediisa of sacs differen - 
peduncle four-lipped or tentacled ; (~ Tiabe tiated. Ali- 
eight generative sacs, one on each + lai mentary po- 
side of lateral canals, Me ae lyp taking no 
part in re- 
production. 
Generative 
; sacs on sepa- 
Medusa of highest type, with 4-6 lips ) Stomobra- rate canals ; 
and 8-12 lateral canals, each cn chium octo- / two canals 
carrying a single generative sac, costatum. correspond- 
ing to each 
lip. 


Of the generation of Stomobrachiwm we know nothing. 
Claparéde has shown that gymnophthalmatous Medusee may 
produce Medusee without the intervention of the polypoid 
phase ; but it is impossible to draw any line of distinction 
between a Medusa and the medusoid phase of the Hydroid 
polyp. Zubularia indivisa produces its young as perfect 
polyps without the intervention of the planuloid phase, Clava 
with the intervention of that phase. In the life-history of 


Appendix to Cionistes reticularis. 281 


the Hydroide, any phase—planuloid, polypoid, or medusoid 
—may be absent. 

The perfect several-lipped Medusa appears to be a sym- 
metrical organism composed of eight or more elements, each 
element corresponding to the half of a lip. Hach of these 
elements is composed of three subelements, the alimentary, 
reproductive, and prehensile, any of which may be sup- 
pressed, or unite with others of different value on the same 
element, or of the same value belonging to neighbouring 
elements. Thus, in Sarsia the peduncle appears to consist 
of a single alimentary subelement, and the single reproduc- 
tive element or generative sac extends around and along the 
whole of it except the single trumpet-shaped lip. This lip 
is occasionally placed on one side and at some distance from 
the extremity of the peduncle, indicating the asymmetrical 
character of the latter organ in this genus. In Huphysa and 
Hleutheria the ovisacs coalesce, and are placed within and at 
the base of the peduncle. Steenstrupia and Saphenia furnish 
examples of the suppression of certain of the marginal ten- 
tacles or prehensile subelements, and the exaggeration of 
others. 

The Polyp of the Hydroid Zoophyte must also be con- 
sidered as composed of one or more elemental zooids. Thus 
we have the zooid of asingle element in the ‘tentacular polyp’ 
of Hydractuma ; the zooid of two elements in the two-ten- 
tacled and two-lipped Lar Sabellarum (Gosse) (Pl. XII. fig. 
8), and in the minute two-lipped and non-tentacled polyp 
which occurs on the Antennularias and others; the zooid of 
several elements in the five-lipped polyp of Trichydra 
(T. 8. W.); that of many elements in the polyp of Tubula- 
ria indivisa, which I have elsewhere shown to be formed by 
the confluence of the several distinct tubes of which the po- 
lypary or coenosarc is composed, each of which tubes may be 
traced, by its coloured endodermal ridges, to the mouth of 
the polyp, and bears its own system of tentacles and repro- 
ductive apparatus. 

_ The compound character of the polypary is also seen in 
Halecium and Antennularia, and in a very beautiful manner 
in the very early state of Sertularia pumila, which (after it 


282 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


had been kept a few days in fresh water) I have figured with 
the camera in Pl. XII. fig. 12. Its resemblance to Carus’s 
figure of the Medusa, Cunina globosa (Esch.), which I have 
copied in fig. 11, is very striking. 

As the Medusa is a multiplex organism, we must inquire 
how far it is homologous with the generative sac of the Hy- 
droid Zoophyte. 

Prof. Allman, in his paper on Cordylophora (Phil. Trans. 
vol. cxli.), advanced the doctrine that the generative sac 
was homologous with the whole Medusa—a doctrine based 
upon an erroneous conception of the cavity in which the 
generative elements arecontained. Ina ‘Note on Dicecious 
Reproduction in Zoophytes” (Edin. New Phil. Jour., vol. iv. 
p- 88), I stated that “the reproductive buds [generative 
sacs] (of Coryne) were filled with ova developed from the 
exterior of a hollow central stalk, a diverticulum of the 
alimentary canal;” and further, ‘‘ The peduncle of the 
Medusa-bud [or budded Medusa] appears to me to be homo- 
logous with the entire reproductive capsule [generative sac] 
of Coryne glandulosa, &c.” This view is now adopted by 
Prof. Allman, who writes, in ‘ Annals of Natural History,” 
(vol. vi. ser. 3, p. 4), “‘ The manubrium is the whole of the 
‘peduncle,’ ‘stomach,’ or by whatever other name it may be 
called, which depends from the centre of the umbrella in a 
Medusa or medusoid ; and I apply the same term to what 
I consider the homologous part in a sporosac, namely, the 
whole sporosac minus the ectotheca and mesotheca.” Now, 
the ‘ sporosac,’ less the ‘ ectotheca’ and ‘mesotheca,’ is the 
simple generative sac, which, therefore, Prof. Allman has 
agreed with me in considering homologous with the peduncle. 

But I would now very much modify the above view. We 
must keep in mind that each of the eight elements of a 
medusoid has three distinct functional subelements; that 
the single reproductive subelement of the Medusa exists, 
as in Stomobrachium, uncombined ; that where the peduncle 
is the reproductive organ of a free Medusa, as in Sarsza, it 
_ consists of two subelements of different function combined, 
each exercising its separate function, alimentative or repro- 
ductive; that an organ composed of a single subelement (a — 


Appendix to Hydractinia. 283 


generative one) having only one function, cannot be homo- 
logous with one composed of two subelements (peduncle of 
Sarsia), each having its distinct function, or with an organ 
of sixteen subelements (peduncle of Bougainvillea), eight 
of which are alimentary and eight reproductive. I would 
therefore now state— 

That the simple generative sac of Coryne is homologous 
with the reproductive subelement or single generative sac 
as it exists on the lateral canal of Stomobrachium. 

That the peduncle-like sac of Hudendrium confertum 1s 
homologous with the reproductive subelement in the pe- 
duncle of Sarsta—not with the whole peduncle. 

That where the generative sac evidently consists of many 
subelements, as in Tubularia larynx and Sertularia fallax 
(evidenced by the four summit-lips or lobes, the symmetri- 
cal character of each of which indicates it to be composed of 
two subelements), it is homologous with the reproductive 
subelements in the octopartite peduncle of Bougainvillea, 
or, rather, with the eight coalescing reproductive subele- 
ments of Hleutheria. 

I consider that a four-lobed or branched state of the pla- 
centa or spadix indicates a multipartite constitution of the 
generative sac, and not a rudimentary medusoid form of that 
organ; for we have, in the fixed female medusoid of Lao- 
medea Lovent, a four-lobed condition of the placenta in the 
peduncle-like ovisac, with the existence of a well-differen- 
tiated subumbrella and lateral and circular canals. 

My space will not allow me to illustrate the homological 
relations which exist between the polypary (or ccenosarc) 
and the polypidom on the one hand, and the subumbrella 
and umbrella on the other. This must be reserved for a 
future occasion, when I hope to fill up the gaps in this 
rough and incomplete sketch of some of the morphological 
relations of the Hydroide and their Meduse. 


Appendix to Hydractinia, printed at vol. i. p. 192. 
In the “ Annals of Natural History ” (vol. iv. ser. 3. p. 50) 


| Prof. Ailman has remarked, with regard to Hydractinia, 


that “the solid chitinous polypary [polypidom] is covered 
VOL, II. 20 


284 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


externally by the ccenosare [polypary], thus reminding us 
of the sclerobasic corallum of some of the Actinozoa.” This 
doctrine had been previously promulgated by Quatrefages 
(Ann. des Sc. Nat., xx. 232), who considered the polypidom 
to be an endoskeleton deposited in the substance of the 
polypary, like the solid axis of Gorgonia. If this view were 
correct, it would not only remove Hydractinia from the 
Tubulariade, but would segregate it from the whole of the 
Hydroid Zoophytes, not one of which is destitute of an 
investing polypidom. 

~ In the “ Edinb. Phil. Journal” for April 1857, I stated, in 
a paper on Hydractinia, my conviction of the incorrectness 
of Quatrefages’s opinion, and that the mode of secretion of 
the polypidom of Hydractinia did not. differ from that of 
the rest of the Tubulariade, as was seen in the development 
of its young and its propagation by stolons. Since then I 
have come to the following conclusions, after the examina- 
tion of a very large number of specimens, some hatched 
from the egg and adherent to glass, others removed as cut- 
tings from adult specimens and transplanted on glass, to 
which they readily grow, and others removed entire from the 
shell of the Pagurus by acid, and put up in spirit or balsam. 

The polypidom and polypary are found in the following 
forms, all of which are frequently combined in the same 
specimen :— 

1. An open network of delicate chitinous tubes without 
spines, enclosing a polypary composed of several combined 
endodermal tubes surrounded by a single layer of ectoderm. 
Found in very young specimens, or in old ones growing on 
protected parts of the shell. (Analogous to Clava repens 
(mihi), the C. discreta of Allman.) 

2. An open network as in the last; the tubes of thick 
brown chitine, with single hollow spines rising from a single 
tube, or from the confluence of four tubes. 

3. A close reticulate plate, as in Clava cornea (mihi) and 
CO. membranacea (rihi), formed from states 1 or 2 by the 
continual filling-up of the meshes by anastomosing branches, 
with or without spines. 

4, A fleshy plate of ectoderm permeated by a network of 


Appendix to Hydractinia. 285 


endodermal tubes, and covered above and below by a deli- 
cate investment of chitine. Found on the growing borders 
of the zoophyte, and especially in cuttings of old specimens 
transferred to glass. 

The spines are composed of one tube or many parallel 
tubes: they may be single (PI. XII. fig. 4), and developed 
on a single tube of the polypidom, like those of Podocoryne 
Jucicola; single at their summits and of several tubes at 
their base (figs. 5 and 6) ; composed entirely of several (8-12) 
conjoined tubes (fig. 7); reticulate by the lateral anasto- 
mosis of their tubes; or consisting of long ridges of tubes 
reared against each other. 

The polyps spring from one or several confluent tubes of 
the polypary ; they are covered at their origin, and for a little 
distance above it, by a delicate prolongation of the poly- 
pidom. This may be detected by dyeing the whole zoophyte 
with tincture of kino, which gives different tints to its 
chitinous and fleshy elements, or by steeping it alternately 
in spirit and water, when the coverings of the polyps and 
polypary become inflated as in figs. 2 and 3. 

The polyps are of several shapes and functions, which I 
have described in the paper cited above. It will be sufficient 
to enumerate them here :— 

1. Alimentary polyps, with mouth and tentacles. 

2. Reproductive polyps, with rudimentary mouth and 
tentacles. 

3. Spiral polyps—a modification of the last; generally 
barren (fig. 3). 

: Sessile generative sacs of thes polypary. 

. Tentacular polyps, or great tentacles of the polypary 
om 2). 

In the reproductive organs of Hydractinia there is a 
gradual transition from the reproductive polyp to the sessile 
generative sac; the polyp loses its dot-like mouth, its ten- 
tacles, its head or upper part, and finally dwindles down to 
a mere sperm-sac. This change is generally seen in those 
specimens which have long been kept in captivity. In these 
specimens, too, many of the alimentary polyps are often 
converted into large inflated sacs destitute of mouth and 


286 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


tentacles, and showing through their parietes white longi- 
tudinal ridges, which indicate the number of zooid elements 
of which they are composed. 

In the natural history of this remarkable zoophyte there 
are other points of peculiar interest, which, having already 
described, I need only mention here: the slow development 
and unique shape of the planuloid larva; the powerful 
muscular structure of the polyps, especially the spiral ones, 
the office of which last has yet to be discovered; and the 
intimate sympathy and combined action which subsist be- 
tween the various parts of the whole animal. 


III. Notes on Deep Sea Soundings. By E. W. Dusuc,* M.D., R.N. 
: Communicated by Mr James B. Davis. 

The deposits now forming at the bottom of the ocean 
possess a peculiar interest from a zoological as well as from 
a geological point of view, especially when we consider the 
importance of the natural processes upon which they are 
capable of throwing light. 

It is only of late years, however, that we have been en- 
abled with any degree of accuracy to sound the vast depths 
of the ocean, to map out the varying configuration of the 
solid substrata, and to examine into the nature of the latter. 
We owe this in great measure to the invention of an im- 
proved form of sounding apparatus by Mr Brooke of the 
United States Navy. 

Specimens thus obtained from great depths were sent to 
Professor Ehrenberg of Berlin, and Professor Bailey of New 
York. The latter submitted samples of the sea bottom from 
that part of the North Atlantic which covers the telegraph 
plateau to microscopical examination, and found them to be 
filled with minute organisms, and to contain neither sand 
nor gravel. The organisms were mainly calcareous, consist- 
ing of the shells of various genera of Moraminifera (Poly- 
thalamia of Ehrenberg). ‘There were besides a small number 
of the siliceous shields of diatoms. 

* T observe, with much regret, a notice of the death of Dr Dubuc on board 


H.M.S. Cossack, at the Cape of Good Hope, on the 10th of January 1862, at 
the early age of 24.—J. B. D. 


Notes on Deep Sea Soundings. 280 


Owen mentions polycistine as also occurring in speci- 
mens from the bottom of the North Atlantic. 

Through the kindness of T. C. Scott, Hsq., R.N., I am en- 
abled to lay before you various samples, likewise, from the 
telegraph plateau, the result of soundings made in H.M.S. 
Bulldog. They are of a light yellow colour, and effervesce 
strongly with acid. 

In the microscopical slides before you, you will readily 
perceive numbers of calcareous foraminifers of genera re- 
sembling Rotalia and others; besides there are here and 
there, but usually in fragments, the beautiful tessellated 
siliceous shields of coscinodiscus. 

It is a curious circumstance, that, in many instances the 
polythalamie were brought up from the same locality with 
the soft parts still preserved. Lieutenant Maury conjectures 
that perhaps the bodies of persons buried in the deep 
sea may in like manner be preserved for long periods, the 
great pressure to which they are subjected preventing de- 
composition, by opposing an ‘obstacle to the separation of 
gaseous bodies. 

Prior to the laying down of the submarine cable between 
Kurrachee in Scinde and Muscat in Arabia, a number of 
soundings were made along the proposed route by Captain 
Pullen in the Cyclops. I obtained two specimens which 
were brought up, one from a depth of about 200, the other 
from about 700 fathoms, off the south coast of Beloochistan. 
The sea is very deep in this locality, especially towards the 
sea of Oman which parts Beloochistan from Arabia. While 
the temperature of the air where these soundings were being 
taken was almost tropical in character, the thermometer 
attached to the sounding apparatus showed that the tem- 
perature at the bottom of the ocean was under 40° Fahr. 

The matter collected at 200 fathoms resembles bluish 
clay. It does not effervesce with acid, and under the micro- 
scope it presents toview a number of clear angular fragments, 
many of them undoubtedly of mineral origin. 

The calcareous foraminifers so plentiful in the deposits 
from the North Atlantic are here very rare. After diligent 
search I could only recognise two or three. Here and there 


268 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


we meet with spicule of sponges. There are also present 
the broken, and, in some cases, perfect valves of the coscino- 
discus, but any other organisms are too undecided to pro- 
nounce upon. 

The sample from 700 fathoms is still less aivundanied in such 
objects. 

Deep sea soundings have now been effected in various 
parts of the world. Professor Bailey examined specimens 
brought up in Lat. 56° 46’ N., Long. 168° 18’ E., the depths 
being respectively 900, 1700, and 2700 fathoms. 

They yielded a variable proportion of mineral matter, 
diminishing as the depth increased, a quantity of the silice- 
ous shields of diatoms including coscinodiscus and numerous 
spicule, but not a fragment of any of the calcareous poly- 
thalamia. The beautiful siliceous polycistine were also 
observed. 

A specimen brought up by Brook’s sounding-rod in the 
coral sea, in Lat. 13° 8., Long. 162° E., from the reported 
depth of 2150 fathoms, afforded many spicule of sponges, a 
very few diatoms including the coscinodiscus, some. polycis- 
tine, and a very few fragments and only one perfect poly- 
thalamia shell. 

The deposits now forming at the bottom of the North 
Atlantic, therefore, differ notably from the latter, in contain- 
ing so many polythalamie. 

Perhaps at some future date we may be able to discover 
some connection between the various minute forms and the 
localities at which they occur, as well as the currents flowing 
in the waters below which they are met with. At present 
we must content ourselves with accumulating observations. 


IV. Further Notice of the Herring and Sprat Fishery of the Firth of 
Forth. By Groner Loaan, Esq., Convener of the Society’s Committee 
on Marine Zoology. 

In continuation of the remarks upon the herring and 
sprat fishery of the Firth of Forth, submitted to the Society 
in the Report of their Committee on Marine Zoology, on 
24th January last, the Convener pursued a careful exami- 
nation of the fish brought to market daily, through the 


The Herring and Sprat Fishery of the Firth of Forth. 289 


months of February and March, and he found that any 
appearance of herring fry gradually ceased, while the sprat, 
Clupea sprattus, was most abundant; even the occurrence 
of young herrings, 7.e., fish above five inches long, was rare, 
until about the beginning of March, when for a day or two 
they again made their appearance among the sprats in some 
numbers, and then entirely disappeared. About the 10th 
of March considerable quantities of very fine pilchards, 
Clupea pilchardus, the gipsy herring, were brought to market, 
along with herrings and sprats, and the writer of this notice 
examined seme dozens of them. ‘The largest were fully 
eight inches in length, and might readily be mistaken for 
herrings, although upon a closer inspection the general 
aspect of the fish showed marked distinctions even to the 
eye,—being more slim and delicate, having smaller scales, 
more firmly attached, and, when compared side by side 
with the herring, giving one the impression that it might 
be a young herring which had only just attained maturity. 
The marked distinctions between this fish and the herring 
need not be repeated ; Dr Parnell states them most accu- 
rately, and says that it had been of late (when he wrote in 
1839) a very rare fish in the Firth of Forth, as well as along 
the whole eastern coast of Scotland; while, about thirty 
years previous, it had been as plentiful as the common 
herring ; and that no specimen had then been caught in 
the Firth since the year 1816. He adds that the pilchard 
is easily distinguished from the herring, sprat, and white- 
bait, by the position of the dorsal fin. If either of the 
three latter fish be suspended by the anterior dorsal rays, 
the head will be observed to dip considerably ; whereas, if 
the pilchard be thus suspended, the body will preserve an 
equilibrium. ‘The writer found that the fishwomen thor- 
oughly apprehended this last-mentioned characteristic of 
the pilchard as the one most obvious and unmistakeable 
by an observer, and were quite aware of the nature of the 
fish they were bringing to market as distinguished from 
the herring, stating, that by many people they were not so 
much liked as food. Many of the specimens were opened 
by the writer, for the purpose of ascertaining the existence 


290 . Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


of milt and roe, but not the slightest appearance of the 
latter could be found, the milt being, however, distinctly 
seen in a rudimentary state. These fish, when dressed for 
table, were found to be in very fine condition, although 
differing in flavour from the herring, and to some tastes, as 
the fishwomen had said, not so palatable. It was matter 
of regret that the pilchards were only caught in large 
quantity for a few days in March, although sparingly 
among herring through the winter; and this partial appear- 
ance in the Firth in the present season corroborates Yar- 
rell’s statements on the subject. As respects the spawning 
of the herring, the best authorities hitherto, although with 
some doubt and misgiving, have assigned the periods of 
March and October as the times of deposit. The writer has, 
during the past winter, found the herrings taken in the 
Firth of Forth to be either gravid with spawn and milt, or 
else spent fish, continuously from the month of November 
until the end of March, during the whole period that the 
fish was sought after and taken; and he sees no reason to 
doubt that during the whole period that the herring is 
found upon our shores, it is there for the purpose of depo- 
siting its spawn, which not improbably occurs the whole 
year round. 


Mr J. M. Mitchell exhibited several specimens of the sprat 
or garvie herring, Clupea sprattus, with well developed milt 
and roe. These fish were taken above Queensferry about 
the end of March. 


V. Notice of a Specimen of the Syngnathus Aiquoreus, taken in a lobster- 
net off Inchkeith, 17th April 1861. By Witiiam S. Youne, Esq. 


Specific Characters.—P. ©. and A. fins wanting; dorsal 
and vent nearly in middle of entire length, resting on eleven 
rings, three of which belong to the tail. 

Description of this specimen: 21 inches in length; head — 
jsth of whole length. From point of snout to the orbit, 
1 inch; from orbit to extremity of operculum, ?th inch; 
from end of snout to first dorsal ray, 83 inches; from last 


Notice of the Syngnathus AXquoreus. 291 


dorsal ray to extremity of tail, 103th inches ; length of dorsal 
fin, 2? inches, with 39 rays resting on eleven rings, three of 
which belong to the tail. 

The trunk consists of 29 divisions or rings, and the tail of 
about 60 or 64; vent immediately under the twenty-seventh 
ray of the dorsal fin. 

Form of the trunk from the gill to the vent is octangular, 
and from the vent downwards quadrangular, towards the 
extremity somewhat flattened. 

I have given this description, as it differs somewhat from 
most of the descriptions of this fish. Jenyns and Yarrell 
give it rudimentary caudal rays, and Kaup six caudal rays. 
In this specimen I could not discover, even with the micro- 
scope, the faintest trace of a rudimentary ray, when not 
more than half an hour dead. Kaup says that this species 
has till now (1856) been found only in the south-west 
coast of Scotland, in Ireland, the Isle of Man, at Havre, and 
in Norway. He does not appear to be aware, as noticed by 
Dr Parnell, that prior to 1685 Sir Robert Sibbald obtained 
a specimen from the Firth of Forth; and within the last 
few years, Dr J. M‘Bain and Dr J. A. Smith each got speci- 
mens. The last is now in the Natural History Museum, 
College, Edinburgh. 


[As this fish has not been often distinguished or de- 
scribed, there are here added, for the sake of comparison, 
the notes formerly taken from the specimen examined by 
Dr Smith, and exhibited at the meeting of this Society, on 
25th January 1860. These details were not included in the 
notice of the fish printed in the Proceedings, see page 139. 


Notes of the Aiquoreal Pipe Fish (Nerophis Aiquoreus), taken at the 
Isle of May. By Joun ALexanper Surry, M.D. 

Nerophis Aiquoreus, Kaup* ; Syngnathus cequoreus, Yar. 
The Alquoreal-Pipe Fish. The general colour of the fish is 
brownish-yellow, approaching to olive-green on the back. 
Pectoral, anal, and caudal fins awanting. 

* Catalogue of Lophobranchiate Fish in the Collection of the British Mu- 
|) seum, 1856, by Dr J. J. Kaup. 

: VOL. II. 2.P 


292 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Length, 20 inches full; 94th inches to vent from point 
of snout; and 10%ths inches from vent to point of tail. 

Length of head, 18thsinch. From snout to front of orbit, 
3ths of an inch full; from thence to extremity of gill-cover 
(including the eye), 2ths of.an inch. Length from point 
of snout to commencement of dorsal fin, 7ths inches (the 
fin is 24 inches in length); and length from beginning of 
fin to extremity of tail 123ths inches. The termination of 
the fin is therefore nearly the middle point in the length 
of the body—the fin being in front of the middle of the 
fish. 4 

The body, or portion of fish from head to vent, consists of 
30 plates, rings, or divisions (the vent being situated in the 
thirtieth plate or division, and under the twenty-sixth ray 
of dorsal fin); and there are 64 or 65* plates or divisions 
from vent to end of tail; the transverse markings cease 
beyond vent. Dorsal fin has 39 fin rays, on eleven rings, 
and a very slight attachment to another in front, three of 
which rings succeed the anal ring, and therefore belong to 
the tail ; the fin commences at the latter part of the twenty- 
second transverse plate, and extends past the middle of the 
thirty-third plate or ring. 

These divisions and transverse plates are distinct, and 
the angles of the octangularly-shaped body are also tolerably 
distinct ; the dorsal one is not acute, but rather rounded, the ~ 
first and second lateral being the most distinct; these last, 
on each side, form, behind the vent, the distinct angles of 
the quadrilateral body, which also decreases considerably in 
size, and tapers gradually to the pointed extremity of tail.] 


VI. Crex porzana, Spotted Crake (specimen exhibited). By Jonn Atex. 
Smitu, M.D. 


This specimen of the Spotted Crake or Rail (Crea porzana) 


* Yarrell, in the first and second editions of his “ British Fishes,” erro- 
neously quotes from Montagu’s original description of this fish (Wern. Mem., 
vol. i. p. 85) the statement, that, from the vent to the extremity of the tail, 
this fish consists of ‘‘ about thirty-six plates,’ whereas, in Montagu’sdescrip- 
tion, it is stated to be “about sixty-six plates.’ This is probably merely 
a typographical error. =a 


Crex porzana. 293 


was in beautiful plumage. Mr Charles Muirhead, Queen 
Street, informed Dr Smith that it was shot near Bathgate 
on the 17th of March. The bird is rare, or at least seldom 
seen in the neighbourhood; and this specimen is also in- 
teresting from the very early season of the year when it 
was killed. Montagu mentions having seen it in Devonshire 
“as early as the 14th of March.” It is generally considered 
to be migratory,—one of our regular summer visitors. Its 
allied species, the Corn Crake, does not visit us until the 
beginning of May. 


A vote of thanks was given to the Orricz-BEARERS, and 


the Society adjourned to the beginning of next winter 
session. 


1 CTISAE 


’ 
+ 


“by 


¢ 


MER 


PROCEEDINGS 


ROYAL PHYSICAL SOCIETY. 


NINETY-FIRST SESSION, 1861-62. 


Wednesday, November 27, 1861.—T. Stretuitt Wricur, M D., 
President, in the Chair. 


William Stevenson, Esq., Accountant, Dunse, was balloted for, and 
elected a non-resident member of the Society. 


The following donations to the Library were laid on the table, and 
thanks awarded to the donors :— 


1. (1.) Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 4to. Vol. 
xxii. Part 2., 1859-60. (2.) Appendix to the Makerstoun Magnetica] 
and Meteorological Observations. 4to. (3.) Proceedings of the Royal 
Society of Edinburgh. 8vo. Vol. iv., No. 50._-From the Society. 2. 
Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Vol. xi., Nos. 43-45.— 
From the Society. 3. Observations on Temperature in connection with 
Vegetation. By J. H. Balfour, A.M., M.D. 8vo. 1861.—From the 
Author. 4. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 8vo, 
1860, Part 3, June to December; and 1861, Part 1, January to March. 
—From the Society. 5. Canadian Journal, Toronto, No. 32, March ; 
No. 34, July; and No. 35, September 1861.—From the Canadian 
Institute, Toronto. 6. On Canadian Caverns. By George D. Gibb, 
M.D.—From the Author. 7. The Canadian Naturalist and Geologist, 
and Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Montreal, Vol. vi., 
Nos. 1—5.—From the Society. 


Dr Wrateat then delivered the Opening Address :-— 


GENTLEMEN,—I have now to greet you on the commence- 
ment of the ninety-first session of the Royal Physical Society, 
which opens full of promise. Not only can we look back 
with satisfaction on the many valuable papers which have 
of late years been read at this table, and which, treasured 
up in our published proceedings, and disseminated through 

VOL, Il. 2@ 


296 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the scientific societies of this and other countries, are assist- 
ing to preserve for Edinburgh that high position which she 
has attained in science; but the billet of this evening shows 
that, in the ensuing session, we have much to look forward 
to, both from our young soldiers, whose spurs are yet a-win- 
ning, and from well-tried veterans, whose names for many 
a year have been ‘‘ familiar as household words” to the lips 
and pens of all those whom Natural History has taken for 
her own. Moreover, a highly respectable balance in the 
bank, and the continued influx of entrance-fees from new 
members, render us quite easy as to that commodity with- 
out which the highest literary and scientific attainments 
present but a pitiable appearance—so very easy, that a large 
number of our members, nearly all of us, have neglected for 
some years to pay our annual contributions. The Council 
have, however, considered it unadvisable that the property 
of the Society should any longer be carried about in the 
pockets of its members, and have directed that the arrears 
shall be collected, so that our available funds this year will 
be considerably increased. Since our last meeting, the 
Society has been deprived of the services of several useful 
and valuable members. One of them—Professor Shank 
More—has been removed by the hand of death. Ineed not 
in this place recount the history and attainments of one so 
well known as Professor More. The increasing infirmities 
of age had for some time prevented his taking any part in 
the business of the Society, but he never ceased to show an 
interest in its welfare. We have suffered a severe loss in 
the removal from Edinburgh of two of our most skilful 
workers—Mr Andrew Murray and Dr Cleland. To the love 
of scientific research, the forcible style, the skilful pencil, 
and the unceasing activity of Mr Murray, the first volume 
of our Proceedings owes the chief part of its attractions ; 
while his kindness of heart, and the ready interest he always 
took in the labours of his brethren, will long be remembered ~ 
by us with regret. I have no hesitation in stating that the 
papers which Dr Cleland has communicated to this Society, 
and elsewhere, have placed him in the highest ranks of 
science as an accomplished comparative anatomist, and we 


President's Address. 297 


must hope that we may still be favoured by his assistance, 
although he may not often be able to come amongst us. 
The work of the Society for the last session has been well 
divided amongst the members. On the Vertebrata the 
papers consist of those of Dr Cleland on the articular pro- 
cesses of the Atlas and Axis; Dr M‘Bain on the anatomical 
distinctions between the skull of the Manatus senegalensis 
_ and a Manatus from the Bay of Honduras ; Mr Edwards on 
inflammation in fishes, in which he has determined that 
those animals are quite indifferent to the infliction of wounds; 
Mr Peach, of Wick, on the Argentine, Anchovy, and other 
fishes, and on the termination of the vertebrate column in 
the tails of the Salmon tribe; Mr J. M. Mitchell and Mr G. 
Logan on the natural history and fisheries of the Herring 
and the Sprat; Mr W. 8. Young on the Ciquorial pipe- 
fish and its specific distinctions. In Entomology, Mr R. T. 
Logan’s paper—on the occurrence of Vanessa polychlora and 
Cheimatobia borearea in Kdinburghshire. On the Celentrata 
two notices by Dr Strethill Wright—on reproduction in 
Chrysaora, and on Atractylis coccinea. On the Protozoa we 
have Dr M‘Bain’s notices of sponges from Shetland and else- 
where, together with his very valuable and interesting ex- 
position of Bowerbank’s recent discoveries and classification, 
and Dr Strethill Wright’s papers on reproduction in Ophryo- 
dendron, on Dendrophrya and Lecythia, and on Rhizopod 
structure, and his discovery of ova and spermatozoa in that 
class of animals. In Geology and Mineralogy several very 
important papers have been read, including Mr R. H. Tra- 
quair’s on the Trilobites of the Carboniferous Limestones of 
Fifeshire, accompanied by beautiful delineations of species. 
Mr Andrew Taylor on the exposure of the Liberton Old Red 
Sandstone conglomerate bed at Newington; and Mr John 
8. Livingston on the state of our knowledge respecting meta- 
morphism in the mineral kingdom, in which he has given a 
most interesting account of the production of minerals by 
artificial means. To all these gentlemen I beg, in the name 
of the Society, to give cordial thanks for their assistance in 
the furtherance of its objects. To Dr J. A. Smith, our 
Secretary, special thanks must be offered for the constant 


298 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


supply of objects of interest which he has every evening 
placed upon our table, and his valuable observations thereon; 
and to Mr G. Logan, the Convener of the Dredging Com- 
mittee, for his Report. 

Such has been the result of the past session. Good 
steady work has been done, and patiently recorded. We 
are men of work, not of talk. We have given forth no 
voice on the grand hypothetical questions which are now 
troubling the commonwealth of Natural Science. We have 
been singularly apathetic as to whether or no the stock of 
our first parent struggled upwards through innumerable 
adversities from a monad to a man. I fear, indeed, that we 
are prejudiced people, and would rather leave the question 
as we found it settled many a year ago at our mother’s side. 
We have given no opinion as to whether the king of the 
Gorillas died gloriously advancing on his terror-stricken foe, 
and beating a far-resounding tattoo on his tympanic chest, or 
whether he was brought to the ground by a rifle-shot in his 
cerebellum while ignominiously bolting up a tree. But we 
have been jotting down hard little facts,—rough diamonds, 
which by-and-bye we may see taken up and ground, and 
polished, and set by other hands,—central points of crystal- 
lization, which we may find dotting the pages of great 
standard volumes, and glimmering from amid the small 
type of their foot-notes and indices. Sic itur ad astra. 
These small facts are the foundations of adamant on which 
the vast mverted pyramids of science are balanced. In 
their discovery they are providential revelations, which, 
though neglected for ages, may in a moment endow man- 
kind with unhoped for welfare and prosperity. How often 
have men, dreaming of the transmutation of all metals into 
gold which would be useless—of the attainment of the 
EKlixirwhich would confer a dreadful immortality,—cast aside 
the talent placed within their hands, and all that would 
have made the life ordained for them useful and happy! 
How often, while invoking all nature to furnish us with 
the impossible Roc’s egg, have we pushed aside the little — 
dusty copper lamp, which, in return for diligent rubbing, 
would have invested us with the powers of the genius of 


President's Address. 2.99 


Arabian fable! How little did he, who first noticed the 
attractive property of the loadstone, imagine that to him was 
revealed a power which would one day guide the commerce 
and navies of the world over the pathless seas,—which 
would veer off the floating city, laden with the hopes of a 
thousand human hearts, and careering over the dark waves 
with the speed of the wind, from the treacherous iceberg 
and the crashing floe,*—which would link together in the 
closest bonds all the kingdoms of the earth,—which could 
correlatively transmute all the forces of nature—and which 
may one day render the great sea itself one mighty store- 
house of fuel and power for the benefit of mankind! How 
little did he, who first linked together an atom of hydrogen 
with two of carbon and three of chlorine, dream that then 
was revealed to mankind the beneficent HKlixir which would 
cause that dread and ancient travail of the woman to cease, 
—which would change the despairmg moan and the agon- 
ising terror of the operating table for a calm and dreamless 
slumber—and which shall render the fame of Dumas and 
Simpson undying, until the stream of time shall flow for 
suffering humanity no more! 

So it may happen that some unambitious observation made 
here may throw unexpected light on the Geology of our 
country,—may endow vast districts with mineral wealth 
undreamt of,—may modify all our received views of cell-life 
—and may put down a hard little point, on which may arise 
the Physiology and Pathology of the future. Let us there- 
fore go on as we have done, not urged by the desire of fame or 
notoriety, but constrained by the love of knowledge and truth. 


* Mr Alexander Bryson has lately made a beautiful application of Melloni’s 
pile to the detection of the position of icebergs at sea—the needle of the in- 
strument directing the steersman to avoid them, 

{7 The application of the magneto-electric machine to the conversion of 
mechanical power into electricity, chemical action, &c., is at present but in its 
infancy. Magneto-electricity has, itis true, been largely rendered available in 
electro-metallurgy, in telegraphy, and for obtaining lighthouse illumination. 
But the day will surely come when the vast water-power of the world will be 
employed, through the intervention of the magnet, in effecting enormous che- 
mical operations; amongst which will be the resolution of water into its ele- 
ments, and their application to those purposes for which coal is now employed. 


300 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Our Society has still another function. It plays its part 
as an exponent, through its reports in the daily press, of the 
progress of Natural Science—a knowledge of which cannot 
fail sooner or later to give a higher tone to the literature and 
cast of thought in our country. It is painful to notice how 
the writings of many of the most talented and accepted 
authors of our day are entirely uninfluenced by the sublime 
realities of Creation,—realities which excel in their grandeur 
the most transcendent dreams of the imagination. The 
poet who prates of ‘‘ the pale cold moon,” and the ‘ throb- 
bing and pulsing stars,” as the bashful witnesses of some 
illicit love affair, entertains or feigns an infinitely more 
degraded conception of his relation to the Universe in which 
he is placed, than the child who lisps at evening,— 

“Twinkle, twinkle little star, 
How I wonder what you are.” 

For that wonder, which accompanies the little one in this 
his first step towards the attainment of truth, will go hand 
in hand with him, until in after years he may have sounded 
all the known depths of the Cosmos. By-and-bye he looks 
upwards to the Firmament in the night season with the 
astronomer, and sees, in the luminous pathway which is 
extended on high, an awful system of suns—a mist of suns 
—of whose vast size and distance from each other, numbers 
fail to impart to the human mind any conception. Hach 
shining particle of that dense sun-cloud, he is told, wonder- 
ing, is separated from its neighbours by sixty millions of 
millions of miles. He finds that one such particle alone has 
been measured, weighed, and analysed ;—it is a vast globe 
wrapped in a sea of the intensest flame, well-nigh 3,000,000 
miles around ;—that this vast furnace, this infinitesmal par- 
ticle of sun-mist, is slowly moving across the cloud of its 
fellow suns; yet though it should glance with the speed of 
light for twenty thousands of years, its journey would still 
be unaccomplished;—that this almost immeasurable Uni- 
verse of suns is but a speck in a cloud of grander Universes 
separated from each other by still more immeasurable wil- 
dernesses of darkness extending into infinity for ever. 

In those unfathomable abysses, he views the wheeling of 


Presidents Address. 301 


planets around their Suns in slowly rocking orbits,—of Suns 
linked in circling round with their fellow Suns, blue, and 
orange, and green, and crimson,—of Universe linked with 
Universe, —of immeasurable rings and clusters, and com- 
plicated spiral whirlpools, lustrous with countless myriads 
of Suns. But who shall recount to him the unimaginable 
mysteries of being,—of life, and mind, and soul, called forth 
by the voice of the Almighty, around each radiant centre !— 
Who shall report “ their holy triumphs out of evil wrung!” 
—Who shall tell of the great Hosanna, arising throughout 
these illimitable creations, for ever before the all-pervading 
mercy-seat of God ! 

Again ;—this green duck-pond presents no inviting or 
miraculous appearance. But the philosopher, still a wonder- 
ing child, places a drop of its slime under the highest power 
of the microscope, and a world of beautiful fish-like creatures 
starts into view,—the green Euglenas. He notes the accu- 
rate wave-lines of their taper forms,—the long, lashing 
trunks by which they scull themselves along,—the brilliant 
crimson eye-speck, which hints of a sense perhaps unknown 
to man,—the wonderful provision made for their multiph- 
cation and preservation,—how a single Kuglena, by inces- 
sant self-division, becomes an infinite host,—how, when the 
summer sun is drying up the puddle which is its Universe, 
it seals up itself in a cell of horn, like the Indian Fakir, and 
lies hard and dry in the mud, or floats a speck of dust upon 
the breeze, until a welcome shower restores it to liberty and 
life, when it creeps out of its cell again, not one, but a swarm 
of little Huglenas.* 

The filthy scum that coats the common sewer, and hangs 
in long floating fringes from every stick and stone in our 
Water of Leith, becomes in like manner transformed into 
vast assemblages of the most wonderful and beautiful of all 
animalcules,—into forests of Carchesium, each animal of 
which is as amany-branched tree of glass,—each branch in- 
stinct with life,slowly extending, or quickly contracting itself 

* There can be little doubt that the Huglenas are plants, endowed with 


motion and sensation for light. I have plentifully obtained oxygen gas by ex- 
posing these organisms to strong sunlight. 


302 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


in convoluted spirals,—each twig crowned with its vase- 
shaped zooid, wreathed with a whirling glory of never-resting 
cilia ; there is the contractile heart ; there the circling round 
of moving fluids that ceases not but with life. 

Within the branching galleries of these sponges, uprooted 
and driven landward by the hissing tide, lurk tiny Polythalms, 
strange and beautiful forms, the microtypes of things that 
lived inthecloudy dawnof earliesttime. Here theold Baculoid 
and Hamoid and Nautiloid models appear again in the beaded 
wands and spirals of these many-chambered shells—each a 
city whose indwellers are but little patches of shime. No 
bright-eyed Nautilus puts forth its clasping arms from these 
richly-sculptured habitations ; they are built up by a shape- 
less and unorganised glair—a living glair, which streams as 
a filmy network from all their thousand openings, and spreads 
afar its glutinous meshes, whose touch is death—a formless 
mystery, beneath whose plastic force lie moulding the solid 
mountain chains and continents of a future world.* 

Amidst the crannies and furrows of these stones and 
broken shells, dredged from the deep, the wildest stories 
of Arabian romance are imaged forth in facts of every- 
day experience. From the delicate and fluted flasks of these 
Lagenee issue beings no less wonderful than those cloudlike 
Marids whom, sealed in bottles of brass, Solomon plunged 
beneath the waters of Hl Karker;} while these silvery 
Ephelotas, seated on their tall and glassy watch-towers, 
stretch forth arms deadly as those of Dahish, an Efreet 
of the Jinn, whom, rebellious, Ed Dimiryat fixed on his 
lofty pillar of carnelian for ever. f 

Thus the vile things of Nature teem with the beauty of 
invisible existences,—mutter to the attentive ear myste- 


* The Oolite and Chalk, especially the latter, are in a great measure made 
up of accumulations of Polythalamian shells. While, in the Tertiary period, 
a vast Polythalamian formation (the Nummulitic) attained to a thickness of 
many thousand feet, and extended itself over great tracts, passing through the 
continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Similar deposits are now in process 
of formation over vast areas of sea bottom, especially in the Atlantic, Mediter- 
ranean, and Australian seas. 

t The Thousand and One Nights. Lane. Vol. ili. p. 136. 

{ Ibid. Vol. iii. p. 131. 


President's Address. 803 


rious life-histories, of deeper import than the astronomer’s 
record of all those infinitudes of wandering fire. Hach day 
the sea, slowly creeping back from its weedy shores, calmly 
reveals unknown and inexhaustible treasures, or, driven 
into fury by the storm, casts at our feet rarer gems from 
its deepest storehouses. Hach night its waves glitter with 
sparks of living light, the handiwork of a Providence which 
never slumbers nor sleeps. Night after night, o’er all the 
tide-lashed margins of the deep, the shining kingdoms of 
the great Polyp-world blaze before the Lord. All the day 
long stretch they forth their arms motionless waiting 
their meat from His hand. These, seen but by the seeker, 
wreathing the worn rocks with garlands of living flowers ; 
—these, towering up from the sombre depths of the Nor- 
wegian fiords, lofty as mighty forest trees ;—these, clear 
and tiny as drops of dew, bounding along the surface of the 
summer seas ;—these, slow wheeling like stately argosies, 
trailing their fringed streamers in graceful spirals many a 
foot behind ;—these, God’s workers from the beginning, 
raising against the Pacific surges vast barriers, before which 
all the proud erections of man dwindle into insignificance 
and which shall endure when the boasted monuments of his 
religion and his fame shall have crumbled into dust. 

Again :—our philosopher, still a wondering child, can look 
back with the geologist, and see “as in a glass darkly,” the 
earth primeval and void, brooded over by the creative spirit 
of the Almighty. He can view the traces of those mighty 
elemental wars—those slow millions of years, that lifted the 
land from the deep;—those slow millions of years, when the 
early foliage was creeping over its denuded surface, and the 
unfolding beauties of the radiata and the mollusc received 
the approving fiat of Him for whose pleasure they are and 
were created ;—those slow millions of years, when the brood 
of the dragon reigned—when gigantic Saurians trailed them- 
selves through the plashy marshes, darted fish-like through 
the waters, or, poised on bat-like wings, filled the dank air 
with bellowing croaks and shrill whistles; there, where 
ages upon ages afterwards, the wolf howled amidst the dense 


oak forests of Britain, and snuffed the human holocausts 
VOL. II. 2k 


304 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


of the naked and painted savage; there, where the well- 
drained land now whitens yearly with a varied harvest— 
where the flying express and the electric wire obey the be- 
hests of a grave and thoughtful people—where through the 
summer and autumn time is heard the song of the reaper— 
and where innumerable church-bells proclaim the preaching 
of the Gospel of Peace. Alas! around each church tower 
still rises a sad under-song of misery and sin, and borne on 
the wind comes from the distant ocean the boom of giant 
instruments of death. Yet, looking back into the past, he 
can also discern, as in a glass darkly, the future. He can 
hopefully look forward to that glorious time when, as the 
old Saurian reign has ceased, so the reptile reign of Sin 
shall cease, and a renewed race, clothed in the majesty of 
an innocent manhood, shall lift up their eyes radiant with 
the indwelling Spirit of the Almighty, and look into the 
deepest mysteries of God. 

Millions of millions of years!!! 

Sad voices cry, “Oh, watchman! what of the night?” 
“Watchman! will the night of sin never be passed?” But 
already, those standing on the mountain tops are stretching 
their hands towards the east. Already, the first glad beams 
of the World’s great day are glancing on their longing eyes. 
Already, to those waiting in the chill hour before the dawn, 
is creeping the murmur of innumerable voices, as of distant 
seas awakening ‘neath the sun, heralding the slow advance 
of those beneficent powers which shall make a bloodless 
conquest of the world, until all its kingdoms shall become 
the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ. 


The mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small : 
With patience he stands waiting, with exactness grinds he all. 


Such are the teachings of Nature:—such the hopes it in- 
spires. In the highest and the lowest,—in the grandest 
and the meanest,—the perfect working of a perfect God,— 
ever putting forth through the slowly lapsing ages still 
nobler manifestations of His Wisdom and His Power. For 
the present—rest ; for the future—unbounded confidence 
aud hope.* 


* While these lines are being corrected for the press, Edinburgh is shaken 


President's Address. 305 


On the motion of Mr Alexander Bryson, seconded by Dr 
M‘Bain, a cordial vote of thanks was unanimously given to 
Dr T. S. Wright for his valuable services as President of the 
Society, and for his learned and beautiful opening address. 


Mr Bryson then called the attention of the Society to the 
value of recording facts, however trivial they might seem, 
and reminded the fellows that the discovery made by their 
distinguished member, Mr Peach, and communicated to this 
Society, of goniatites and other shells, near Durness, had 
induced Sir Roderick Murchison to remodel his strategra- 
phical arrangement of the rocks of Scotland. 

_ Dr M‘Bain said that he was present when the first fossils 
from Durness were shown to the Royal Physical Society, 
and that the late Hugh Miller then considered them to be- 
long to the Old Red Sandstone. At the same time, Mr 
Miller observed that other fossils, in a more perfect state of 
preservation, would probably be found in the same locality, 
that would enable geologists to decide what formation they 
belonged to. Dr M‘Bain also remarked that simple facts 
might lead to important results in applied science as well as 
in the higher generalisations; and stated an instance within 
his own knowledge, to which the President had incidentally 
referred, of the application of Melloni’s thermo-electric 
thermometer, by their distinguished member, Mr A. Bryson, 
to the detection of icebergs at sea, which might ultimately 
be the means of saving an incalculable amount of life and 
property. 

Dr Wright then proceeded with a Report on the anatomy 
of the Hydroide. 
by cannon—booming for a great and peaceful victory. A true and noble man 
hath laid aside his titles, and honours, and power; and hath passed from the 
uncertain and turbulent shadows of this world, to the serene light of the 
eternal day. Gentle, and wise, and good,—earnest in the work of the pre- 
sent,—he was of those who, standing on the mountain tops, gaze wistfully 
on the brightening dawn of the future. ‘ Nobody,” saith he, who, being 
dead yet solemnly speaketh—* Nobody who has paid any attention to the peculiar 
features of our present era, will doudt for a moment, that we are living at a period of 
most wonderful transition, which tends rapidly to accomplish that great end to which, 


indeed, all history points—THE REALISATION OF THE UNITY OF MANKIND.” 
(Speech of the Prince-Consort at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet, 1850.) 


806 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


The following Communications were then read :— 


1. On the Anatomy of Sacculina with a description of the Species. By 
Joun Anperson, M.D. Plate XIII. 


Three years ago I drew the attention of this Society to 
the fact of the frequent occurrence of Sacculina and Pelto- 
gaster on some of the Crustacea of the Firth of Forth. For 
some years past the subject of the affinities of these parasites 
has been occupying the minds of many foreign observers ; 
and the following observations, therefore, are brought before 
the Society in the hope that they may tend to throw some 
light upon this difficult question. In the present paper I 
have purposely abstained, as far as possible, from dogmatis- 
ing regarding their systematic position, but elsewhere I have 
referred them to the Cirripedes.* I may mention that the 
relative position of the investing sacs, the character of the 
ovaries and the ovigerous lamellee, and the apparent herma- 
phrodite nature of the adult animal, when viewed in con- 
nection with the larval form, appear to me clearly to indicate 
their Cirripedial nature. Accordingly, in my graduation 
thesis, I created a new order (Sacculinacea) for their re- 
ception. 

Among recent observers, Leuckart drew the attention of 
naturalists to Thompson’s systematic description of Saccu- 
lina, and proposed the adoption of his generic term. “If 
we restore,” he says, “‘ the name Sacculina either for Pelto- 
gaster in Rathke’s sense, or, at least, for the form character- 
ised by Diesing as Pachybdella, we are only discharging an 
old, superannuated debt.” In the same article he described 
a new form parasitic upon Hyas araneus, and which he 
named Sacculina inflata. In accordance with Leuckart’s 
proposal, I use the term Sacculina as referring to the 
parasite alluded to by Cavolini, and as synonymous with 


* Graduation thesis, “‘ Contributions to Zoology.” 

t The following are the characters of this order, as given in my thesis :— 
Cirripedia sine segmentis, oculiset appendiculis. Carapaxsacciformis et appen- 
diculata est : foramen in carapace situm est. Pedunculus annulo corneo affixus 
est. Os suctorium. Larva primo monocula cum 3 crurum paribus. Cir- 
ripedia parasitica sub abdomine Crustaceorum Decapodorum Brachyurorum. 


Society, Ldimburg!. 


J.Anderson, MD. 


el Aires 


ra 
it 


Ltoyal Physical 


Plate XM. 


 SACCULINA 


. 


On the Anatomy of Sacculina. 307 


Peltogaster carcini, Rathke, and Pachybdella Rathkez, Die- 
sing. 
The Larva, P\ Xi. fig. 1. 

The larva, in the first stage, is oval, and presents no 
marks of segmentation. Placed near the centre of the 
anterior margin of the body is a yellow speck—the eye (a). 
The ocellus is placed nearly in the centre of a dark-coloured 
ring (6). Krohn, who has observed a structure similar to 
this in the larva of a Balanide, regards it as the esophageal 
ring. The lateral margins of the body, on either side of the 
ocellus, are prolonged into two horns (c); and in this re- 
spect the young resembles the Cirripedian larva in its first 
stage. It is provided with three pairs of natatory legs: the 
first pair (d) are situated immediately posterior to the horns 
of the carapace; they are uniramous, are provided at their 
extremities with bristles, and appear to be composed of two 
joints; the second and third pairs (d’ d’) are larger than the 
first, and are both biramous. The rami are furnished with 
bristles. The under surface of the body is prolonged into 
two spines (€ e), which project beyond the posterior margin 
of the carapace. Besides these terminal spines, I have obser- 
ved through the transparent body, two other structures (//), 
which resemble very much the middle pair of spines described 
by Darwin as occurring on the larva of Chthamalus stellatus. 
The greater portion of the body is occupied by an oval mass 
of nearly spherical globules (g). The various transforma- 
tions of the larva remain yet to be determined. 


The Adult Animal. Pl. XIII, figs. 10, 11, 12, 15. 

According to the present state of our knowledge, this 
parasite seems to be peculiar to the Decapod Crustacea. 
All the specimens I have obtained have been attached over 
the terminal portion of the intestinal canal (figs. 10 & 11 0’) 
of the crabs on which they were parasitic, the females of 
which they appear to infest more than the males. This 
latter circumstance seems to be owing to the large size of 
the purse of the female, as compared with that of the male 
crab, affording them a better protection and means of 
support. 

The external sac (figs. 2,4 a)—The external skin is a 


308 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


tough, brownish-coloured, corrugated, and highly contrac- 
tile structure. It is chiefly by means of this membrane 
that the parasite is attached to the crab on which it lives. 
The part which is attached to the crab forms a short ped- 
uncle (b), but afterwards it suddenly expands to form the 
external sac. The pedunculated portion (b) is very firmly 
connected by means of a horny ring (d) to the skin which 
invests the gut of the crab. The posterior extremity of the 
sac remains open, forming a small orifice (c), which I have 
called ovario-branchial. 

The peduncle (b).—The external skin of this structure is a 
continuation of the external sac (a), and contains within it 
a prolongation of the parasite (£), which passes through the 
horny ring, and rests upon the intestine of the crab. The 
prolonged portion is tubular. In this arrangement we have 
evidence for the parasitic nature of Sacculina, and are 
entitled to regard the anterior portion of the peduncle as 
the mouth. The mouth, structurally as such, is entirely 
absent; and the only way the animal appears to derive 
its nourishment is by this process absorbing the required 
nutriment. 

The ovario-branchial orifice (c) is sonamed from the two- 
fold function it is supposed to fulfil in the economy of the 
parasite. If a living Sacculina is carefully watched for a 
few minutes, this orifice will be seen to open and contract 
slowly, while a current of water may be seen to pass into 
and out of the cavity of the body, the sac at the same time 
alternately distending and contracting. The ova, when 
fully developed, are extruded by this orifice, the structure 
of which confines the water to the sac which contains them. 
The orifice is situated upon the posterior margin of the 
body, and is slightly raised above the level of the sac. 
There is a constriction at its base, and a thickened por- 
tion of the sac plays the part of a sphincter muscle. The 
inner margin of the orifice is thrown into folds, usually 
eleven in number, sometimes of a delicate and pellucid ap- 
pearance. By this arrangement the orifice is capable of 
great distention. 


The corium (fig. 2 e).—On reflexion of the external skin we © 


On the Anatomy of Sacculina. 309 


expose the underlying corium, which invests nearly the 
whole inner surface of the sac. I have succeeded, in one or 
two instances, in separating this membrane into two well- 
marked layers. The external layer is a very thin membrane 
investing the whole inner surface of the sac, attached at its 
anterior extremity to the horny ring of the peduncle, and 
posteriorly to the ovario-branchial orifice. I think it pro- | 
bable, when the external skin is moulted, that its place is 
supplied by this structure. The inner layer, following it 
from the ovario-branchial orifice to which it is attached, 
passes forwards, closely applied to the outer layer, till it 
nearly reaches the anterior margin of the sac, where it be- 
comes reflected on to the anterior portion of the peduncle, 
and can be traced no farther as a separate structure. At 
the left margin of the peduncle the corium is attached by a 
septum (fig. 3 g) to a pulpy body embraced in the folds of 
the ovigerous lamelle. 

Organs of reproduction.—On opening Sacculina by an inci- 
sion extending through the sac and continued from the 
ovario-branchial orifice to the peduncle, we expose a pellucid 
sac (fig. 4 2) filled with ova. This sac is found on both sides 
of the pulpy body above referred to (fig. 2 h), which it em- 
braces within its folds. The sac is merely a temporary 
structure including the ova till their full development ; and 
at this period I have seen the ovario-branchial orifice plug- 
ged up by the extruded sac and its contents, and in. other 
cases I have found it lying quite loose in the general cavity 
of the parasite. In specimens like these, a delicate mem- 
brane may be separated, by gentle manipulation, from the 
inner surface of the corium and from the surface of the 
pulpy body or internal ovaries. This membrane appears to 
be an ovigerous sac, in the process of growth, destined to 
receive a brood of ova, but, after their development, to be 
cast off like its predecessor (fig. 5). The ovigerous sac ap- 
pears to be continually present in one stage or another of 
its development, so that the water which passes in at the 
ovario-branchial orifice is never in contact with any other 
structure. In a large specimen of Sacculina carcini, I found 
two small mussels living in and attached to the inner sur- 


310 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


face of its ovigerous sac. The ova (fig. 6) are enclosed in 
the sac, and are arranged in a racemose manner, enveloped 
in a very delicate membrane. 

The internal ovaries (figs. 2, 3, & 3’, h) are situated pos- 
teriorly to the peduncle. They constitute an oval, flattened, 
pulpy mass, dividing the cavity of the parasite into two 
compartments; they are attached by the centre of their pos- 
terior margin to the left wall of the ovario-branchial orifice; 
and also, as previously mentioned, by the septum which 
runs along the left side of the sac, they are connected to the 
corium (fig. 2g). In the many specimens examined, I have 
always found a small tubercle (figs. 2 & 3 0), with a minute 
and apparently horny speck on its summit, placed on both 
surfaces (figs. 3 & 3’, 0) of the body of the ovaries lying op- 
posite to one another, a little to the left of the centre of its 
posterior margin. On removing the little speck of horny 
matter, a depression is seen in the centre of the tubercle, 
apparently communicating with the substance of the ovaries. 
May not these structures be the orifices of the oviducts, 
closed by a temporary secretion of horny matter till the brood 
of ova in the ovigerous sac has attained its full develop- 
ment? This view of the nature of these tubercles has sug- 
gested itself to me from the difficulty of accounting for the 
passage of the ova into the ovigerous sac. The fact that the 
ova found on the external surface of the ovaries are always 
more fully developed than those further removed from the 
surface suggests another view of the subject,—viz., that they 
are developed in successive layers, and thus constitute the 
ovigerous lamelle. 

Situated immediately posterior to the peduncle, is a well- 
defined cavity, lined by a special membrane, and containing 
two oval-shaped bodies (6) placed side by side. These pel- 
lucid sacs (figs. 7 and 8) contain in their cavities peculiarly 
shaped bodies (c), and are provided with convoluted ducts 
(a). The ducts appear to pass towards the right side of the 
parasite (figs. 3 and 3’, h) along the anterior margin of the 
ovaries, where they unite and become lost. From the close 
relation of their ducts to the ovaries, it has all along appeared 
to me that these vesicles probably play an important part 


On the Anatomy of Sacculina. 311 


in the generative economy of the animal. This opinion 
seems to be strengthened by the fact that, on one occasion, 
when examining under the microscope a portion of the 
ovaries in the immediate neighbourhood of the vesicles, I 
detected among their convolutions a tube identical in appear- 
ance with the structure of their ducts. As yet, I have found 
it impossible, from the soft nature of the tissues of these 
parasites, to trace the ducts to their final termination ; but, 
from the appearance of the tube above described, it seems to 
me very probable that they terminate in the ovaries. The 
walls of the vesicles are simply granular. A peculiarly 
formed body (figs. 7 and 8c) is placed in the interior of 
each of the vesicles, immediately over the opening of their 
ducts. The portion of this body situated immediately over 
the ducts (6) is of a brown colour, and apparently of a horny 
consistence, and is terminated by three processes. The whole 
structure (fig. 9) is extruded when pressure is applied to the 
vesicle. May not these vesicles represent the testes and 
cement-glands of these parasites ? 

These observations have been made from dissections of a 
new species, parasitic upon Cancer pagurus: it differs in its 
anatomy from Sacculini carcini in the form and position of the 
vesicles. In the former species these organs are oval, and 
placed immediately posterior to the peduncle, while in the 
latter they are elongated (fig. 16), and buried in the left an- 
terior angle of the ovaries. 

The relation of the septum to the surrounding structures, 
and the double nature of the ovigerous sac, hypothetical 
oviducts and testes, indicate a tendency to bilateral sym- 
metry. 

Genus Saccvutina, Thompson. 


Sacculint carcino, Thomps. Pl. XIII. figs. 10 and 12. Thompson, J. V., 
Entomol. Mag., vol. iii., 1836, pp. 452-456. 


Peltogaster carcini, Rathke, Beitraige zur Fauna Norwegens, Acta Leop. 
mx. p 24/7, tab. 12; fies: 18,19. 
Pachybdella Rathk.t, Diesing. Syst. Helm. i. p. 435. 


Diagnosis.—Bilobata est, maxima diametro per transversum; para- 
sitica in Oarcino menade. 


This species is confined to Carcinus menas, and, in my 


oWh experience, is almost always found on the female crab. 
VOL. II. 28 


312 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


It is bilobular in form, its greatest diameter being in the 
transverse direction. The figure given by Cavolini of the 
parasite he described exactly corresponds with this species. 
It varies greatly in size, and is undoubtedly the largest 
known species of these parasites. Some of my specimens are 
an inch in breadth. The skin, in the generality of specimens, 
is of a brownish-yellow colour, and is minutely corrugated. 

This species has a wide geographical range. Cavolini 
obtained his specimens from the shores of the Mediter- 
ranean; Rathke first met with it in the Crimea, and after- 
wards in Norway; Schmidt found it in great abundance at 
Wangerooge, and he also obtained specimens on the Dalma- 
tian coast ; Steenstrup’s specimens were from the Mediter- 
ranean and from the ‘“ Black Banks” in the North Sea. 
From the observations of Thompson, this parasite appears 
to be of frequent occurrence on the Irish coast. Some years 
ago I found this species for the first time in the Firth of 
Forth, but not nearly in such numbers as the following 
one. wat 


Sacculina triangularis, nu. sp., figs. 4, 11, 14. 


Diagnosis.—Triangularis est, gregaria, raro sola; maxima diametro 
ab pendunculo ad .posterius foramen pertinente: parasitus Cancri 
pagure. — 

This species is usually gregarious; sometimes as many as 
five individuals may be found huddled together and strug- 
gling for existence. I have never found it on any other crab 
than Cancer pagurus. Of the two species of these parasites 
found in the Firth of Forth, this is by far the most common: 
in some localities along the coast, to find a crab free from 
it is the exception. 

The form of the animal is triangular. The greatest diame- 
ter is in the longitudinal direction,—~.e., from its attachment 
to the posterior orifice. Besides differing in its external cha- 


racters from Sacculina carcini, it also differs from it, as al- 


ready noticed, in the form and position of the vesicles. 

I am indebted to Professor Goodsir for a specimen of this 
parasite found in the collection of his lamented brother, the 
late H. D. 8. Goodsir. It is a large specimen, apparently 


On the Anatomy of Sacculina. 313 


distended with ova, and adhering to the purse of a Cancer 
pagurus. | be 


Sacculina inflata, Leuckart, fig. 15 (Wiegmann’s Archiv., 1859, 
. p. 232.) 
Diagnosis.—Dorsi et ventris superficies multum arcuata est; posteriore 
foramine a corporis margine aliquantum remoto: parasitica in Hyade 
araneo, 


I only know of this species through the description given 


of it by its discoverer. 
Bibhography. 

Cavount. Sulla Generazione dei Pesci e dei Granchi. 4to. 
Naples, 1787. 

THompson, W. Entomol. Magaz., vol.ui. 1836, Pp. 452-456. 

Ratuke. Beitr. zur Fauna Norwegens. 1842. Pp. 244-247, 
tab, 12, figs. 18, 19. Neueste Schriften der Nat. Ges. in 
Danz. 

Bett, Tuos. A History of the British Stalk-eyed Crustacea, 
p. 108. 

Scumipt, O. Das Weltall, No. 3. 1854, 

StEeENstRuP. Oversigt k. Danske Selsk. Forhandler. 1854. 
No. 3. Pp. 145-158. Archiv f. Naturg. 21 Jahr, 1855. 
Bd. 1., pp. 15-19. Ann, of Nat. Hist. 2 ser. vol. xvi. 1855. 
Pp, 155-62. ! 

Dizsine. Systema Helm., vol. 1. pp. 434-435, 

LeuckarT, Wiegmann’s Archiv. 1859. P. 2382. Ann. of 
Nat. Hist., 3 ser. vol. iv. 1859. Pp. 422-429. 

Litisezore, Witty. Nova Acta Reg. Soc. Sc. Upsal. Ann. of 
Nat. Hist., 3 ser. vol. vi. pp. 162-173, and pp. 260-267 


Explanation of Plate XIII. 


Fig, 1. Larva of Sacculina; first stage: a, eye; 6, cesophageal rine?; c, horns 

of carapace ; d, first pair of feet; d’, second pair of feet; d’, third 
_ pair of feet ; e, terminal spines ; f, supposed anterior spines; g, cen- 

tral cellular mass of the body. 

Wig. 2, Dissection of S. triangularis: a, portion of external sac reflected ; 
6, peduncle ; c, ovario-branchial orifice; d, horny disk; e, corium ; 
h, internal ovaries; 7, ovigerous lamelle; k, portion of peduncle 
prolonged beyond the horny disk; 7, vesicles; 0, tubercle of anterior 
surface. 

Fig. 8. Anterior surface of interior ovaries removed from their connections ; 
g, the septum ; h, mass of internal ovaries; 0, tubercle (oviduct ?) 
e, portion of adhering corium [these letters apply also to fig. 37]; 
Z, the vesicles. 

Fig. 3’. Posterior view of internal ovaries of S. carciné. 


ol4 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Fig. 4. Sacculina triangularis ; external skin and corium reflected: a, external 
skin covered internally by the corium ; 7, ovigerous lamelle. 

Fig. 5. Ovigerous sac, showing the anterior and posterior folds which embrace 
the internal ovaries. 

Fig. 6. Mass of ova from the ovigerous lamelle. 

Fig. 7. Greatly magnified view of one of the vesicles, drawn from a fresh 
specimen: a, the duct of the vesicle; ¢, the structure found in the 
interior of the vesicle; 6, the horny substance found at the com- 
mencement of the duct. 

Fig. 8. The same organ as fig. 7, drawn from a specimen preserved in alcohol: 
a, the convoluted duct ; b, the horny process. 

Fig. 9. The structure found in the interior of the vesicle, removed. 

Fig..10. Sacculina carcinit, with no ovigerous lamelle, nat. size: 0b, the 
peduncle ; 8’, intestine of crab ; ¢, ovario-branchial orifice. 

Fig. 11. Sacculina triangularis, nat. size. (Same references as in fig. 10.) 

Fig. 12, S. carcini distended with ova. 

Fig. 18. Posterior view of fig. 12; d, horny attachment of peduncle; 4, pro- 

longed portion of the same. 

Fig. 14. A group of S. triangularis. 

Fig. 15. S. inflata (after Leuckart). 

Fig. 16. Enlarged view of the vesicles of S. carcinz. 


II. Observations on British Zoophytes. 1. Hydractinia areolata, n. sp. 
2. Atractylis arenosa, n. sp. (Plate XIV.) By JosHua Axper, Esq. 
Communicated by T. StretHitt Wricut, M.D. 


1. Hydractinia areolata, nu. sp. Plate XIV., figs. 1-4. 


Polypary encrusting, consisting of a solid chitinous ex- 
pansion, from which arise simple lmnear spines in irregular 
groups, leaving areolar spaces between them. Polyps 
naked, small, white, columnar, slightly enlarging above, 
and terminating in a conical mouth, below which is a single 
circle of from six to ten linear tentacles, appearing of dif- 
ferent lengths from their varying contractility. Gono- 
phores (reproductive organs) sessile on the chitinous base, 
large, globular, or slightly pear-shaped, containing each a 
single medusoid. Height of polyp about ~jth inch. 

Medusoid with a moderately deep subglobose umbrella, 
having four golden-yellow radiating canals, at the bulbous — 
bases of which, on the margin of the umbrella, are four 
rather short tentacles; four shorter ones alternate with 
them; and intermediate between these are eight others, 
almost tubercular. The peduncle is rather long and co- 


LtateX1V. 


Fioyal Physical Society, Edinbur gh . 


A dof fo 


Sie 


rete an POE 


pereeanes 


Ue: 


See NN 


S Bastre &e. 


HYDRACTINIA AREOLATA, 1-4. 
ATRACTYLIS ARENOSA, 5~7. 


afc’, 


Observations on British Zoophytes. B15 


lumnar, with four tufts of thread-cells surrounding the 
mouth. 

A single specimen only of this interesting little Hydrac- 
tinia was obtained, parasitical on a dead shell of Natica 
Alderi brought in by the fishing-boats at Cullercoats. I 
have since seen a dead and rather worn specimen, upon 
Natica Grenlandica, among the Zoophytes collected in 
Shetland by the Rev. A. M. Norman. The species differs 
from H. echinata in its much smaller size, the simple linear 
form of its spines, their irregular grouping, and more espe- 
cially in its bearing medusoids; these latter spring from 
the encrusting base. No capsule could be detected ; but this 
might possibly arise from its great transparency. The me- 
dusoids bear a great resemblance to those of Podocoryne 
carnea (Sars), the only difference being in their having eight 
intermediate tubercular tentacles. In this respect they also 
differ from the medusoid of a Hydroid polyp described by 
Professor Lovén, and referred by him to Hydractinia, but 
which appears rather to belong to the genus Podocoryne, 
as the base was not horny or spinous. As far as 1 am 
aware, therefore, this is the only instance in which medu- 
soids have been ascertained to be produced by a true Hy- 
dractinia. 7 


2. Atractylis arenosa, nu. sp. Pl. XIV. figs. 5-7. 


Polypary minute, consisting of a creeping fibre, from 
which arise short funnel-shaped tubes, rather irregular in 
form, but always expanding more or less at the top, from 
which the polyps issue, generally covered with minute 
grains of sand. Polyps entirely retractile, with long, 
slender, strongly muricated tentacles, varying in number, 
according to age, from six to twelve. 

The genus Atractylis has been established by Dr Strethill 
Wright for a group of Hydroid Zoophytes resembling Fw- 
dendrium in many of their characters, but differing in the 
conical form of the mouth of the polyp, and its retractility 
(partial or complete) within the tubular polypary. They 
are generally of small size, and seldom branched. Their 
reproduction is usually by medusoids ; but Dr Wright, who 


316 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


has lately met with the present species in the Firth of Forth, 
has ascertained that it produces planuloid young direct from 
the summit of the ovarian sac. This affords another proof 
of the difficulty of establishing a genus from the mode of 
development. 

I have met with this species occasionally, for some years 
past, on stones and the roots of Laminarie at Cullercoats 
and Tynemouth. From its minute size, it, requires to be 
carefully looked for. 


Explanation of Plate XIV. 


Fig. 1. Polypary of Hydractinia areolata on Natica Alderi, natural size. 
. Fig. 2. Hydractinia areolata, highly magnified. 

Fig. 3. A portion of the polypary of the same, highly magnified. 

Fig. 4. Medusoid of the same, highly magnified. 

Fig. 5, Atractylis arenosa, natural size. 

Vig. 6. The same, highly magnified. 

Fig. 7. A tentacle of the same, much enlarged. 


III. On Reproduction in Adquoria vitrina. By T. Srreruity 
Wricut, M.D. Plate XV. 

In vol. i. of Agassiz’s ‘‘ Natural History of the United 
States,” the following passage occurs :—‘‘ As to the Auquo- 
riadee, I have no doubt that they are genuine hydroids, 
though I have not been able to trace with certainty the 
origin of the AXquoria of our coast to any true hydroid. 
But the structure of Aiquoria in its adult Medusa state is 
so strictly homologous to that of all the naked-eyed Medusz, 
that even if it were ascertained that it undergoes a direct 
metamorphosis from the egg to the perfect Medusa, I would 
not. hesitate to consider it as a member of the order of 
Hydroids, since it has simple radiating aquiferous tubes, a 
circular canal, and marginal tentacles closely connected with 
it, and provided with minute pigment spots at the base.” 
Agassiz was doubtless correct, and he might also have pre- 
dicted that it belonged to the genus Campanularia or Lao- © 
medea, as it corresponded with those genera in the presence 
of otoliths. In the beginning of this month (November) 
Mr Fulton sent me two living specimens of Aquoria vitrina, 
one about three inches in diameter, the other about six 


Je GPA AE te DOE 


wal Society, Edinburgh’. 


€ 


« 


Raval Phys. 


Vol. I. 


W.H.M Farlane, Lith* E dint 


OT Steethill Wright, del? 


US ya 6MoSd. 


Be eel Atractyl 


trina 


Tel NL 


ore GUO 


Observations on British Zoophytes. 317 


inches and a half. The number of lips of the latter was 
about forty, the radiating canals, each having a long ovisac;, 
about eighty, and the marginal tentacles, by estimation, 
four hundred. On examining the ovaries, I found that the 
egos were hatched, and the young, in the form of almost 
invisible planule, were issuing from the ovisacs. These 
were gently extracted with a glass syringe, an instrument 
so useful to those who practise the obstetric art amongst the 
hydroide, and were placed about three weeks ago in glass 
tanks of clean sea-water prepared for their reception. Many 
thousands of larvee were placed in the tanks, and of those, 
about a score have been developed into Campanularian 
polyps; about a hundred are still progressing to that end, 
and the rest have disappeared. It was with no little 
impatience and anxiety that I saw the Planula during a 
fortnight fix itself to the glass, spread itself out into a short 
thread, secrete its scleroderm, put forth its polyp-bud—this 
last slowly swelling day by day, until at last it opened, 
and a polyp appeared, furnished with twelve alternating 
tentacles, joined together for about one-third of their length 
by a web, the polyp enclosed in a cell terminating in many 
acuminate segments. It is now about six years ago that I 
was watching, in like manner, the slow evolution of a bud 
from a Campanularian Zoophyte, the Laomedea acuminata 
of Alder—the Campanulina of Van Beneden—the bud 
opened, and a bright green medusoid issued forth, having 
four lips and two tentacles. The polyp form of Mquoria 
vitrina is, as far as I can determine, identical with that of 
L. acuminata in shape; but is so excessively small—quite 
invisible to the naked eye—that we must wait for further 
development before we can determine their identity. Ge- 
ganbaur has proved that the Medusoid of Velella acquires a 
further number of canals and tentacles; and I have else- 
where recorded the successive changes which occur in the 
Medusoids of several species of Atractylis. It is also certain 
that such increase in the number of elements does occur in 
Aiquoria vitrna, for the smaller specimens have always a 
less number than the larger. Meantime, the question as to 
the larval state of A/quoria vitrina is settled. This, the 


318 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


largest of all the naked-eyed Medusas, is the reproductive 
phase of one of the smallest of all the Hydroide. 


Explanation of Plate XV. A quoria vitrina. 


. Planula directly after leaving the ovary. 

. Same a week old. 

. Same after having fixed itself to the glass and developed its scleroderm, 
—now become a polypary. 

. Polypary putting forth bud. 

. Same with young polyp. 

. Empty polyp cell. 


Oo Ov ©2 NS 


IV. The following Objects of Natural History were exhibited by 
Epwarp CHarteswortH, Hsq., York. 


A stuffed specimen of the Frilled Lizard Chlamydosaurus Kingii, 
from Port-Nelson, New Zealand, believed to be the best example yet seen 
of this most extraordinary reptile. It was purchased at the;sale of the 
late Dr Mantell’s Museum. 

A small but extraordinary coral from the Chinese Seas, believed to be 
undescribed. 

A series of small fossil tertiary shells from Barton, in Hampshire, illus- 
trated by magnified figures. 

A collection of small recent British Marine shells, illustrating a new 
mode of mounting and exhibiting very small specimens, intended to in- 
sure safety with effective display. The shelis were fixed on cards with 
gum tragacanth, which can be freely brushed across the surface, and 
thus save much time in mounting, as it does not shine when dry, like gum 
arabic. ‘The cards are then put in small boxes with glass lids. = 

A specimen of Mactra Helvacea, and other shells from the Channel 
Islands; several rare fossils of various kinds were also exhibited. 


Monday, 16th December 1861.—ALEXANDER Bryson, Esq., President, 
in the Chair. 


The Office-Bearers for the Session 1861—62 were elected as follows :—_ 


Presidents.— Alexander Bryson, Esq.; James M‘Bain, M.D., R.N. ; 
John Coldstream, M.D. 

Council. William Rhind, Esq.; David Page, Esq. ; William Tur- 
ner, Esq., M.B.;, Thomas Strethill Wright, M.D.; George Berry, Esq. ; 
A. M‘Kenzie Edwards, Esq. 

Secretary.—John Alexander Smith, M.D. 

Treaswrer.— George Logan, Esq. 

Assistant Secretary.— James Boyd Davies, Esq. 

Honorary Librarian.—Robert F. Logan, Esq. 

Library Committee—W. H. Lowe, M.D.; John Anderson, M.D. ; 
John §, Livingston, Esq. 


The following gentlemen were eae ordinary members of the So- 
ciety :— 


Murray Thomson, M.D., F.C.S., Lecturer on Chemistry; A. G. H. 
Cameron of Lakefield, Esq, Tevecncst shire; Thomas Chapman, Esq., 


og aN 


On a Non-striped Muscle of the Orbit. 319 


Merchant, Glasgow; J. Alfred Wanklyn, Esq., M.R.C.S.L., F.R.S.E., 
&c., Demonstrator of Chemistry in the University of Edinburgh. Cap- 
tain F, W. lL. Thomas, R.N., was elected a non-resident member. 


It was moved by George Logan, Hsq., that on account of 
the deeply lamented death of H.R.H. the Prince Consort, 
the Society do adjourn to the fourth Wednesday of January. 

The motion was unanimously agreed to; Alexander 
Bryson, Hsq., making the following remarks from the 
chair :— 

Gentlemen,—I cannot close the meeting of the Society 
without giving expression to feelings which I know animate 
the breast of every Briton. Never in my own remembrance 
has such a sensation been experienced as that which thrilled 
through the kingdom yesterday, when the people learned 
that their beloved Queen was a widow. The late Prince 
Consort was among the few of the great and distinguished 
who honoured himself by honouring our pursuits by his 
appreciation and knowledge of them. We must ever feel 
how much our country has been indebted to Prince Albert 
for many institutions cognate with our own, and it is to me 
a satisfaction, though a melancholy one, that he was enabled 
to do so much good work. 

Mr William Turner, M.B., begged that before the Society 
adjourned, he might be allowed to exhibit some moist pre- 
parations he had brought in illustration of his paper, as they 
could not be preserved and again exhibited. Mr Turner's 
request was agreed to, and the following communication was 
laid on the table :— 


I. Upon a Non-striped Muscle connected with the Orbital Periosteum of 
Man and Mammals ; and Notes on the Musculus Kerato-cricoideus. 
By Witi1am Turner, M.B. (London), F.R.S.E., Senior Demonstrator 
of Anatomy, University of Edinburgh. 


Whilst engaged in making a dissection, in the human 
subject, during the winter session of last year, of the 
Superior maxillary, or second division of the fifth cranial 
nerve, my attention was attracted to a pale-reddish, soft 
mass, filling up the narrow chink of the spheno-maxil- 
lary fissure, and extending from the sphenoidal fissure in 

VOL. I. 2T 


320 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the sphenoid bone to the infra-orbital canal in the superior 
maxillary bone. It was evidently connected to the superior 
(ocular) aspect of the periosteum of the orbit, and it was 
pierced by the orbital branch of the superior maxillary nerve, 
from which, as well as from the ascending branches of the 
spheno-palatine ganglion, it appeared to receive its supply 
of nerves.* It completely shut off the superior maxillary 
nerve, with its infra-orbital continuation, from the cavity of 
the orbit. 

Since the period of making the above observation, I have 
availed myself of several opportunities of examining the 
same region in other subjects, and have constantly observed 
appearances of a nature similar to those just described. 
The amount of the reddish mass, and the depth of its tint, 
varied slightly in different instances. Frequently it was so 
pale as scarcely to attract attention, which may perhaps be 
the reason why it has so long been neglected by anatomists. 
When carefully examined with the naked eye, or, still 
better, with a single lens, it was seen to exhibit a fibrous 
appearance. A -small portion snipped off with scissors, 
teased out with needles, and placed on the stage of the 
microscope, under a quarter-inch objective, was observed to 
be composed of pale, flattened, band-like fibres, having a 
faintly granular aspect, and presenting indications of elon- 
gated nuclei at intervals. From these characters I had 
little doubt that the structure in question consisted of the 
non-striped form of muscular fibre. 

As considerable difficulty is always experienced in obtain- 
ing for examination the contents of the human orbit, in a 
perfectly fresh condition, I, in the next instance, proceeded 
to dissect the orbits of some of the more readily obtained 
mammals, with a view of ascertaining if a similar structure 
existed in them. In the orbit of the sheep, I have most 
satisfactorily observed appearances which have fully con- 


* That Meckel’s ganglion sends branches to the periosteum of the orbit isa 
fact that has long been known to anatomists, though there have been difficulties 
in the way of giving a satisfactory reason why such an arrangement prevails. 
The existence of the small muscle now described accounts for the distri- 
bution. 


On a Non-striped Muscle of the Orbit. 321 


firmed the opinion of the structure already expressed. The 
orbit of this animal differs from that of man in possessing 
much less perfect walls. As a consequence of this, the 
orbital membrane, or periosteum, is a structure of much 1m- 
portance, for it stretches across the floor of the orbit from 
its outer to its inner wall, extends backwards to the optic 
foramen, and completes the boundary of the cavity at the 
spot whee the bony wall is wanting. 

If the contents of the orbit be carefully removed, and the 
orbital membrane examined from above, it will be seen to 
be a well-defined structure, distinctly fibrous, and in many 
places having an almost tendinous-like aspect. Intimately 
connected with, and forming an essential part of it, 1s a thin 
layer of a pale reddish substance, which extends across the 
greater part of the floor of the orbit, passing backwards to 
the optic foramen and sphenoidal fissure. In close contact 
with this structure, especially at the posterior part of the 
orbit, is a well-marked vascular net-work, sufficiently injected 
with blood to be distinctly visible. This vascular plexus 
constitutes a small rete mirabile, connected with the oph- 
thalmic artery. By removing a small portion of the reddish 
mass, teasing it out with needles under water, and examin- 
ing it with a quarter-inch objective, it may be seen to be 
composed for the most part of flat, pale, non-striped fibres, 
collected together in bundles, having a faintly granular 
aspect and exhibiting decided indications of nuclei in their 
interior. These bundles of flat fibres are mingled with 
ordinary fibrous tissue, both white and yellow, the latter be- 
coming more distinct after the addition of acetic acid. The 
pale, non-striped fibres have all the characters of the in- 
voluntary muscular fibre. Being desirous, however, of ascer- 
taining if these fibres could be resolved into their con- 
stituent fibre-cells, I adopted the plan which has been 
recommended by feichert, and macerated a portion of the 
orbital membrane for forty-eight hours in dilute hydro- 
chloric acid. I then found that, by the aid of a very slight 
dissection, the fibres readily resolved themselves into the 
elongated fusiform cells of which they were composed. In 
no tissue which I have ever examined, consisting of the 


322 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


non-striped muscle, have I succeeded in obtaining more 
beautiful and more perfect specimens of the contractile 
fibre-cell than in this muscle of the orbital membrane. The 
fusiform shape of the cells, their size, and the elongated 
rod-like nucleus in the centre of each cell, gave to the tex- 
ture a most characteristic appearance. I may also mention, 
that when the orbital muscle in the sheep was examined 
without the addition of any re-agent, besides distilled water, 
a number of elongated rod-like nuclei were always met with, 
lying free in the water surrounding the preparation, which 
had evidently been loosened and detached during the dis- 
section with the needles. These nuclei corresponded in 
their characters to those met with in the interior of the 
fibre-cells. The characters which I have now enumerated 
render the muscular nature of the reddish texture connected 
with the orbital membrane sufficiently clear.* 

On referring to the authorities who have written on the 
structure of the orbital membrane, I find that the following 
opinions have been expressed concerning it :— 

Bendz,t in a paper ‘‘On the Orbital Membrane in the Do- 
mestic Mammals,” describes it as distinctly fibrous, but pos- 
sessing a considerable quantity of a yellowish tissue, which he 
considers to be elastic, interpolated with it. He regards the 
opinion, which had been previously advanced by Gurlt, that 
the tissue was muscular, to be erroneous.{ Stannius states 
that in those animals in which the bony wall of the orbit is 
incomplete, the separation between the orbital cavity and the 
temporal fossa is mostly effected by a fibrous membrane 
containing also abundant elastic tissue. He states that 
Rudolphi regarded these elastic fibres to be muscular in 
Bears, and that Meckel described a muscle in the orbital 
membrane of Ornithorynchus.§ Chauveau speaks of the 


* Since this paper was communicated, I have dissected the orbit of a red 
deer (C. elaphas), and found the orbital muscle very strongly developed in it. 
Not merely did it constitute a large extent of the orbital periosteum, but it 
possessed a very decided reddish colour. In young human subjects J have also 
observed it very well marked. 

+ Miuller’s Archiv. 1841, p. 196. 

t Lehrbuch der vergleichenden Anatomie, 1846, p. 401. 

2 Traité d’Anatomie Comparée, 1857, p. 7658. 


On a Non-striped Muscle of the Orbit. 323 


fibrous membrane which completes the cavity of the orbit as 
entirely composed of white inextensile fibres. Gurlt* con- 
siders it to be a strong fibrous membrane, with yellow elastic 
fibres interpolated. H.Muller,t in avery brief communica- 
tion, states that he has found flat muscular fibres in the 
inferior orbital fissure in man, and corresponding structures 
connected to the membrana orbitalis of mammalia. 

It was supposed by those, who held that the membrana 
orbitalis was a highly elastic and not a muscular structure, 
that it was through its elastic recoil that the eye-ball was 
reprotruded in those animals which retracted the ball, 
through the contraction of a retractor muscle. H. Muller, 
again, who speaks more positively than any who have pre- 
ceded him, not only of the existence of a muscle, but also 
of the kind of fibre of which it is composed, considers that 
it antagonises those muscles which retract the eye-ball into 
the socket, and that thus, the reprotrusion of the globe is 
produced, not by a mere elastic recoil but by a muscular 
contraction. 

If this hypothesis be correct, an arrangement exists in 
this locality which is certainly to be regarded as an unusual 
one,—viz., an involuntary muscle acting as a direct anta- 
gonist to a voluntary muscle. Whether the hypothesis be 
correct, or not, | am disposed to consider that the muscle 
has some especial relation to the vascular arrangements in 
the orbit. Its extension backwards to the foramina through 
which the orbital vessels proceed, and with which it is in 
immediate relation, and the very abundant vascular network 
found in connection with it, point, | think, to some special 
relation between the muscle and the vessels, a relation which 
is not at all inconsistent with what is known of the function 
of non-striped muscle in other localities. 


Note.—Since the above paper was in type, my attention 
has been directed, by Professor Huxley, to a communication 
by H. Miller, dated Dec. 15th, 1860, entitled “On the 
Influence of the Sympathetic upon some Muscles, and on the 


* Handbuch der Vergleich, Anat. der Haus. Saugethiere, 1860, p. 788. 
} Siebold and Kolliker’s Zeitschrift, 1858, p. 641. 


324 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


extensive Occurrence of Unstriped Muscles in the Skin in 
the Mammalia.”* 

As this paper throws some additional light upon the pro- 
bable action of the orbital muscle, I append a short abstract 
of it :— 

H. Muller, after referring to the many puzzling questions 
which have arisen respecting the function of the sympathetic 
nerve, and its relations to the muscles supplied by it, pro- 
ceeds to ask two questions :— 

1st, Whether and which unstriped muscles are supplied 
by other nerves than the sympathetic ? 

2d, Whether and which transversely-striped muscles are 
under the influence of the sympathetic ? 

In answer to the first, the action of the oculo-motor nerve 
upon the unstriped fibres of the iris cannot be doubted; the 
vagus also acts upon unstriped muscles, and the experiments 
of Schiff have shown that the greater part of the vascular 
nerves are not connected with the sympathetic. 

The second question may be most effectively answered by 
considering the effect produced upon the eye-ball by division 
or irritation of the cervical sympathetic. Muller, for this 
purpose, refers to the experiments of Bernard, R. Wagner, 
and Brown-Sequard ; the general tendency of which is to 
show, that division of the cervical sympathetic produces 
narrowing of the palpebral fissure, retraction of the bulb, 
projection of the ‘nictitating membrane and narrowing of the 
anterior nares and the mouth. Irritation of the nerve by 
galvanization, on the other hand, produces increase of the 
opening of the lids, projection of the bulb, retraction of the 
nictitating membrane, relaxation of several facial muscles. 
Respecting the causes which produced these changes there 
was some difference of opinion. R. Wagner could scarcely 
conceive that any force, save the contraction of the two 
obliqui, could produce projection of the eye-ball, and yet, 
he asks, “‘ how could these transversely-striped muscles re- 
ceive excito-motory fibres from the sympathetic ?” Brown- 
Sequard, again, considered that retraction of the bulb, after 


* Ueber den Hinfluss des Sympathicus auf einige Muskeln, &. Von H. 
Miiller, “‘ Verhandlungen der Phys. Med. Gesellschaft in Wurzburg.”’ 


On a Non-striped Muscle of the Orbit. 325 


section of the nerve, was produced by the active contraction 
of the retractor and recti, and that its reprojection by sub- 
sequent irritation was areposition. Schiff regarded the pro- 
jection of the bulb as due to the action of the obliqui: the 
movements of the lids he considered to be passive, and due 
to those of the bulb. 

Remak, on the other hand, believed that the narrowing of 
the palpebral fissure was due to a relaxation of the levator 
palpebree superioris, accompanied by a spasmodic contraction 
of the orbicularis. Moreover, he conceived that the sym- 
pathetic acted upon the voluntary muscles of the lids about 
the eye. 

Muller considers that 1t is now no longer necessary to dis- 
cuss the various probabilities respecting the influence of the 
sympathetic upon the voluntary muscles of the eye, as a 
complete series of unstriped muscles have now been ob- 
served, which will serve as a foundation for explaining the 
movements in question. 

These muscles consist of three divisions :— 

1st, In the orbital cavity of mammals, a membrane (mem- 
brana orbitalis), consisting of unstriped muscles with elastic 
tendons, exists, which, by irritation of the cervical sympa- 
thetic, projects the contents of the orbit, especially the bulb, 
forwards. Retraction is produced by the transversely-striped 
retractor. In man, the orbital muscle ig much reduced in > 
size, and the retractor is wanting, so that a distinct projec- 
tion of the bulb does not follow irritation of the sympathetic, 
as Wagner and H. Muller himself have observed. 

2d, The projection of the nictitating membrane in mam- 
mals is mostly due to the retractor bulbi under the influence 
of the N. abducens. Its withdrawal depends on some un- 
striped muscles which are under the influence of the sym- 
pathetic. In hares, however, the withdrawal is due to a 
transversely striped muscle, which is not supplied by. the 
sympathetic but by the oculo-motorius. In man, the lid 
and its muscles are rudimentary. 

od, The upper and lower lid possess in man, and in very 
many mammals, unstriped muscles, which have the power 
of drawing them back. They are more feeble in the upper 


326 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


than the lower lid, so that by irritation of the sympathetic 
the latter is drawn back in a more marked manner than the 
former. Narrowing of the palpebral fissure, after section of 
the cervical sympathetic, depends upon relaxation of these 
muscles. Yet recession of the eye-ball may depend upon 
relaxation of the orbital muscle. Muller, then, concludes 
that the movements occasioned by experimenting on the 
cervical sympathetic are not such as to entitle us to infer 
an influence of that nerve upon voluntary striped muscles. 
He also considers that the movements about the nose and 
mouth, said by Bernard to be produced by section of the 
sympathetic, if they do take place, are owing to the presence 
of unstriped cutaneous muscles. 

Miller next inquires into the existence of unstriped 
muscles in the skin of the ear. He has occasionally found, 
on galvanizing the cervical sympathetic in cats, that a move- 
ment of the hairs growing upon the skin at the entrance of 
the concha has taken place. This experiment has, how- 
ever, frequently failed both in cats and other animals. A 
careful examination of the skin of the part did not give any 
indications of unstriped muscles, but very distinct muscles 
were seen connected to the hair follicles. He considers 
these experiments of interest, as they appear to indicate 
whence the muscles of the hair follicles receive their nerves. 
Owing to the movement of the hairs being limited to a very 
small locality, during the irritation of the sympathetic, one 
must suppose that only a very small part of the unstriped 
muscular apparatus of the skin of the cat can be regulated 
by the cervical sympathetic. 


Notes on the Occurrence of the Musculus Kerato-cricoideus. 
—In a paper, entitled ‘‘ Remarks on the Musculus Kerato- 
cricoideus (Merkel’s Muscle),” read to this Society in Janu- 
ary 1860 (see Proc., vol. ii. part 1, page 135), I directed 
attention to an account which had been given by Dr Carl 
Merkel of Leipsic (Stimm und Sprach-Organ, 1857), of a 
hitherto undescribed muscle of the human larynx. Merkel 
described this muscle as arising from the posterior surface 
of the cricoid cartilage, and extending obliquely upwards — 


On the Musculus brats Spiceideus 327 


and outwards to be attached to the posterior margin of the 
inferior horn of the thyroid cartilage. He stated that the 
muscle was not found in every larynx, and that when pre- 
sent it existed only on one side. 

In my remarks, I supplemented the description of Merkel 
with some additional particulars, more especially pointing 
out, that, although, as a rule, the muscle only occurred on 
one side, right or left, as the case might be, yet that a double 
muscle might exist. I figured an example of such a bilateral 
muscle, which at that time was the only one I had seen. 
Since then I have met with two additional cases in which a 
double kerato-cricoid muscle was present. One of these was 
especially note-worthy, for the muscle, on both sides, was 
more largely developed than in any previous example that 
had fallen under my notice. The great size of the kerato- 
ericoid muscle was combined with a general laryngeal mus- 
cularity. The occurrence of three examples of a double 
kerato-cricoid muscle, during the last two years, within my 
own experience, shows that the bilateral arrangements is 
not so unusual as was in the first instance supposed.* 


Wednesday, 22d January 1862.—Jamrs M‘Bain, M.D., R.N., 
President, in the Chair. 


The following gentlemen were elected Members of the Society :— 


Edward Hargitt, Esq., an Ordinary Member; and the Rev. William 
Cesar, Minister of the parish of Tranent, and Daniel Manson Logan, 
Esq., Seafield Lodge, Leith, as non-resident Members. 


The following Donations to the Library were laid on the table, and 
thanks voted to the donors :—— 

1. Report of the United States Commissioner of Patents, 1859. 
Mechanics, Vols. I. and I1.—From United States Patent Office. 2. 
(1.) Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Insti- 
tution for the year 1859. Washington, 1860. (2.) Smithsonian Con- 
tributions to Knowledge :—Astronomical Observations in the Arctic 
Seas, by Elisha Kent Kane, M.D., U.S.N., Washington, May 1860; 
Tidal Observations in the Arctic Seas, by Elisha Kent Kane, M.D., 
October 1860.—From the Smithsonian Institution, U.S.A. 3. (1.) 
Notice of the Indians seen by the Exploring Expedition under the Com- 


* Since the above was written, a specimen of a symmetrical kerato-cricoid 
has been sent me by Mr H. P. Mallam, who found it in a subject in the dis- 
secting-room of Charing-Cross Hospital, 


VOL. II. OS G5 


328 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


mand of Captain Palliser, by James Hector, M.D., and W. S. Vaux, 
M.A. (2.) On the Geology of the Country between Lake Superior and 
the Pacific Ocean, visited by the Government Exploring Expedition 
under the Command of Captain Palliser (1857-60), by James Hector, 
M.D. (8.) On the Physical Features of the Central Part of British 
North America, and on its Capabilities for Settlement, 1861, by James 
Hector, M.D., F.G.8., &c. From James Hector, M.D. 


The Address of Condolence to her Majesty on the death 
of H.R.H. the Prince Consort, which had been agreed upon 
by the Council, was submitted to the meeting by Alexander 
Bryson, Hsq. :— 

Unto THE QuEEN’s Most Excenttent Magzsry. 
May wt please your Majesty, 

We your Majesty’s loyal and dutiful subjects, the Pre- 
sidents, Council, and Fellows of the Royal Physical Society 
of Edinburgh, humbly desire to convey to your Majesty the 
expression of our deepest sympathy and condolence for the 
irreparable loss sustained by your Majesty and the Nation, 
in the lamented death of your Llustrious Consort His Royal 
Highness Prince Albert. 

We beg to assure your Majesty, that we feel the loss of 
your Royal Consort the more deeply, as he was the en- 
lightened Patron and earnest Student of those Sciences 
which we are incorporated to advance. 

May the Almighty God whose works we meet to study, 
and whose wisdom we adore, give to your Majesty and your 
bereaved Family that consolation and comfort which ever 
flow from Him alone. 

We remain, with the profoundest respect, 
Mapa, 
Your Majesty’s most faithful subjects and dutiful Servants, 
JAMES M‘Bain, President. 
JoHN ALEX. SmitH, Sec’. 
Gro. Logan, Zvreasurer. 
EpInBurGH, 22d January 1862. 


The Address was unanimously agreed to; and the Secre- 
tary was instructed to forward it to the Right Honourable 
Sir George Grey, Principal Secretary of State for the Home 
Department, for presentation to Her Majesty. 


Notes on the Habits of the Beaver. 329 


The following Communications were then read :— 


1. Notes on the Habits of the Beaver. By an Hye-witness, Jamxs 
M‘Kenzisz, Esq., an Officer in the Hudson’s Bay Company Service. 
Communicated by Anprew Murray, Esq. 


The Beaver is found over a wide extent of country on the American 
continent, extending east and west from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and 
probably from Lat. 48° to 54° north ; but on the slopes of the Rocky Moun- 
tains, where the climate is comparatively mild, he is met with much 
further north and south. My object, however, is not so much to define 
his geographical limits, as to make a few notes on his habits. Beavers 
build occasionally on the shores of lakes, but prefer the banks of rivers and 
streams. ‘They go generally in pairs; and having selected a convenient 
site near the banks of the river, the two clear a circular piece of ground, 
generally 6 feet in diameter, carefully removing everything on the sur- 
face. This done, they carry in their arms, walking on the hind feet, 5 
to 10 Ibs. of strong clay from the river, and deposit it to a width of 2 feet 
all round the circle, thus making the diameter 4 feet ; then collecting long 
grass or branches of willow, they mix up the whole welltogether, so as to form 
a good foundation, In this way they build the walls to a height of about 
10 feet, gradually narrowing ; and the whole has a rounded form, some- 
what like an oven. Unless they had some means of plastering or smooth- 
ing down the mud walls, the rain would certainly wear them away in a 
short time ; and although it is supposed that the beaver never uses his 
tail as a trowel, I have it from the authority of eye-witnesses that he does 
so—in fact, Nature has furnished the animal with the tool ready made to 
his hand. After he has laid the foundation, and, indeed, in process of lay- 
ing it, before the clay gets dry, he uses the trowel; and when the wall is 
raised to a certain height, he goes round the circle, carefully plastering 
every load he carries from the river and lays on his house. The lodge 
has neither doors nor windows, and the finishing hand is not put to it till 
he is far advanced with his bridge, or perhaps until he has completed it. 
Before the house can be completed, a subterranean passage is excavated 
from its centre to the dam or pond, and this at a depth varying from 2 to 
6 feet, depending on the difference of level between the river and house. 
He then strews his floor with thin strips of willow tree, cut by him in the 
form of carpenter's shavings, for his winter's bed. The construction of 
the bridge shows even more ingenuity than the construction of the house, 
and is of various lengths, depending on the size of the stream. When 
only a few feet wide, the wall goes straight from bank to bank at right 
angles to the current; when larger, or about 40 feet wide, it is formed of 
a single curve; but when the river to be bridged is from 100 to 120 feet 
wide, the wall is formed into a series of curves, or undulations as it were. 
He understands pretty well the properties of straight and curved lines in 
his engineering works, and knows the mode best suited to the circum- 
stances in which he is placed. If his domicile is situated on a wide stream, 
he adopts that mode of construction which is best adapted to withstand 
the pressure of a great body of water and ice on the opening of the naviva- 
tion in the spring. The wall is about 12 feet high and 9 feet wide at 
bottom, but on the side exposed to the current it slopes with the stream, 
forming, perhaps, an angle of about 40°. At any rate, while the wall is 
about 9 feet wide at bottom, it is only 1 foot wide at top. He selects 
for the foundation pieces or logs of timber which are water-soaked ; but 
if he cannot find enough of these, any wood, either green or dry, will do, 
covering them with large stones, to prevent their rising to the surface. 
But logs thus placed on one another across a stream could not be so well 


330 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


fitted together as to prevent the passage of the waterbetweenthem. 'Tomeet 
this difficulty, he plasters the side of the wall exposed to the current with 
a coating of clay some 2 or 3 inches in thickness; and this clay, as he has 
to travel through the water with it, he carries not in his arms, as in the 
construction of the house, but on his head, supported by hisarms. There 
is no doubt that the side of the wall exposed to the current is thus clayed, 
although I cannot well understand how it could withstand the action of 
the water for any length of time. If he bridged the stream in this way 
and clayed his bridge, it is clear that he would have always a large quan- 
tity of water flowing over the top, which would impede his operations ; 
and, to obviate this difficulty, he leaves an opening at either end for the 
passage of the water, to be shut up afterwards. Having finished the wall, 
the next thing to be done is to collect his winter’s supply of food. This 
consists of the bark of the ash, the bark and leaves of a certain kind of 
poplar, the bark and leaves of some kind of willows, and the fruit of the 
alder. A large poplar tree of about a foot in diameter, two beavers can 
cut down in half an hour’s time. It is afterwards cut into lengths of 
about 5 feet; and when he has got enough, he makes a road to the stream 
from 3 to 6 feet wide, by cutting down trees or shrubs which may be in 
his way. If the road be inclined towards the stream, he rolls the wood 
down before him; but if it be level, or nearly so, he takes hold of the 
wood by his teeth, and carries it forward. In the water he always trans- 
ports wood or branches from one spot to another in a similar manner. 
His wood will, of course, float in the water, and, if left to float, would 
soon become embedded in the ice, which in ordinary winters, in this cli- 
mate, is about 5 feet in thickness ; he therefore takes it to the bottom of 
the dam, which has a depth of water of from 10 to 12 feet, and either 
fastens it on end in the mud, or covers it with stones, to prevent its rising, 
and it will thus at all times be available for his purpose. He is now 
nearly ready for the long winter. There is, however, something more to 
be done. I have mentioned that he digs a subterranean passage from his 
house to his dam; on each side of this, and in some instances widely 
apart, he makes holes about 5 or 6 feet in the bank, generally communi- 
cating in the interior with one another, and with the main entrance to 
the lodge. In one of these he takes his food, for he seldom or never eats 
where he sleeps. 

The female has generally from three to six young at one time; the 
period of gestation is four months; and the young are produced, or first 
see the light, about the middle of May, and in the following August 
_assist in building the lodge. The young and old work together. When 
about a year old, they start in pairs to form new settlements, provided, 
like the best of colonists for a new country, with nothing else but good 
strong limbs and a fine set of teeth. Ifthere be an odd-fellow, he goes on 
his travels alone, and forms a small bachelor establishment for himself for 
the winter, unless, indeed, he meets a friend with kindred sentiments by 
the way. Sometimes two of the year-olds remain in the old house for 
another year, in which case the family in the following May is a large 
one, never, however, numbering more than twelve individuals. The 
usual number found in a lodge is from four to eight. They never build 
their lodges close together—they are generally from a quarter to half a 
mile apart. This no doubt arises from the circumstances that they cannot 
well dam the rivers or streams, and find a sufficiency of food, at shorter 
distances. The beaver remains shut up for the whole winter; during the 
day always asleep, and during the night taking his bath and his meals. In 
spring, however, he sometimes makes a hole in the ice to have a look at 
the country around him. Ido not know how he manages to do without 
air; so far as I could discover, there are no air-holes about his premises. 


Flate XVT. 


Toyal Physical Society, Edinburg 


= i hs 
WIN, <= el ; vi 
Sag ermal 


== 


Luc ANTEC) 


J Anderson MD, ai? HOLOTHURIA . 


On an apparently New Form of Holothuria. Sal 


In the coldest weather, the top or roof of the lodge is always moist or wet, 
while the sides are frozen, at least outwardly. It is certain that he can 
remain under the water for halfan hour at a time. He lives in the same 
lodge for two or four years, when, finding his food scarce, he removes to 
another locality, and builds as before. 

For instinct or intelligence he is at the head of the wild animals in this 
country, and lives longer, I believe, than any of them. Other animals, 
as for instance the young of the American hare or rabbit, the marten and 
lynx, perish by thousands in the spring, either by cold, or in seasons of high 
water, or from lack of their ordinary food ; but it is all the same to the 
beaver whether the season be wet or dry, hot or cold—the shores of every 
lake and the banks of every river furnish him with abundance of food. 

I do not know whether he will thrive in Britain; atany rate, the Zoolo- 
gical Gardens is not the best place for him; he is fond of solitude, and 
dees not like company. An island with a large lake would be the most 
eligible place for him, where, if set at large, he would soon shift for him- 
self. Of course, his usual food would require to be found on the spot. 


Dr J. A. Smith said, with regard to Mr M‘Kenzie’s statement that he 
could discover no air-holes in the lodges of the beaver, and wondered 
how they managed to do without air; it was probable the air got 
access through the comparatively looser structure of the top of the lodge, 
which Mr M‘Kenzie states is always moist or wet even in the coldest 
weather, while the sides are frozen outwardly. 


II. On an apparently New Form of Holothuria, By Joun Anprrson, 
M.D. Plate XVI. 


In the autumn of 1859 I dredged, from 5 fathoms of water 
in Bressay Sound, Shetland, the Holothuria which forms the 
subject of this memoir (Plate XVI. fig. 1). It was clinging 
to the inside of a dead and half-open Modiola vulgaris. When 
captured, it was of a cream-colour, slightly speckled with 
brown; but since it has been in confinement, it has sensibly 
deepened in colour. During the first months of its imprison- 
ment it was very lively, especially at night; during the day, 
when exposed to the light, it always contracted itself into a 
_hittle ball, confining itself to one spot, and that the one ex- 
posed to sun-light. The tentacles were always exposed at 
night, but were immediately retracted whenever any attempt 
was made to examine them. About the beginning of the 
second month of its confinement it became more sluggish, 
and remained for days contracted, never displaying its ten- 
tacles even at night. The body contracted so firmly upon 
itself, that many of the feet by which it was attached gave 
way, and were left sticking to the sides of the glass vessel in 
which it was confined. After remaining in this condition 
for some time, the integument about the centre of the body 


332 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


at last ruptured, and through the opening a portion of the 
viscera were protruded, which ultimately sloughed away ; 
at the game time a considerable portion of the external skin 
desquamated, the animal not appearing to suffer much from 
the process, for the opening healed shortly afterwards. The 
animal has been kept in a small shallow vessel of sea-water, 
with only a little piece of sea-weed in it to keep the water in 
good condition. During by far the greater part of the nine- 
teen months of its confinement it remained contracted, 
seldom moving from one spot. The only food it could pos- 
sibly have obtained must have consisted either of micro- 
scopic animalcules or the spores of Alge. The animal is 
still alive; and I am therefore not in a position to say any- 
thing regarding its internal structure. 

The dorsal region of the body, when the creature is con- 
tracted, is of a deep purplish-brown tint, but the ventral 
surface is of a paler hue. The dorsal surface, when the 
creature is distended, approaches very much to the colour 
of the ventral aspect when in a state of contraction. 

When contracted, it is little more than a quarter of an 
inch in length, and about the fifth of an inch in breadth ; 
but when distended and moving about, it becomes double 
this length, and its breadth also is slightly increased. 

The five double rows of sucking-feet are unsymmetrical, 
the two dorsal rows being irregular in their distribution. 
The dorsal feet are much less numerous than the ventral, 
which they greatly exceed in size, and from which they 
differ very much in their undilated tips, and by their being 
seated in some instances upon rounded eminences or tuber- 
cles of considerable size. These feet are capable of com- 
plete retraction into the tubercles. Though the two dorsal 
rows of feet differ very much from the ordinary arrangement 
_of these organs in the Holothuriade, we can nevertheless 
trace faint indications of the double character of the rows. 

The three double rows of ventral sucking-feet are fully de- 
veloped; the feet are placed opposite to one another, and are 
dilated at their tips, but are only partially retractile. The 
animal walks upon the three well-developed rows; and if 
turned upon the aborted ones, it immediately recovers itself, 


On an apparently New Form of Holothuria. 303 


and turns round to what appears to be its ventral surface. 
In the anomalous genus Psolus, as is well known, the loco- 
motive organs are restricted to a small flattened ventral disk, 
on which the three developed rows of feet are disposed. 

The arrangement of the feet in the animal under consider- 
ation is another instance of a like specialization of function, 
and indicates the tripod nature of the Holothurie. Viewed 
thus, this little animal is fraught with interest, and may 
serve to connect, by its gradation of form, the genus Holo- 
thuria, with its five well-developed rows of locomotive feet, 
and the genus Psolus. 

The tentacles (Pl. XVI. fig. 2) are ten in number ; eight of 
them are long, pedunculated, and alternately branched; and 
the other two are short and divided at their tips. They are 
all of a pale-yellow colour, very pellucid, and are about a 
fifth of the length of the body when it is fully extended. 
The two short tentacles correspond to the two tuberculated 
rows of feet of the dorsal aspect. 

The body of the animal is covered with calcareous pilates 
of an irregular form, perforated by nearly circular apertures 
(fig. 4). The plates found in the feet of the three ventral 
rows (fig. 7) are spindle-shaped ; but they change their form 
in the feet immediately surrounding the head (fig. 8), and 
become in appearance very similar to the plates found on 
the body-skin. ‘The plates of the dorsal tubercles and feet 
(fig. 3) resemble in their irregularity the plates of the body 
of the animal; and the same may be said of the plates occur- 
ring in the tentacles (fig. 6), in which they may be found 
extending to their ultimate divisions. 

The very delicate structure of the feet enabled me to 
examine them microscopically in the living animal; and 
when so examined, a continuous circulation of a minutely 
granular fluid may be seen, the current consisting of two _ 
streams—one passing along one side of the foot to the suck- 
ing-disk, and the other flowing back from this structure to 
the body of the animal. 

This little creature evidently belongs to Linneus’s genus 
Holothuria, which Van der Hoeven has lately revived with 
the following signification: — 


334 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


“Feet of twofold structure and figure, some cylindrical, 
dilated at the tip, usually occurring in the abdomen only, 
others situated on the back, not dilated at the tip, emerging 
from warts on the back. Body cylindrical or flattened in 
the abdomen.” 

Having only found one specimen of this Holothuria, it 
would be premature, it appears to me, to describe it as a new 
species. ; 

Explanation of Plate XVI. 


Fig. 1. Holothuria, three times the natural size. 
Fig. 2. Buccal extremity and tentacles. 
Fig. 3. Calcareous plates of dorsal feet. 
Fig. 4. os os body-skin. 
Fig. 5. op F dorsal feet near head. 
Fig. 6. ar ae oral tentacles. 

if 


Portion of ventral foot, showing the form and arrangement of the 
plates. 
Fig. 8. Calcareous plates from feet surrounding the head. 


Fig. 7. 


III. Notes on the Ornithology of Caithness, By R. I, Suearer, Esgq., 
Ulbster House, and H. Osgporne, Esq., Wick. Communicated by 
Joun ALEXANDER SmitH, M.D. 

Part I.—By R. I. Suearer, Esq., Wick. 

I have been induced to gather together a full and authentic 
list of all the birds hitherto found in Caithness, the main 
aim being to induce others to exert themselves in this de- 
hghtful and interesting study ; and 1am confident that, had 
the ornithology of the county been understood and attended 
to by a greater number of persons, a much larger list could 
have been made. The all-sufficient reason I have for think- 
ing so is, that the present lst only exhibits twelve additional 
species within the last twenty years! In particular, that 
portion of the interesting and numerous family, the Syl- 
viadee, comprehending the Warblers proper, is almost utterly 
unknown—the only representatives known to us being the 
reed and wood warblers. This paucity, however, must not 
in any degree be considered as indicative of their absence 
from the county, but must, on the contrary, be ascribed to 
the fact that their haunts are far removed from, and, indeed, 
are forbidden ground to, the ordinary investigator and those 
interested in their economy. Although the northernmost 


ay 
a 
| ee 


Notes on the Ormthology of Caithness. 339 


county in Scotland, and separated from the “ storm-swept 
Orcades” by only the narrow belt of the Pentland, through- 
out the summer the few wooded tracts scattered over it re- 
sound with the melody of divers species of this delicate and 
lovely family. A wide and untrodden field lies here before 
the first intelligent student of nature who may be privileged 
to follow and observe these summer visitants in their sylvan 
seclusion. The plantations of Stirkoke, the woods surround- 
ing Hempriggs House, and that paradise to the sportsman 
and naturalist the valleys of Berriedale and Langweil, are 
favourite and much-frequented resorts. 

Previously to 1840, Dr Sinclair of Wick had collected 
and prepared with his own hands all those in the fol- 
lowing list unmarked by an asterisk, amounting to the 
truly surprismg number of 191; therefore it will appear 
that to the Doctor those interested in the subject are 
deeply indebted. Another reason for making this list 1s, 
that almost every other county has already a published 
register of its birds; and the rich and varied catalogue which 
this county can present can be surpassed by but few within 
the three kingdoms. Our diversified list exhibits species 
that can hardly be exceeded in richness of colouring by the 
gaudy inhabitants of tropical countries, such as the gar- 
rulous roller ; natives of the warmer parts of Asia and Africa, 
such as the spotted flycatcher and the rose-coloured pastor ; 
and, contrasted with these, those splendid strangers from 
the frozen regions of the Arctic circle, the snowy owl, the 
jer-falcon, and the ivory and Iceland gulls. As instancing 
what has been done in the way of illustrating the ornitho- 
logy of this northern locality, I may in particular mention, 
although these are not the only works of a similar kind, the 
“Fauna Orcadensis” of the Rev. G. Low; the ‘ Natural 
History of Orkney,’ by Messrs Baikie and Heddle; the 
“ Tour in Sutherlandshire,” by the late Mr St John; and the 
catalogue published in the ‘ Zoologist,” by that enthusiastic 
naturalist, Mr Thomas Edward of Banff. I also cannot omit 
noticing some of the very rare and valuable birds which Dr 
Sinclair has been fortunate enough to secure within the 
bounds of the county, although I regret not being able to 

VOL. II. 2x 


336 Proceedings of the Loyal Physical Soctety. 


give the details and date of the capture of many of them. — 
Of these, by far the most interesting is the little bustard, 
very few specimens of which have been obtained even in 
England, where the only authentic instances of its capture 
in Britain have been recorded. Montagu’s harrier, a species 
but lately discriminated from the common harrier, is a rare 
bird in the southern division of the kingdom, where its 
peculiarities and appearance first attracted the attention of 
the observant naturalist whose name it bears. The stock- 
dove, the ortolan bunting, the reed warbler, and the poma- 
rine skua, although not exactly rare in the southern counties 
of England, have never, according to Mr Selby, been dis- 
covered by him north of the Tweed. Baillon’s crake, the 
red-breasted goose, the ruddy sheldrake, and the hooded 
merganser, are among the very rarest British visitants, only 
one or two individuals of each species having been obtained, 
as recorded by the same authority in his “ Illustrations.” 
The additions made since 1840, distinguished by an asterisk, 
demand a passing remark. In the first order, the jer-falcon 
is added on the authority of the Rev. F. O. Morris, who re- 
lates in his “ British Birds” that one was observed near 
Thurso, by W. M. HE. Milner, Esq., M.-P. The snowy owl 
has lately been pretty frequently found. The first notice 
of it was given by Dr Sinclair, who possesses three indi- 
viduals, one of which, a mature bird, is perhaps the finest 
specimen in any collection in Britain. In the second order, 
the parrot crossbill was obtained by Mr G. Auld of Wick 
from some fishermen, in whose boat it alighted whilst at 
sea, and was kept in confinement for a considerable time. 
A single specimen of the lesser spotted woodpecker has been 
found by Dr Sinclair. The wryneck has been twice ob- 
tained, once by the gentleman mentioned above and once 
by myself. The European roller I saw at Ulbster in 1857. 

In the third order, Dr Sinclair has added the little bustard, 
which, considering how few are the species of the family 
Struthionide found in Britain, is a particularly interesting 
addition. In the fourth order, I have found the common 
godwit. In this order Dr Sinclair has included the dotterel 
(Charadrius morinellus), a very rare bird ; while, undoubt- 


Notes on the Ornithology of Carthness. 307 


edly through inadvertence, he does not mention the ring dot- 
terel (C. hiaticula), which is as common as the other is rare. 
In the fifth and last order three new species have been 
, added—the bridled guillemot, found in abundance on our 
east coast every year, Richardson’s skua, and an Ivory gull, 
found by myself. This bird is stated, on the authority of a 
celebrated Scottish naturalist, not to belong to the common 
species, but one new to the British list. I have not, as yet, 
ascertained its name. 
The following is the complete list :— 


Rartores.—(first Order.) 


*Falco Islandicus (Jer-Falcon). 

Falco peregrinus (Peregrine Falcon), common. 

Falco subbuteo (Hobby), rare. I once saw one of these birds with 
Charles Wilkinson, gamekeeper. It was killed at Thrumster. 

Falco zsalon (Merlin), common. 

Falco tinnunculus (Kestrel), rare in winter, common in summer. 

Accipiter fringillarius (Sparrow-hawk), occasional ; only in autumn. 

Astur palumbarius (Goshawk), very rare; never to my knowledge. 

Aquila chryszta (Golden Eagle), occasional. 

Aquila albicilla (White-tailed Sea Hagle), breeds. 

Buteo lagopus (Rough-legged Buzzard), rare; only in Dr Sinclair ’s 


collection. 

Buteo vulgaris (Common Buzzard), rare. do. do. 
. Pernis apivorus (Honey Buzzard), very rare. do. do. 
; Circus cyaneus (Common or Hen Harrier), breeds. 
Circus cineraceus (Ash-coloured Harrier), very rare. do. 
Circus rufus (Warsh Harrier), rare. do. do. 
_ Strix flammea (White or Barn Owl), rare. do. do. 

Ulula stridula (Tawny Ovl), rare. do. do. 


Otus vulgaris (Long-cared Owl), bred last year. 
Otus brachyotus (Short-eared Owl), breeds. 
*Strix nyctea (Great Snowy Owl). An adult specimen, caught alive at 
Kilmster, was kept for some time by Mr Osborne, but it ultimately 
escaped. 


InszssorEs.—(Second Order.) 


Lanius excubitor (Great Ash-coloured Shrike), thrice found. This 
bird was once captured by me in spring, in the act of attacking a 
linnet fixed in a hair snare, and itself got entangled also. 

J Cinclus aquaticus (Water Dipper), common. 

i Merula viscivora (Missel Thrush), common. 

: Merula pilaris (Feldfare), common ; seen in Caithness this year and 

last, in the beginning of August. 
Merula iliaca (Redwing), common. 
Merula musica (Song Thrush), common. 
Merula vulgaris (Blackbird), common. 

: Merula torquata (Ring Ousel), common. 

4 Saxicola znanthe (Wheatear), common. 

Saxicola rubetra (Whinchat), common. 

P Saxicola rubicola (Stonechat), rare; saw one this year in the month of 

ak June, near Lybster. 


338 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Soctety. 


Erythaca rubecula (Robin or Redbreast), common. 

Pheenicura ruticilla (Common Redstart), occasional. 

Pheenicura Tithys (Tithy’s Redstart), rare. 

*Curruca atricapilla (Blackcap Warbler), obtained last autumn by Mr 
Osborne. 

Salicaria arundinacea (Itced Warbler), occasional. ‘ 

Sylvia sibilatrix (Wood Warbler), occasional. 

*Sylvia hippolais (Chiff-chaff Warbler), first observed last autumn ; 
seen this year also. 

Regulus auricapillus (Common Gold Crest), common. 

*Parus ater (Cole Titmouse), observed this autumn; also in spring of 
1862. 

Accentor modularis (Hedge Accentor), common. 

Motacilla boarula (Grey Wagtail), occasional. 

Motacilla Yarrellii (Pied Wagtail), common. 

Budytes flava (Yellow Wagtail), rare. 

Anthus pratensis (Meadow Pipit), common. 

Anthus arboreus (Tree Pipit), rare. 

Anthus aquaticus (Rock Pipit), common. 

Bombycilla garrula (Bohemian Waxwing), occasional; generally found 
dead. 

Muscicapa grisola (Spotted Flycatcher), occasional. This year and last 
year, about the end of May. Birds of the year seen frequently in a 
garden in Wick, in July. 

Muscicapa luctuosa (Pied Flycatcher), rare. 

Corvus corax (Raven), common. 

Corvus corone (Carrion Crow), occasional. 

Corvus cornix (Hooded or Royston Crow), very common. 

Corvus monedula (Jackdaw), very common. 

Corvus frugilegus (ook), very common. 

Pica melanolenca (Magpie), very common, 

Garrulus glandarius (European Jay), rare; probably introduced. 

Sturnus vulgaris (Common Starling), common. 

Pastor roseus (Rose-coloured Pastor), rare. 

Coccothraustes vulgaris (Haw/inch), rare. 

Coccothraustes chloris (Greenfinch), very common. 

Carduelis elegans (Common Goldfinch), occasional. 

Carduelis spinus (Sesken), occasional. 

Linaria cannabina (Common Brown Linnet), very common. 

- Linaria montana (Mountain Linnet or Twite), very common. 

Linaria minor (Lesser Redpole), occasional. 

Pyrgita domestica (Howse Sparrow), common, 

Pyrgita montana (Tree or Mountain Sparrow), very rare; obtained 
by Mr Osborne. 

Fringilla montifringilla (Brambling or Mountain Finch), very com- 
mon in the autumn of 1860. This finch has never come under my 
notice in this county, except in 1860, when it was very abundant. 
It did not keep separate, but mixed with other finches about the 
stackyards, picking up grain. 

Fringilla celebs (Chafinch), very common. 

Emberiza miliaria (Common Bunting), very common. 

Emberiza citrinella (Yellow Bunting), very common. 

Emberiza hortulana (Ortolan Bunting), rare. 

Emberiza scheniculus (teed Bunting), common. 

Plectrophanes nivalis (Snow Bunting), common. 

Plectrophanes lapponica (Lapland Lark-Bunting), found twice. 

Alauda arvensis (Sky Lark), common. 


Notes on the Ornithology of Carthness. 309 


Alauda arborea (Wood Lark), rare. (?) 
Pyrrhula vulgaris (Common Bullfinch), rare. 
Loxia eurvirostra (Common Crossbill), occasional. 

* Loxia pityopsittacus (Parrot Crossbill), rare. 

*Picus minor (Lesser Spotted Woodpecker), very rare ; once observed. 

*Yunx torquilla (Wryneck) ; one shot at Stirkoke, and another at Rose- 
bank, near Wick. 

Certhia familiaris (Common Creeper), occasional. 
Troglodytes Europeus: (Common Wren), common. 
Cuculus canorus (Common Cuckoo), common. 

*Coracias garrula (Huropean or Garrulous Roller) ; seen at Ulbsier, 
and watched for two or three days. It was always followed by a 
small bird, in the same way as the cuckoo. 

Caprimulgus Europeus (Nightjar or Goat-sucker), common. 
Hirundo rustica (Chimney Swatlow), common. 

Hirundo urbica (Martin), common. 

Hirundo riparia (Sand Marti), common. 

Cypselus apus (Common Swift), common. 


Rasores.—(Third Order.) 


Columba palumbus (Wood Pigeon or Ring Dove), common. 

Columba enas (Stock Dove), very rare. 

Columba livia (White-rumped or Rock Dove), common. 

Turtur migratorius (Turtle Dove), occasional. 

Tetrao tetrix (Black Grouse or Black Cock), common. 

Lagopus Scoticus (Red Grouse or Muirfowl), very plentiful. These 
birds have frequently been reared and kept alive in an enclosure by 
Mr Osborne. They were very tame and familiar, and one pair bred 
on one occasion, hatching five healthy poults. 

Lagopus mutus (Common or White Ptarmigan), common, 

Perdix cinerea (Common Partridge), common. 

Coturnix dactylisonans (Common Quail), bred in 1860. A pair bred at 
Ulbster ; twelve eggs were laid and hatched ; I shot two of the young 
and the old cock in autumn. Such was their desire to skulk when 
danger was near, that several were caught by the hand. 

Phasianus Colchicus (Common Pheasant), common. 

*Otis minor (Little Bustard), very rare ; once observed. 


GraLLatores.—(fourth Order.) 


Ardea cinerea (Common Heron), common. 
Ardea purpurea (Purple Heron), rare. 
Scolopax rusticola (Woodcock), common. 
Scolopax major (Great Snipe), rare. 
Scolopax gallinago (Common Snipe), common. 
Scolopax gallinula (Jack Snipe), common. 
*Limosa rufa (Common or Red Godwit). Only one specimen, shot at 
Ulbster Loch ; two more were seen this year in the end of July. 
Totanus fuscus (Dusky Sandpiper), rare. 
Totanus calidris (Redshank Sandptper), common. 
Totanus glottis (Greenshank), rare. 
Totanus ochropus (Greenshank Sandpiper), rare. 
Totanus glareola (Wood Sandpiper), rare. 
Totanus hypoleucos (Common Sandpiper), common. 
Totanus macularius (Spotted Sandpiper), rare. 
Tringa variabilis (Purre or Dunlin), common. 
Tringa canutus (Knot), rare. 
Tringa rufescens (Buff-breasted Tringa), rare. 


340 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Tringa maritima (Purple or Rock Tringa), common. 

Tringa subarquata (Curlew Tringa), rare. 

Tringa minuta (Minute Tringa), occasional. 

Tringa Temminckii (Temminck’s Tringa), rare. 

Strepsilas interpres (Twrnstone), occasional. 

Numenius arquata (Common Curlew), common. 

Numenius pheopus (Whimbrel), occasional. 

Vanellus cristatus (Lapwing), common. 

Squatarola pluvialis (Golden Plover), common. 

Charadrius morinellus (Dotterel), rare. Shot on the Thrumster Moors, 
on a bare high hill. 

*Charadrius hiaticula (Ring Dottercl), common. 

Arenaria calidris (Sanderling) rare. 

Hematopus ostraleous (Oyster-Catcher) common. 

Rallus aquaticus (Water Rail), common. 

Crex pratensis (Meadow or Corn Crake), common. 

Orex porzana (Spotted Crake), rare. 

Crex Baillonii (Bazllon’s Crake), very rare. 

Gallinula chloropus (Common Gallinule or Water Hen), common. 
Specimens have been kept by Mr Osborne. They were very tame, 
and mixed freely with the poultry. 

Fulica atra (Common Coot), common. The same remarks apply to the 
coot. 


Naratores.—(Pifth Order.) 


Anser segetum (Bean Goose), rare. 

Anser ferus (Grey Lag Goose), common, breeds. 

Auser erythropus (White-fronted Goose), common. 

Anser leucopsis (Bernicle Goose), rare. 

Anser brenta (Brent Goose), rare. 

Anser ruficollis (Red-breasted Goose), very rare. , 

Cygnus ferus (Hooper or Wild Swan), occasional, 

Tadorna Belonii (Common Sheldrake), occasional. 

Tadorna rutila (Ruddy or Casarka Sheldrake), very rare. 

Anas boschas (Common Wild Duck or Mallard), common. 

Querquedula crecca (Common Teal), common. 

Querquedula acuta (Common Pintail), occasional. 

Chauliodus strepera (Gadwall), rare. 

Anas clypeata (Common Shovelier), rare. 

Mareca penelope (Common Wigeon), common. 

Fuligula Gesnerii (Scaup Pochard), common. 

Fuligula cristata (Tufted Pochard), occasional. 

Fuligula ferina (Red-headed Pochard), common. 

Clangula vulgaris (Common Golden-eye Garrot), common. 

Clangula histrionica (Harlequin Garrot), rare. 

Harelda glacialis (Long-tailed or Northern Hareld), common. 

Oidemia perspicillata (Surf Scoter), occasional. 

Oidemia fusca (Velvet Scoter), occasional. 

Oidemia nigra (Black Scoter), occasional. 

Somateria molissima (Common Eider), rare. 

Mergus albellus (Smew or White Nun), rare. 

Mergus merganser (Goosander), occasional. 

Mergus serrator (Red-breasted Merganser), rare. 

Mergus cucullatus (Hooded Merganser), very rare. E 

Colymbus glacialis (Great Northern Dwer), common. A year or two ; 
ago, a specimen was obtained, which had first been seized by the fish 
known as the “ angler,” or “ fishing-frog.”’ Both fish and bird 


a ate 


Notes on the Ormthology of Cacthness. 341 


were secured alive by some fishermen. This occurred in Ackergill 
Bay. 

Colymbus arcticus (Black-throated Diver), rare, 

Colymbus septentrionalis (Red-throated Diver), occasional. 

Podiceps cristatus (Crested Grebe), rare. 

Podiceps rubricollis (Red-necked Grebe), occasional. 

Podiceps cornutus (Horned or Sclavonian Grebe), rare. 

Podiceps minor (Lattle Grebe or Dabchick), common. 

Uria troile (Common Guillemot), common. 


*Uria lacrymans (Bridled Guillemot), common. 


Uria grylle (Black Guillemot), common. This bird lays two eggs, 

_ though Mr Newman, in his work on Bird-nesting, says one. (Sce 
- Macgillivray’s ‘‘ British Birds.’’) 

Mergulus alle (Litile Auk), occasional. 

Alea torda (Razor-bill Auk), common. 

Fratercula arctica (Puffin), common. 

Phalacrocorax carbo (Common Cormorant), common. 

Phalacrocorax cristatus (Crested Shag or Green Cormorant), common. 
Newman says the shag lays five eggs; I have never found but two. 

Sula bassana (Solan Goose or Gannet), common. 

Procellaria glacialis (fudmar), rare. 

Puffinus cinereus (Cinerecous Shearwater), rare. 

Puffinus anglorum (Manks Shearwater), rare. 

Thalassidroma pelagica (Storm Petrel), occasional. 

Thalassidroma Leachii (fork-tacled Storm Petrel), rare. 

Lestris skua (Common Skuqa), occasional. An individual of this power- 
ful species was long kept alive by Mr Osborne. It was a handsome 
bird, the plumage being always kept in beautiful condition. It was 
extremely bold and fearless, but continued intractable and savage 
to the last. Captured in the adult state off Staxigoe. 

Lestris pomarinus (Pomarine Skua), rare. 


*Lestris Richardsonii (Richardson's Skua), common. 


Lestris parasiticus (Arctic Skua), occasional. 
Sterna hirundo (Common Tern), occasional. 


*Sterna arctica (Arctic Tern), only lately observed, but tolerably abun- 


dant. 

Sterna minuta (Lesser Tern), occasional. 

Larus minutus (Little Gull), rare. 

Larus ridibundus (Black-headed Gull), common. 

Larus marinus (Great Black-backed Gull), common. 

Larus fuscus (Lesser Black-backed Gull), common. 

Larus argentatus (Herring Gull), very common. 

Larus glaucus (Glaucous Gull), occasional. 

Larus islandicus (Iceland Gull), occasional. 

Larus canus (Common Gull), common. 

Larus eburneus (Ivory Gull), rare. 

% (Ivory Gull), new (see page 347). This gull was found 

flying about a small inland loch, in a very starved condition. 

Larus rissa (Kitiiwake), common. 


Part I].— By Henry Osporne, Hsq., Wick. 
(The specimens of the Blackcap and Parrot Crossbill were exhibited.) 


It will be observed, from the few additions made to 


_ the list of Caithness birds since 1840, that not much has 


342 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


been done either in the way of discovering or discrimi- 
nating new species. Of the three last added, the chiff- 
chait (Sylvia hippolais) was shot at Ulbster, in July, 
by Mr R. I. Shearer, who subsequently procured another 
specimen. A fine male blackcap warbler (Curruca atri- 
capilla) was shot by myself on the 16th October, and a 
female of the same species on the 28th (the birds were ex- 
hibited). Besides the fact of these birds being new to the 
Far North, the dates are so late that it has been matter of 
surprise to all who have heard of the circumstance, and 
know something of the economy of the bird, how such a 
delicate member of the family of Sylviade could possibly 
subsist at such a season in this climate. With the excep- 
tion, however, that the male was not in song, both birds 
were as active and lively as they are described to be in mid- 
summer, and both, too, were in perfect plumage. I have 
observed, in cases where the swallow has prolonged its stay 
with us until far on in the season, that there was an evident 
lack of that liveliness, vigour, and power of flight, displayed, 
for instance, in the month of June; but no such peculiarity 
was observable in the blackcaps. This, for the most part, 
perhaps, may be owing to the fact that the blackcap, when 
insect food is scarce, can subsist on the smaller fruits, while 
the swallow is wholly insectivorous. While under my own 
observation, the blackcaps fed principally on the berries of 
the mountain-ash. The Naturalist-Hditor of “‘ The Field” 
newspaper, in commenting upon the occurrence of the 
blackcap in Caithness, truly remarks :—‘“ In the statement 
that the blackcap eats rowans, in Cacthness, in the middle of 
October, we have therefore three novel facts in natural 
history, instead of one.” The third and last addition was the 
cole tit (Parus ater), shot in a narrow belt of plantation 
about a mile from Wick. Mr Sandison, who shot this 
specimen, also procured another, some days after, from the 
country. This beautiful bird, although common in most 
Scottish counties, has not hitherto been recorded as occurring 
in Caithness. In addition to these, a crossbill, which some 
authorities have pronounced to be Lowxia pityopsitiacus (the | 
bird was exhibited) was found dead in the neighbourhood of — 


Notes on the Ornithology of Couthness, 343 


some woods near Lyth; but this species, as may be seen by 
the catalogue, has occurred once before, some fishermen 
having caught a male which alighted in their boat at sea. 

In reference to the nesting of our birds, I am not aware 
that we possess anything either novel or peculiar; but a few 
random observations may not be altogether without interest. 
The most striking example of gregarious nidification the 
county can show, is exhibited on an island in the Loch of 
Stemster, where some thousands of the black-headed or 
laughing-oull (Larus ridibundus) congregate in spring. The 
egos deposited on one-half of the island only are taken in 
the season, and these are lifted at short intervals, the numbers 
taken on some occasions being almost fabulous. They are 
valued as an edible of great delicacy. Round the edge of 
this island, among the rushes and other covert, several species 
build and rear their young. The nest of the mallard (Anas 
boschas), the eggs invariably concealed beneath the downy 
mass which the female plucks from her breast, is frequently 
met with, varied now and again by the massive and some- 
times floating structure of the coot (Fulica atra). It is 
almost certain, also, that the tufted pochard (Fuligula 
cristata) breeds in the vicinity, as specimens are observed 
constantly throughout the summer months. In Mr Selby’s 
time, this pochard was not known to breed in Britain, but 
the later work of Morris contains several instances. 

The Arctic tern (Sterna Arctica) breeds, among other 
places, ina piece of moorland in the vicinity of a loch about 
four miles from Wick. In the breeding season this tern 
may be observed following the course of the river in its 
flight to and from its feeding-grounds, which are at the 
mouth of the river and round the bay. During its journey 
I have observed it occasionally, but not often, stop suddenly 
in its flight above the river, apparently attracted by some 
small fish, remain suspended, like the kestrel, for an instant, 
and then drop headlong upon the object that had attracted 
its attention. It is in the bay, however, where this bird 
chiefly finds subsistence ; and here the habits of this tern, 
and of several species of gulls, may be observed under the 
most favourable circumstances. The principal prey of the 

VOL, I, Au 


344 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Arctic tern appears to be the sand-eel or sand-lance (Ammo- 
dytes). ‘This rather curious fish appears in our bay occa- 
sionally in prodigious shoals; indeed, one of our most 
observant fishermen lately informed me that the masses of 
these fish he has seen on our coast exceeded by far anything 
of the kind he ever saw, not excepting the “races” or 
‘‘banks” of herrings, which are described (principally by 
sanguine ship-captains) as being something prodigious. 
Large numbers of sand-eels are exhumed from a sandbank 
at the mouth of the river. They are used as bait, and 
numerous fishermen visit the bank when the tide has ebbed, 
armed with an instrument resembling a corn-hook, with 
which they dexterously drag to light the buried eel. I 
witnessed a foray of this description in spring last; but 
although this was not the first occasion, I was attracted in 
this instance by the number of sea-fowl that fluttered over 
the fishermen’s heads, and came almost within reach of the 
weapons in their hands. The Arctic tern, the lesser black- 
backed gull, and the kittiwake were the species that jomed 
in the pursuit. The kittiwakes were the boldest, or rather 
the most familiar, of the three; and at a distance, you could 
hardly say with certainty whether the eel just brought to 
light was destined to find the fisherman’s basket or the 
kittiwake’s maw. It was almost a neck and neck race, and 
Piscator very frequently had not much to spare. 

That large and splendid species, the great black-backed 
gull, breeds on favourable stations all along our east coast. 
What appears to be favourite situations are those insulated 
rocks to which there is no access by land. On the flat and 
grassy tops of these gigantic pillars, the black-back builds 
and rears its progeny, which resemble the young of the her- 
ring and other gulls. Sometimes such a “stack,” as these 
pillars are termed, is occupied by two or three pairs; in 
other instances a single couple hold undisputed sway, and 
monopolise the isolated territory. When the haunt of these 
gulls is intruded upon, the whole colony rise screaming over- 
head, making a terrific din; but above all the uproar, the 
hoarse croak of the “ Saddle-back” may be distinguished. 
The lesser black-backed and herring gulls occasionally 


Notes on the Ornithology of Caithness. 545 


sweep within reach, but their larger associate keeps far 
above, and seldom ventures within gunshot. On one of 
these ‘‘ stacks,” situated in Sinclair’s Bay, I have seen shags 
and cormorants sunning themselves in every niche, the top 
even being occupied by numbers of these sombre gentry. 
The black-back is extremely wild and vigilant, and conse- 
quently difficult to approach ; the only time when it ventures 
within reach of a gun, being in the breeding season, when 
it usually becomes a degree bolder. This gull is also very 
jealous of the neighbourhood of hawks and crows, having in 
especial an antipathy to the hooded crow. From its size 
and fierceness, it is generally monarch of all it surveys, the 
raven even succumbing to its attacks. In the last breeding 
season, however, the district received a visit from a stranger 
before whom all birds fled, the great black-back even making 
discretion the better part of valour. This was a white-tailed 
or sea eagle (Halietus albicilla), and his presence evidently 
caused the more alarm, from the fact that an eagle is seldom 
or never seen in the vicinity. An observer who carefully 
watched this powerful depredator while beating the margin 
of a loch not far from the edge of the rock, saw him slip 
over the precipice and shoot along about half-way between 
the top of the cliff and the sea. Hardly had he made his 
appearance, when a rush of birds seawards took place. 
Hverything that could fly left the rocks, and the terror and 
confusion that ensued was remarkable. This continued 
during the whole course of his flight, and his appearance 
was invariably the signal for a hurrying of the scared masses 
out of the reach of danger. So numerous, and so very much 
frightened were the birds, that the progress of the eagle 
could be traced, long after he himself was invisible, by the 
strings of seafowl, of various kinds, that persistently con- 
tinued to seek safety in flight. It was long before gull and 
guillemot got over their fright, and matters resumed “ the 
even tenor of their way.” 

The Arctic skua, the lesser black-backed gull, and the 
common gull, breed in a remote moorland district in the 
centre of the county. Here there are numerous pools or 
patches of water, known as “ doo-lochs,” of various sizes 
and shapes, studded with mossy mounds or islands, which 


346 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


are usually as high above the surface as the surrounding 
ground. On these mounds the birds, for the most part, rear 
their young with safety. Great numbers of eggs are de- 
stroyed, however, as, in consequence of there not being space 
enough on the detached portions for the multitude of birds 
that resort hither in the season, numbers of nests are built 
on the margins of the pools, which are robbed by herd- 
boys and occasional visitors. I have seen some excellent 
specimens of the Arctic skua shot in the neighbourhood of 
these lochs in spring last by a collector. The lesser black- 
backed gull does not restrict itself apparently in the choice 
of a situation for breeding, as its nest may be found in- 
land on these moors, as well as on the “ stacks” frequented 
by the great black-backed and herring gulls. In the inland 
district above-mentioned, the curlew breeds regularly, and 
I have good reason to believe that it also forms a breeding- 
station of the whimbrel (Numenius phwopus). The nest of 
the kestrel may frequently be met with along the east coast. 
A few pairs of peregrines still manage to rear a brood here 
and there amidst the precipitous rocks, but this bird exists 
in greatly diminished numbers. The sparrow-hawk is much 
rarer with us than the two species above-mentioned, or than 
the hen-harrier or merlin. The hen-harrier is known to 
breed in a retired hilly district about twenty miles from Wick. 
The merlin, the smallest and most beautiful of our falcons, 
builds its nest among the heather, usually selecting a situa- 
tion where the growth is luxuriant and abundant. On one 
occasion, some years ago, I accompanied a gamekeeper and 
his two sons on an expedition to the hills of Yarrows, dis- 
tant about seven miles from Wick. The object of the expe- 
dition was the destruction of a couple of merlins, which had 
built their nest amidst the heather on a gentle slope, which 
ran backward from a narrow valley or ravine. It was anti- 
cipated that, by keeping this hollow until opposite the nest, 
both birds might perchance be secured in its neighbourhood. 
The desired point was reached, the guns (three) were pre- 
pared, and the trio were just on the point of leaving their 
hiding-place, when the shriek of the male bird, giving the 
alarm, was heard, and on looking up the little fellow was _ 
descried far overhead, sailing in circles, and anxiously watch- 


Ornithological Notes. 347 


ing every movement. Not a moment was to be lost, and 
the three, ranged in line, left their hiding-place and ad- 
vanced rapidly on the nest. If the female still remains, 
her chance of ezcape is a poor one, for she is now within 
range of six barrels! She sits so close, however, that doubts 
are beginning to arise, when up she springs and dashes 
rapidly off, brushing the heather in her flight. She has not 
flown far when a single shot is fired, and poor falco drops 
among the heath with a broken wing. The male escaped 
on this occasion and was not seen again, although diligent 
search was made for some days afterwards. The nest con- 
tained four eggs, and was situated where one would rather 
expect to find the nest of the red grouse. 


Dr J. A. Smith said, naturalists were indebted to Mr 
Shearer and Mr Osborne for their valuable list, with its 
accompanying details, of the birds of Caithness. He had 
requested Mr Osborne to add some notes on the nesting of 
the birds, and was sure the Society would agree with him 
in the great interest of these communications; he only 
wished a similar careful list of the appearance and nesting 
of the birds, could be got from all the counties of Scotland. 
The capture of the ivory gull, referred to by Mr Shearer as 
new (page 341), had been brought under the notice of the 
Society by Sir W. Jardine (see Proc., vol. i. p. 4; and vol. ii. 
p- 07). The specimen was described by him as being the 
Pagophila brachytarsus (Halboll), and the first time it had 
been observed as occurring in this country. 


IV. Ornithological Notes —Larus glaucus (Glaucous gull), Mergulus 
alle, (Little Auk), &c. (specimens exhibited), By J. A. Smiru, M.D. 


A fine specimen of the Larus glaucus, the great white- 
winged or glaucous gull, was sent for exhibition by Mr 
Kdward Hargitt. It is a bird of this year, and was shot on 
Holy Island, near Berwick, in the third week of November. 
Dr Smith also exhibited a specimen of the Little Auk, re- 
cently shot in the Firth of Forth. This bird is an occa- 
sional winter visitor, generally after severe storms. It occurs 
abundantly in the Arctic regions; and he might mention in 
regard to it, that the late Professor Jameson used to exhibit 


348 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Soctety. 


a specimen, presented to the Museum of Natural History in 
Captain, afterwards Sir Edward Parry, which was captured 
by him in the year 1827, as far to the north as Lat. 82° N. 


V. Dr Smith exhibited plaster casts of the skull of the 
famous Gorilla, and also of its brain cavity. Mr Alexander 
Stewart, No. 1 Surgeon Square, had been most successful 
in making these casts; and from him specimens could be 
obtained. 


Wednesday, 26th February.—Joun Cotpstream, M.D., President, 
in the Chair. 


Norman Bethune, M.D.; H. W. Mitnish, Esq., M.R.C.S.L.; and 
William M‘Nab, Esq., Royal Botanic Gardens, were elected members of 
the Society :— 

The Secretary stated he had received from the Right Honourable Sir 
George Grey an official intimation of the Society’s Address of Condolence 
having been duly presented to her Majesty. 


The following Donations to the Library were laid on the table, and 
thanks voted to the donors :— 

1. (1). Meteorological Observations made at Providence, R.I. By 
Alexis Caswell. October 1860.—(2.) Meteorological Observations made 
near Washington, Arkansas. By Nathan D. Smith,M.D. October 1860. 
—(3.) Researches upon the Venom of the Rattlesnake. By S. Weir 
Mitchell, M.D., Washington. January 1861. From the Smithsonian 
Institution, U S.A.—2. Second Report of a Geological Reconnoissance 
of the Southern and Middle Counties of Arkansas, made during the years 
1859 and 1860. By David Dale Owen. Philadelphia, 1860. Pre- 
sented through the Smithsonian Institution—3. Proceedings of the 
Boston Society of Natural History. Vol. VII. 16-28, and Vol. VIII. 
1-4. From the Society.—4. On the Sounds caused by the Circulation 
of the Blood. By Arthur Leared, B.A., M.D., Dub. London, 1861. 
From the Author. , 


The following Communications were read :— 


I. Exhibition of Drawings, by Native Artists, of Animals collected in 
India, belonging to the different Great Divisions of the Animal 
Kingdom. By Watrer Extiot of Wolfelee, Esq. Communicated 
by Joun Cotpstream, M.D. 


After some introductory remarks on the occasion of his 
occupancy of the chair for the first time since his re-election 
as one of the Presidents of the Society, Dr Coldstream ad- 
verted to the great loss which the Society had recently 
sustained in the death of Mr John 8. Livingston, one of the 


Exhibition of Drawings by Native Artists in India. 349 


office-bearers,—a young naturalist whose talents and ex- 
tensive acquirements had given promise of much usefulness. 
Dr Coldstream said, that long and intimate acquaintance- 
ship with the deceased enabled him to bear testimony to the 
thoroughness of his habits as a student; to his carefulness 
in research; to his probity and moral worth. Of his 
capacity for acute generalisation, the Society had been 
favoured with a striking proof in the able paper ‘‘On the 
State of our Knowledge respecting Metamorphism in the 
Mineral Kingdom,” which he read in March last. This, 
along with a memoir on the effects of anesthetics on plants, 
made Mr Livingston’s talents widely known, and led him 
into extensive correspondence with men of science. His 
modesty and courtesy of manner were as remarkable as his 
acquirements, and endeared him to a large circle of attached 
friends. Dr Coldstream then submitted for the inspection 
of the members a large collection of drawings in water 
colours, of various Indian animals, chiefly insects, which had 
been made at the instance of Walter Elliot, Hsq., lately a 
member of the Supreme Council of Madras. These remark- 
ably beautiful drawings were executed by native artists, 
under the eye of Mr Elliot. The accuracy and elegance of 
the drawings were much admired, and a hope was expressed 
that many other residents in India would avail themselves, 
as Mr Elliot had so successfully done, of the talents of the 
natives, to extend our knowledge of the beautiful produc- 
tions of our eastern empire. 


IT. Observations on British Zoophytes, 1. Atractylis arenosa. 2. 
Atractylis miniata. 3. Laomedia decipiens. By T. Srrerniun 
Wricut, M.D. (Plate XV.) 


1. Atractylis arenosa. 

This zoophyte was described by Mr Alder at the last 
meeting of the Society. In September last I found a large 
female specimen at Largo, and was fortunate enough to 
have an opportunity of studying its anatomy and repro- 
duction. The polyp-stems are, as Mr Alder has shown, 
funnel-shaped and expanding at the top. From them the 
milk-white polyps issue, each furnished with an alternat- 
ing row of long tentacles. The scleroderm, or corallum, is 


390 Proceedings of the Loyal Physical Society. 


covered by a thick layer of colletoderm, which is con- 
tinued over the body of the polyp, and which, when the 
polyp retires within its tube, fills up the top of the 
tube by its cushiony folds, so that the polyp is completely 
hidden, and the funnel appears as it were closed by a valve. 
The colletoderm in my specimen was coated and impreg- 
nated with mud. Mr Alder’s specimen was covered with 
grains of fine sand. I was at first inclined to believe that 
this zoophyte was merely a variety of Atractylis repens, 
which, with its medusoids, I have already described to the 
Society ; but after it had been in captivity a few days, I 
found that it was beginning to put forth ovisacs, one on 
opposite sides of the polyp-stems (Plate XV. fig. 7). 

The mode of reproduction in this zoophyte is unique 
amongst the Tubulariade, though I have noticed and de- 
scribed it in the Sertularias and Campanularias. 

The female generative sac of Atractylis arenosaresembles 
that of Hydractinia ; it is a simple sac formed of ectoderm, 
or the outer layer of the ccenosarc, enclosing a similar sac 
of endoderm, the “ placenta,” the whole being covered by a 
layer of scleroderm and colletoderm. Between the placenta 
and the ectoderm a large number of ova are developed, each 
showing a germinal vesicle and spot (fig. 8). When the ova 
are sufficiently advanced for extrusion from{the generative 
cavity, the investments of the sac are ruptured, the sac 
assumes a long, cylindrical form (fig. 9), and a most labo- 
rious process of parturition commences. With each pain 
the ectoderm of the sac contracts laterally, like the bell of 
a Medusa, and at the same time the placenta (fig. 9 c) is 
dilated by fluid pumped into it from the somatic cavity of 
the zoophyte, so that the ova, which are floating in a milky 
fluid, are forced against the summit of the generative sac. 
Meanwhile, another process has been going on,—the ex- 
ternal surface of the summit of the sac has been secreting a 
thick cap of gelatinous colletoderm (fig. 9 d), which is to ~ 
form a nidus for the further development of the ova. The 
contractions become still more violent, until the ova are 
confined in a mass at the dilated upper part of the sac; this 
last is ruptured, and they are forced into the gelatinous cap, 


Observations on British Zoophytes. 351 


which still remains attached to the summit of the empty 
generative sac (fig. 10d). The ova now undergo fissure, 
and are developed into planule within their nest, then at 
last escape, and, after swimming in the water, doubtless 
become fixed and converted into polyps. 

Atractylis arenosa, although it gives off an immense num- 
ber of young, is one of the rarest zoophytes on our coast, 
probably on account of the low viability of its planule. 
While Sertularia pumila, one of the commonest species, and 
which produces its young in the same way, will quickly hne 
the vessel in which it is kept with forests of young zoo- 
phytes, not a single planula of Atractylis arenosa, of the 
immense number that were given off by my specimen, ever 
attained the polyp stage. 

We have in this zoophyte the reappearance amongst the 
Tubulariade of a mode of gelatinous nidification, which ob- 
tains in various orders of the animal kingdom,—in the Pro- 
tozoa, the Mollusca, the Annelide, the Insecta, and even 
amongst the Vertebrata, as in the common frog. We may 
ask, How is it that the ova of Hydractinia and Coryne are 
discharged into the water to float about without any pro- 
tection, while those of Atractylis arenosa, the Sertularias and 
Laomedias, require such various provisions for their protec- 
tion ? but we do not find anything in the physiology of the 
zoophyte to answer the question. 


2. Atractylis miniata. (New Species.) 


Polypary yellow dendritic, branches given off at an acute 
angle from the stem, crooked, wrinkled but not ringed. 
Polyp with eight alternate tentacles, buccal cavity 
silvery, endodermal lining of stomach bright red-lead 
coloured. teproduction not observed. 

This zoophyte was found on stones at Largo, in little 
gnarled shrubby trees about an inch high, exposed at the 
lowest tides. The bright yellow colour of the polypary 
at once strikes the eye, which is also arrested by the 
gaudy colour of the minute polyps. These appear to be 
marked by two broad internal patches: one, correspond- 
ing to the buccal cavity, of a dense silvery white ; the other 

VOL. II. 2% 


302 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


to the cavity of the stomach, of a brilliant reddish orange. 
I have also found very minute specimens of this species at 


Granton , 
3. Laomedea decipiens. (New Species.) 


Polypary minute; stem filiform flexuose, with from one 
to five branches, each bearing a cell; the stem is annu- 
lated with about five rings above the origin of each 
branch; the branches are annulated throughout; cells 
widening rapidly towards the top, with even double 
rims. Polyp, with about sixteen tentacles and trumpet- 
shaped proboscis. 

This pretty little Laomedea resembles much the Laomedea 
neglecta of Alder, except that the margin of the cell is even, 
and has the appearance of being double for about half its 
length from the rim, though, from the extreme delicacy of 
the cell, this character is only made out with difficulty. 
The reproduction of this zoophyte resembles exactly that of 
Laomedea lacerata, except that each gelatinous nest of A. 
decipiens contains only three ova, while that of L. lacerata 
contains six or eight. 

Description of Plate XV.—Atractylis arenosa. 
Fig. 7. Polyp-stalk with two ovaries, the scleroderm covered by layer of 
colletoderm. 
8. Ovary with colletoderm and scleroderm removed, showing layer of 
ova between endoderm and ectoderm. 
9. Advanced stage of same: a, ruptured scleroderm; b, ectoderm; ¢, en- 


doderm; d, layer of colletoderm. 
10. Same, with ova extended into gelatinous nest. 


III. On the Geological Age of the Pagan Monuments of the Outer 
Hebrides. By Captain F. W. L. Tuomas, R.N. 


Some recent observations made upon the geological changes 
that have taken place since the so-called Druidical circles 
were erected in the Long Island, will, it is presumed, be inter- 
esting to the Society; although any conclusions from these 
observations can only be valued as first approximations to a 
knowledge of the era of the unknown founders of these gigan- 
tic monolithic structures. 

It forms no part of the present subject to describe these 
monuments farther than to state, that, as in the Orkneys, in 


one locality of the Lewis several of these circles are placed 


On the Pagan Monuments of the Outer Hebrides. 353 


within a short distance of each other; but no peculiarity is 
observable in the selection of their position ; and, from all that 
is known at the present time, their place of site appears to be 
accidental, or at least chosen without any distinct motive. 
One of these circles, the far-famed stones of Callernish, occu- 
pies the flat of a ridge of hilly ground, while two others are 
near together on a wet and boggy moor, at the distance of a 
mile to the eastward of the first. If the circles situated on 
the moor had been visited two or three years ago, nothing but 
afew gray blocks even with, or protruding two or three feet 
above the bog, would have been seen, and even many of the 
stones of the large circle of Callernish were completely grown 
over and buried in peat. By the liberality of Sir J. Matheson 
these three circles have been excavated, and it was then found 
that the peat had accumulated to the height of between five 
and six feet. From an attentive examination of the founda- 
tion of these circles, I arrive at the conclusion that the stones 
were pitched before the growth of peat had commenced, or at 
least at the very commencement of the peat-forming epoch. 
The upright stones are founded in the (so called) boulder-clay 
which overspreads this, with most other parts of Scotland, and 
the peat rises uniformly from the clay to the surface, which 
would not be the fact if holes had been dug in the peat to 
receive the stones. Besides, some stones that had early fallen 
(in the smaller circles) rest upon the clay without any peat 
below them ; and still further, in two of these circles are loose 
heaps of stones,—“ cairns,” as they are called, the grave-mounds 
of the illustrious dead,—which also rest upon the clay, without 
any intermediate floor of turf. If any peat had grown, it 
would be found beneath these cairns, for I consider it childish 
to suppose that it would have been cleared away. At the 
excavation of a tumulus at Stennes, in the Orkneys, which 
was presumed to be of or about the same age as the adjacent 
stone circles, the heath and moss on which the materials of 
the tumulus had been heaped were found in as good preserva- 
tion as when the mound was made, 

Besides the circles named, there are others, both in Lewis 
and Uist, which are only discovered by an occasional stone 
peering above the surface; and I see no reason to doubt that 


oo4 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Soctety. 


some of these Pagan monuments are entirely buried and out 
of sight. 

I produce a stereoscopic photograph of the Callernish circle, 
which fortunately shows, by a difference in the depths of shade, 
the height to which the peat had grown around the stones; 
two of them, to the left hand, were entirely covered. 

If, then, it is admitted that the stone circles of the Lewis 
were placed before, or only when the peat began to form, and 
that the peat has grown five feet since that time, it is evident 
that the least age of these monuments would be known if the 
annual increase of peat was known. But I am unacquainted 
with any data from which to form an estimate, and there is a 
wide difference in the opinions held on that point. One prac- 
tical gentleman assured me that the Lewis peat grew an inch 
every year; at this rate the entire deposit might have taken 
place in about sixty years. Another estimate is nine inches 
in a century, but we require twice the number of years that 
this ratio would give to get back to Pagan times. As I am 
unacquainted with any class of facts that bears upon the sub- 
ject, it is not worth while to offer any conjecture at the present 
time. I may mention, however, that to my surprise, one of 
the Lewis bards has a tradition that at one time there was no 
peat in Lewis ; and it is also to be noted, that almost always, on 
excavating any of the Pictish dwellings, pieces of burnt stick 
(charcoal) are found at the fire-hearth. I do not wish it to be 
inferred, however, that there was no peat to be then found— 
only that sticks formed part, if not all, of the fuel then in use. 
A most instructive section was made a few years ago on the 
banks of the Creed, in the policies around Stornoway Castle. 
My notes are mislaid, but if my memory is correct, a cutting 
was made through a peat-bank to form a road, by which a 
perpendicular section of between eight and nine feet in height 
was exposed. About the middle of the bank, that is, three 
or four feet below the surface, was and is the place where a 


fire had been kindled; a few stones had been put round on which ~ 


to stand the kettle, probably to boil a salmon, and bits of char- 
coal still remain in the ashes. The banks of the Creed could 
still supply enough indigenous birch to boil a craggan. 

Very erroneous opinions are abroad concerning the cause 


On the Pagan Monuments of the Outer Hebrides. 355 


and growth of peat ; in most books I see the observations of a 
certain Lord Cromarty are quoted, from which it is most illo- 
gically inferred that all peat is the result of the decay of forest 
trees. So wide spread is this allusion, that it has been quoted 
to me where the peat-banks were visibly and presently telling 
their own history. Without denying that the decay of forest 
trees in marshy ground will form peat, it requires only the 
most superficial observation to know that wood peat occurs 
only in the most homeopathic quantity in, at any rate, the 
islands of North Britain. It fortunately does occur as an 
exceptional instance, and then in so marked a manner as to 
leave no chance of confounding wood peat with the almost 
universal moor peat. The bulk of the peat of the northern 
and western islands is made up of the roots of rushes and 
moor-grass; the mosses help to keep it constantly wet, and 
the tormentilla (and probably other plants) supplies tan to the 
moss, and prevents it from decomposing into vegetable earth. 
Such were the conditions when the peat first began to grow, 
and such they still continue. I have looked over thousands 
of sections of peat banks in which there was no difference in 
the composition of the peat, from the base where grew the first 
peat-forming plants to the surface at the present moment, 
excepting consolidation towards the bottom from time and 
pressure. When the surface of a peat bank has been exposed 
for some time to wind and rain, the most solid, as well as the 
spongier portions of the peat will be found disintegrating into 
laminze, which lamine probably represent the annual growth, 
and if they were distinct enough to be counted would indicate 
the age of the peat. Irom whatever cause, there was a time 
when the general surface of the country was bare and lifeless, 
which was followed by a growth of plants, in no way differing 
from those that are now struggling for existence upon the 
moor. And from what has been said before, it would seem 
that man made his advent here at much about the same 
geologic time. 

A common tradition of the Lewis is, that the ground was 
once entirely covered with forest trees, and that the wood was 
burnt down by the Northmen to deprive the aborigines of the 
shelter that it afforded. In almost all traditions there is 


356 . Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


some relation to fact; but without going into the history of 
this opinion, it will be enough to notice, that as far as I am 
aware there is but one place in Lewis where the remains of 
forest trees are to be found. ‘The roots of firs over twelve 
inches in diameter occur near Balaline, in the parish of Lochs, 
and only there. These roots are always on the clay soil, for 
neither bush nor tree is found with its roots in the peat. 

But although in a thousand cases the section of a peat bank, 
from its surface to its base, exhibits only a succession of marsh 
plants, a patient observer will here and there find a spot 
where the foundation of the peat is a floor of twigs and leaves. 
This, as stated before, bears only a minute proportion to the 
moor peat of the country. When examined it appears to be 
made up in great part of the twigs of the birch, but I have no 


doubt that the berry and bush of the mountain ash, the larch, 


the aspen, and the willow could be detected. In fact, it so 
happens that in this strange country, where many of the 
manners of the tenth century still exist, the method by which 
this peat of scrub and brushwood was formed can still be 
seen. On the small islets in the lakes, to which neither 
sheep nor cattle can gain access, a dense mass of scrub still 
survives. The heather will grow four feet in height, and 
above that may be seen the red berries of the mountain ash, or, 
if in spring, the catkins of the willow, or the pendant leaves 
of the aspen, with briers and brambles to interlace the whole. 
In the face of some cliffs and banks, and even in a few re- 
mote spots, the holly, hazel, aspen, birch, and willow, still 
struggle against an adverse climate as they did a thousand 
years ago. 

I have been thus particular in pointing out the limited 
quantity of wood peat, and where it occurs, its position, rest- 
ing upon the boulder clay, for a purpose to be more particu- 
larly described at the close of this paper; and I pass on to 
notice some important geological changes that have taken 
place in the most recent or peat-forming era. 

My official duties led me last summer over several hundred 
miles of the most tortuous coast-line imaginable. Between 
North and South Uist lies the large island of Benbecula, and 
about five hundred others of different sizes and shapes; most 


On the Pagan Monuments of the Outer Hebrides. 357 


of these can be approached on foot at low water, and the rest 
are only separated by shallow channels. On going round the 
coast I began to notice that the peat banks formed frequently 
the sea-margin at high water; and feeling that it was a point 
of some geological importance, I noted the places on my sketch 
of the coast, till at last finding that the phenomenon was ex- 
tremely common, occurring perhaps twenty times in a day’s 
walk, it was no longer necessary to record its occurrence. 
After examining hundreds of examples, I came to the conclu- 
sion that, in these instances, there was no other way of 
accounting for peat banks having that position with regard to 
the sea-margin, than by the subsidence of the land. In many 
of the cases referred to, the peat rests at once upon the naked 
gneiss. Now, the surface of the gneiss is as rugged as, and 
not very unlike what, the surface of the ocean would be if it 
were suddenly solidified in the middle of a violent storm. The 
peat has grown over the undulatory surface, but, as was to be 
expected, is deepest in the depressions, where I have sometimes 
seen it in section more than ten feet in height. Let it be sup- 
posed that the relative levels of land and sea remained the same 
until the formation of peat had occurred, and then that the 
land began to subside. The effect would be that when the sea 
reached the foot of the peat banks small cliffs would form, 
identical in their features with those of clay or gravel, or any 
other soft material. But from the extreme softness of the peat 
the sea would quickly eat it away, and work itself into all the 
sinuosities of the surface gnciss that were below the level of 
high water. This is what has happened around Benbecula ; 
the sea at high water flowing in amongst the knolls, at first 
forming a simple gap, then branching out like the arms of a 
tree; at a further stage in the destruction of the peat, a group 
of islands is formed, till at last the whole vegetable soil is 
washed away, and a few bare rocks serve to point out where but 
one generation ago the cattle have pastured and corn has 
grown. Some of these rocks, which are now completely bare, 
still bear the names of particular plants that once grew upon 
them. It is difficult in words to convey an idea of the 
appearances and of the facts; but an inspection of the coast 
would show that the peat could only have been brought into 


358 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


its present position by the subsidence of the land. There are, 
indeed, but two other ways by which the peat can be found to 
form the sea-coast; one is by the action of the sea upon the 
shore, the other by the peat advancing to the sea by slip. But 
neither of these cases will apply to the sea threading in among 
the knolls and hillocks, eating out holes at first, which become 
pools, then lagunes, till at last the land that enclosed them is 
all gone. It must therefore be accepted asa fact, that the 
land has subsided (and is subsiding) since the peat began to 
form, and, consequently, that the stone circles of the Lewis are 
of an age anterior to that subsidence ; it follows, then, that if 
the rate and quantity of subsidence were known, and supposing 
it to be uniform, we should arrive at the least age of the Pagan 
monuments. 

Although we cannot arrive at the whole quantity, we have 
fortunately a measure of a part of that subsidence ; this is 
afforded by what have foolishly been called submarine forests, 
but which are in fact submerged peat-banks. 

In the Orkneys I have noted six places at which submarine 
peat is said to be found; at Otterswick, in Sanda, I have seen 
the people digging 1t at low water for fuel. The peat was 
mainly composed of twigs and leaves, and the seeds of the 
birch were plentifully scattered through it. There were also 
many gnarled pieces of wood, of the thickness of a man’s arm. 
I was informed, on describing the kind of peat found at Otters- 
wick, that the same sort of fuel may be got at Balranald, on 
the west of North Uist, at the level of low water. Peat also 
occurs below mud and gravel between tidemarks at the head 
of West Loch, Tarbert, in Harris; and Martin, the historian 
of the Hebrides, speaking of Pabbay, an island in the Sound 
of Harris, says, ‘‘ The west end of this island, which looks to 
St Kilda, is called the Wooden Harbour, because the sands, at 
low water, discover several trees that have formerly grown 
there. Sir Norman Macleod told me that he had seen a tree 


cut there, which was afterwards made into a harrow.” Se-— 


veral traditions could be added, of places now submerged 
that were formerly the sites of chapels or houses; and I think 
it may be taken as proved, that since the commencement of 
the peat-forming era, the land has sunk or subsided twelve 


Description of Fishes from Old Calabar. 309 


feet at least ; how much more, there are no means of finding 
out, for the submarine peat may have grown near to, or far 
away from, the high-water level; neither do we know how far 
the submerged peat-banks extend beyond the level of low water. 

From the foregoing facts, it may be inferred that very soon 
after the climate of the Hebrides became such as to admit of 
the growth of vegetation, man emigrated te these shores, 
bringing with him the arts of agriculture and navigation, and 
a religion that induced him to honour the memory of his 
illustrious dead. Since then the tanned vegetable mould has 
accumulated to the height of at least five feet, and also since 
man’s advent here the entire land has sunk twelve feet or 
more. These data may, by a more extended investigation, 
form a measure to the time of his arrival; at present I must 
content myself with having pointed out the facts. 


IV. Description of several Fishes from Old Calabar. By Joun CLeLann, 
M.D., Glasgow. Communicated by Wittiam Turner, M.B. 


The specimens now exhibited were given me by our late lamented 
Treasurer, Mr Oliphant, and it was his desire that they should be shown 
to this Society. They come from Old Calabar. They are not in very 
good preservation, but are sufficiently so for the determination of their 
characters. Besides a small specimen of Chromis niloticus (Cuv.), there 
is an Hleotris and four fishes of the family Silwrozdez, none of which cor- 
respond with species described in the work of Cuvier and Valenciennes, 
or such other books as I have been able to consult. They may possibly be 
mentioned in recent monographs which I have not had an opportunity of 
seeing. 

1. The Eleotris presents well the characters of that genus, the head 
being much depressed, the body slender, the eyes remote, the gape very 
large for the size of the body, and the lower jaw prolonged beyond the 
upper, so as to give the mouth an upward direction, which may probably 
be looked on as convenient to a fish inhabiting the muddy parts of the 
water, and preying upon animals swimming overhead. Also, it shows 
well the appendage behind the vent and the ununited ventral fins, which 
distinguish this genus from Gobius. It has no vomerine teeth ; its scales 
are small; its total length to the tip of the caudal fin is five inches. The 
caudal fin is one inch long and rounded. 

The number of the fin rays is as follows :—first dorsal eight, second 
dorsal ten, caudal thirty-two, anal nine, pectoral sixteen, ventral six. 

2. Of the Stlwroed specimens one is a Synodontis, and corresponds 
exactly with a specimen in the British Museum. I believe that it is the 
Synodontis serratus, although the number of its fin rays agrees rather 
with that attributed to S. arabi in the work of Cuvier and Valenciennes. 

The anterior dorsal fin has eight rays, the first of which is, as in all 
the members of the genus, a long and strong slightly curved spine fixed 
at right angles to the body. This spine is toothed on its posterior edge, 
and towards the point anteriorly. 

The posterior or fatty dorsal fin, half an inch high and two inches long, 

VOL. II, 3A 


360 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


is continued further back than the posterior margin of the anal fin. The 
caudal fin is bifurcated, the superior half longer than the inferior.. From 
the longest ray above to the longest below, inclusive, there are seventeen 
rays; and outside these there are eleven shorter rays in each half. 
There are thirteen rays in the anal, nine in the pectoral, and seven in 
the ventral fin. The first pectoral fin ray in Synodontis is a large spine 
toothed before and behind, the posterior teeth being longest, about equal 
in length to the dorsal spine. There is no locking arrangement in its 
joint, and therefore it can only be kept in the extended position by mus- 
cular effort. On the other hand we find the lock-joint of the pectoral 
spine in genera in which the dorsal spine is not fixed, as in this genus. 

The superior scute of the head passes back nearly as far as the third 
dorsal fin ray. The coracoid scute is triangular, and passes back as far as 
the superior scute. 

The long curved teeth which hang loosely in the lower lip, and which 
give character to the genus, are twenty-four in number. Behind them 
are fine velvety teeth, the patches of opposite sides distinct. In the 
upper jaw there is a double row of conical teeth, about eighteen on each 
side, and behind them (on each side) a patch of setose teeth of very 
irregular size. 

There is one superior pair of barbules very long and simple, and two 
inferior pairs, both of them branched, the outer pair half the length of 
the superior pair, and the inner pair half the length of the outer. 

The specimen is twelve inches long from mouth to tip of tail, and three 
inches from mouth to the first dorsal spine. 

A view of the swimming-bladder of Synodontis is given by Miller in 
his work on Myxinoid fishes. 

3. Two of the specimens exhibited belong to the genus Clarias, which 
is characterised by the presence of arborescent branchial appendages 
attached to the second and fourth branchial arches, and by having only 
one dorsal fin. 

The first of them corresponds exactly to one which I have had the 
opportunity of examining in the British Museum, and which, therefore, 
we may expect to have properly described by Dr Gunther in his elaborate 
work, of which part is already published. The specimen is a foot long. 
The head is depressed and shielded, oblong in form, the eyes small and 
lateral; the body is oblong, compressed. The dorsal fin extends from 
within an inch behind the head back to the tail, but is not continuous with 
the caudal fin; it contains seventy-six rays, the first of which is not 

_ spinous. 

The caudal fin contains twenty-four rays, the anal sixty-three, the 
pectoral twelve, the ventral six. The first ray of the pectoral fin is a 
spine toothed before and behind, and having a lock-joint, that is to say, 
its joint is so constructed that when the spine is fully extended it cannot 
be pushed back towards the body by any direct pressure, but must first 
be rotated to a certain extent, and then it folds back easily. The anal 
fin is continued, like the dorsal, back to the caudal, without being con- 
tinuous with the latter. There is a papilla behind the anus. 

The teeth are velvety, in very broad patches. The teeth in the upper 
jaw are larger than those in the lower; the patch in the lower jaw is 
broader than that in the upper, and indented at the outer side. On the 
vomer there is also a broad patch of very minute teeth. 

The barbules are eight in number. The anterior superior pair are 
longest, the external inferior pair slightly longer than the posterior 
superior pair, while the internal inferior pair are thick, short, and trun- 
cated, a character peculiar to this species. 


4, The other Clarias, which I exhibit, resembles two of the Indian ~ 


hp 


Mr T. D. Weir on the Food of the Common Squirrel. 361 


Species, viz., Clarias Nieuhofi and Clarias jagur, in the dorsal and 
anal fins being continuous with the caudal. It has only one arborescent 
branchial appendage on each side, which is attached to the fourth bran- 
chial arch, and is very small. The specimen is eight inches long to the 
tip of the caudal fin, the latter being three-fourths of an inch long. The 
head is depressed, not shielded, three-fourths of an inch long, the body 
compressed. The barbules are eight, the branchiostegal rays nine. The 
anterior superior barbules are broadly membranous at the base. 

The teeth are velvety, the patch on the lower jaw is much larger than 
that on the upper, and there is a patch on the vomer. 

The dorsal fin begins an inch behind the head ; it has no spinous first 
ray. ‘The rays in it and the anal fin are very numerous. The pectoral 
fins are small, and have six rays, the anterior ray being a short spine, less 
than half the length of the succeeding rays, and not lock-jointed. The 
ventral fins are small and contain three rays. 

5. The remaining specimen is a species of Heterobranchus. Hetero- 
branchus is a genus allied to Clarias, having the same sort of arborescent 
branchial appendages, but having two dorsal fins, the posterior of which 
is fatty. 

The specimen is five and a half inches long, three-fourths of an inch of 
this length belonging to the caudal fin. The appendages will be seen on 
the second and fourth branchial arches. 

The head is very much depressed, broad, shielded, the eyes lateral, the 
barbules eight. 

The branchiostegal rays are eight. The first dorsal fin has thirty-five 
rays, the first one not spinous, it ends behind the middle of the body. 
The fatty dorsal fin extends from the true dorsal to the tail, and contains 
traces of eighteen very fine rays. The caudal fin has twenty-two rays ; it 
is rounded, and is tipped with black, as are also to a less extent the other 
fins, and the dorsal aspect of the head is also black. The anal fin has 
forty-seven rays, and extends from anus to tail. The pectoral fin has 
ten rays, the anterior ray toothed and lock-jointed, shorter than the suc- 
ceeding rays. The ventral fin has six rays. 

The teeth are velvety, in elongated narrow patches, one of which is on 
the vomer. 


V. Note of the Common Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) Feeding on Buds 
and their Eggs. By Tuomas Duruam Wer of Boghead, Esq., Bath- 
gate. Communicated by Dr Jonn ALEX. SMITH. 

The far-famed Charles Waterton of Walton Hall, Hsq., near 
Wakefield, in his amusing and highly interesting Hssays on 
Natural History, has strongly maintained that the squirrel 
derives its supplies of food wholly from the vegetable king- 
dom, and.is not possessed of any carnivorous propensities. 
I shall however prove from a few facts, for 

“ Facts are chiels that winna ding, 

Wage And canna be disputed,” 
that this is not the case, but that some members of this 
family are not true vegetarians, and do occasionally indulge 
in carnal feasts. 


362 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Hear what Mr Waterton says in reply to a published 
account of a tame squirrel eating flesh in confinement :— 

“Had the squirrel been wild in the wild woods at the 
time that Mr Wigton saw it eat birds, I should not hesitate 
to pronounce that individual squirrel to be carnivorous, 
because I believe that Mr Wigton would only state what he 
conceived to be correct. I gather from Mr Wigton’s com- 
munication that his squirrel was in captivity when it 
partook of a carnal feast. This single fact at once precludes 
the possibility of the Squirrel family being raised to the 
rank of carnivorous animals. The incarceration only of a 
few days might have injured the prisoner seriously, either 
in his nervous system, or in his gastric powers, or in his 
olfactory sensibilities."—Now for my facts :— 

A few years ago, during the month of May, Mr James 
Hunter, a respectable merchant in Bathgate, upon whose 
veracity I can place perfect reliance, informed me that 
whilst walking through the plantations of Andrew Gillon, 
Hsq. of Wallhouse, he observed a squirrel sitting upon the 
branch of a tall larch. Being near to the farm-steading of 
Broom Park, and anxious to get it for a specimen, he 
brought out the son of the farmer, who immediately shot it. 
To their astonishment they found a small bird firmly clutched 
in its claws, with its skull laid open, and the brains taken 
out. 

James Bell, another observer, told me that when walking 
through a plantation on his father’s farm of Carriber, near 
Linlithgow, he observed a squirrel in the act of sucking 
egos which were deposited in a bird’s nest, and that when 
he approached it scampered off with one of them in its claws. 

Mr George Heathe informed me that, in July last, when 
resting at his meal hour in a plantation near Bowhill House, 
a seat of the Duke of Buccleuch, in the neighbourhood of 
Selkirk, his attention was attracted by the lively gambols of 
a squirrel among the trees. In the course of its movements 
it happened to come upon the nest of a thrush containing 
several newly-hatched birds. Seating itself beside the nest, 
it took a short but deliberate survey of its contents, and 
then lifted one of the birds, which it held between its fore 


Ormthological Notes. 363 


paws, and proceeded to devour with apparently the greatest 
relish. Not contented with this, it was in the act of taking 
another from the nest, when the enjoyments of the feast were 
broken in upon by the hitherto unseen observer of the 
depredation. 


VI. Albino Variety of the Lepus timidus. Exhibited by Joun 
Avex, Smitu, M.D. 

This white variety of the common hare was shot near 
Lauder about the end of January. The animal was large, 
and well fed. The eyes were carefully examined, and were 
pink or red, showing the usual deficiency of the dark pig- 
ment of the eye, which occurs in albinos. The ears, which 
were longer than the head, had no black colour on their 
tips; and the upper part of the tail, instead of being black, 
as in the common and Alpine hares, was, like all the rest of 
the animal, pure white. 


VII. Ornithological Notes. By Joun AuexanpEerR Smitn, M.D. 
(Specimens exhibited.) 


(1.) Turdus Merula (Penn.) Blackbird.—A pied variety 
of this bird was exhibited, the head and upper parts of the 
body being variegated with numerous pure white feathers. 
It was shot on the 3d of February near Dundas Castle, Lin- 
lithgowshire. 

(2.) Loxia curvirostra (Penn.) Common Crossbill.—A 
male and female, in fine plumage, were exhibited, killed on 
the 13th January, near Aberdeen. 

(3.) Picus Major (Penn.) Pved or Great Spotted Wood- 
pecker.—Adult male specimen, showing the crimson red 
occiput, was found in May 1861 lying dead in the shrubbery 
of T. Durham Weir of Boghead, Esq., near Bathgate, Linlith- 
gowshire. The bird seems not to have been before observed 
in this county ; it is not included in the list of the birds of 
Linlithgowshire, by the Rev. John Duns, recently published 
in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. A young male, 
shot on the 4th of last December, at Kirkwall, Orkney, 
was also exhibited. It is one of our rare local residents, 
and is an accidental visitor or straggler in Orkney. An- 
other specimen was killed in Orkney in the month of August 


364 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


last, and was sent to Mr J. Carfrae, Princes Street, to be 
preserved. 

(4.) Hybrid Grouse, between Blackcock and Red Grouse.— 
Two male, apparently hybrid grouse, in very fine plumage, 
were exhibited. ‘They show a resemblance to both parents, 
and their size is intermediate between them; being rather 
less than that of the male blackcock, and 18 inches in length 
from point of bill to middle of forked tail. The upper parts 
of head and body are black, mottled with reddish-brown and 
erey ; the breast is black, with slight reddish purple reflec- 
tions; the under parts black, mottled with red, and spotted 
with white. The birds have the blackish bill of the black- 
cock, and the scarlet free fringed margin of membrane over 
the eyes, as in the Red Grouse. 

Tail is slightly forked, and differs from Macgillivray’s 
specimen, in having eighteen feathers like the Blackcock, 
instead of sixteen as in the Red Grouse. 

The legs have the tarsi closely feathered all round, like the 
Red Grouse, there being no bare space on the back part, as 
exists in the Blackcock; and the feathers are as close and 
thick as in the former. The feet are feathered for about a 
third down the toes, whereas in the Blackcock the feathering 
stops at the commencement of the toes, and in the Red 
Grouse it extends down to the claws. The toes are mar- 
gined with pectiniform scales, as in the Black Grouse ; and 
the claws are long, arched, and slender, ike the Red Grouse, 
and do not resemble the shorter and stronger claws of the 
Blackcock. The birds agree closely with the description of 
a hybrid given by Macgillivray in his “ British Birds,” and 
with those formerly exhibited (Proc. vol. 11. p. 245). They 
were procured by Mr Aitken, farmer, Listonshiels, and had 
been killed on the 8th December, on the Pentland Hills, 
some twelve miles west of Kdinburgh. The birds were pre- 
pared by Mr Sanderson, George Street. 

(5.) Botaurus stellaris (Selby.) The Common Bittern.—A 
beautiful male Bittern, now become one of our rare birds, 
shot on the 24th January, near Balerno, in this county, 
was exhibited. Its large membranous stomach contained a 
couple of frogs, a large and a small one. The body of the 


i 


Ornithological Notes. 365 


large frog was much altered by the digestive process, but its 
hind legs, which projected upwards into the gullet, were 
very little changed. The caput cecum was small, measur- 
ing only about one-eighth of an inch, and had no projecting 
cecal appendages. Another specimen, a female, was also 
examined ; it was shot in October last, between Ayton and 
Coldingham, Berwickshire. 

(6.) Podiceps cristatus (Penn.) Great Crested Grebe, 
(‘‘ pellet” in stomach).—The specimen exhibited was shot in 
the Firth of Forth, near Queensferry, on 27th January 
1862. It measured 21 inches in length; wing from carpal 
joint to point of primaries, 7% inches. Bill nearly two 
inches in length, of a pale carmine tint, with a dusky stripe 
along its ridge, and tip of greyish white ; small white spot 
between eye and bill. In wing, the primaries are brown, 
one or two of the last being slightly tipped with white; 
secondaries pure white, with the exception of two or three 
of the last feathers, which are more or less tipped with 
brown, and the coverts of the primaries and secondaries are 
brown; the humeral feathers and their coverts are pure 
white, and this white colour runs forward along the lesser 
coverts at the anterior margin of wing, gradually diminish- 
ing in breadth towards the carpal joint. The scapulars are 
dark-brown or greyish-brown, like the rest of the back. The 
expanded wing, therefore, displays the primaries brown, 
and a broad band of brown obliquely crossing the white 
wing from the carpal joint to the points of the last secon- 
daries. The axillaries are white. Feet and legs greenish- 
brown on outside; inside, pale yellowish-green. The bird 
is a female; the muscular gizzard measured 24 inches in 
length, with a thick, rugose cuticular lining; it contained 
a nearly dry rounded mass; about the size of a small walnut, 
~ which, when broken up by the finger, was seen to consist of 
various black and white feathers, apparently taken from the 
bird itself, and the remains of what appeared to be the spines 
and skins of shrimps or other crustaceans. Masses of this 
kind have been often noticed in the stomach of this bird, 
and have been variously described. The pyloric orifice of 
the stomach was seen to be very small, and it was at once 


366 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


apparent the mass of feathers never could be passed by 
the bowels; whereas the cardiac opening of the stomach 
was large, with a large glandular proventriculus, forming a 
band 13 inch in breadth. It was manifest, therefore, this 
mass was simply a “pellet” of feathers, and the indigestible 
parts of its food, ready to be cast up by the mouth. From 
the lower bowel there were two ceca, one 13, the other 24 
inches in length. 

Macgillivray, in his “‘ History of British Birds,” says, “ Its 
food consists of fishes of various kinds, aquatic insects, 
reptiles, and crustacea. Along with remains of these are 
usually found in the stomach numerous large curved feathers, 
which it probably picks up as they float on the water, 
and which are no doubt intended to facilitate digestion.” 
How, he does not tell us. 

In Professor Fleming’s “ British Animals” we are told 
that he found in the stomach of a young Podiceps cornutus 
‘a concretion upwards of half an inch in diameter, con- 
sisting of its own belly feathers, closely matted together. 
Montagu, in his Supplement, states, that he observed the 
same occurrence in the red-necked and crested species. Are 
these to be considered as analogous to Bezoar’s ?” 

Yarrell, in his ‘‘ British Birds,” alludes to “ this habit of 
the grebes swallowing feathers alone,” and says it “‘ appears 
to be peculiar to the grebes only. From fish bones being 
found occasionally mixed up with the feathers, there is cause 
to suspect these birds bring up the more indigestible part 
of their last meal, as hawks, &c., are known to do.” 

From their anatomical structure, there cannot be a doubt 
of the fact of this bird bringing up pellets, and the presence 
of the feathers will rather facilitate the completeness of the 
operation; being possibly swallowed for the very purpose of 
assisting to clear out or brush away from the inside of the 
stomach the indigestible and spiny portions of the skins of 
crustacea, fish bones, &c., which, without some arrangement © 
of this kind, might cause considerable trouble and uneasi- 
ness to get quit of. 

(7.) Podiceps rubricollis (Penn.) ed-necked Grebe—A 
young male, showing a slight appearance of red on the 


Ormthological Notes. 367 


feathers of lower part of neck, was shot on the River Tay, in 
the month of January, and is exhibited by my friend, P. A. 
Dassauville, Esq. A young specimen was obtained from the 
stomach of a cod, by our member, Dr John Anderson. The 
bird was in good preservation, and was presented by him to 
the Natural History Museum of the University ; the cod 
measured 33 feet in length, and was not in good condition ; 
it was caught in the month of November on the east of the 
Isle of May. The Red-necked Grebe is stated to be more 
decidedly marine in its habits than others of the grebes ; 
and this instance of its capture by the cod fish, may perhaps 
be considered an additional proof of the correctness of this 
opinion. 

(8.) Podiceps cornutus (Penn). The Horned or Sclavonian 
Grebe.—A male and female in their full summer plumage, 
in the possession of Mr Sanderson, George Street, were ex- 
hibited. They were shot on the 20th of June 1860, by Far- 
quhar Campbell, Esq., at the small loch of Killisport, on his 
property of Ormsary, Argyleshire. These birds are not 
known to breed in Scotland ; in this instance, however, from 
the season of the year, and from the locality to which they 
seemed attached, they were considered as probably rearing 
a brood of young. 

(9.) Podiceps auritus (Penn). The Hared Grebe.—The 
bird exhibited was found by Mr John Blackwood, George 
Street, in the early part of January, on the sea-beach within 
the grounds of Dalmeny Park, near Edinburgh, the seat 
of the Earl of Rosebery. It is easily distinguished from 
the other grebes by its small size, being still less than the 
species last noticed (this bird measured about 12 inches in 
length); and by the peculiarly recurved or bent up character 
of its bill, which is also shorter than the head. The 
upper mandible is broad at the base, and is depressed a 
little in the middle of its length; its outline rising slightly 
upwards towards the tip. The outline of the lower mandi- 
ble is nearly straight at the base, and rises rapidly upwards 
towards the point, giving it the appearance of being cut off 
obliquely at the point. The bill is black, tinged with blue, 
and horny white at the tip, the base of lower mandible 

VOL. II. 3B 


368 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


being yellowish. This specimen is probably a young bird 
in winter plumage; it has the upper parts of head nearly 
black, feathers rather prolonged at sides of hind head ; neck 
and back brownish-black; chin, and across upper part of 
neck white, a greyish band crosses front of neck; and be- 
low it is silvery white, the flanks being dashed with brown. 
Wing: primaries, dusky, first and second nearly equal, rest 
gradually diminishing in length; secondaries, pure white ; 
the coverts brown; below, white; length from carpal jomt 
5 inches. Legs and feet dark green, rather lighter on in- 
side. Macgillivray says he has very seldom met with this 
bird in Scotland; and Sir William Jardine states he has 
never personally found it. It is the rarest of the British 
Grebes. 


VII. A Large Specimen of the Wild Cat (Felis catus ferus), 
recently shot on the property of the Harl of Seaforth, in 
Inverness-shire, was exhibited by Edward Hargitt, Esq. 


VIII. Mr Rozert Brown exhibited to the Society a beautiful specimen 
of Astrophyton scutatum* from Davis Strat, with the following Note. 


Twelve months ago to-day I sailed to the Arctic Regions, 
for the purpose of studying some points in Natural History to 
which my attention had of late been directed. During the 
eight months I was away, I visited various parts of the Polar 
Regions, the seas round Jan Mayen, Spitzbergen, and the 
east coast of Greenland, the west coast of Greenland, and 
crossing the top of Baffin’s Sea to Lancaster Sound, that 
portion of the American coast bordering Davis Strait, &. &c. 
From a variety of causes—among others the late severe 
winter and spring (the latter of which we ourselves expe- 
rienced, the former we were told of by the Eskimo), and 
the comparatively still summer, blocking up the shores 
with ice, which was not dissipated before we were forced to 


seek a milder climate—my voyage was not so successful, 
from a scientific point of view, as, under other circum- — 


stances, it might have been. I however gained valuable 
experience, which I hope soon to make use of, and which 


* The specimen is now in the Natural History Museum, Edinburgh. 


a> 
eee 


Mr Robert Brown on Astrophyton scutatum. 369 


has well repaid me for any little hardships and dangers 
I may have undergone in gaining it; and I take this op- 
portunity of thanking Captain George Deuchars of the s.s. 
‘“ Narwhal,” and his officers, for the ready and intelligent 
assistance they tendered me whenever it lay in their power. 
The few observations which I have been enabled to make, I 
shall have the honour of laying before the Society at a future 
time. In the meantime I exhibit this specimen of Aséro- 
phyton scutatum, Link, Flem., e¢ Forbes (Brit. Hchin., p. 67), 
which I obtained, m September 1861, on the west side of 
Davis Strait, about a mile off Cape Kater, clinging to a 
whale line, from 150 to 200 fathoms—rocky and clayey 
bottom. It was laden with ova of a deep-red colour. I 
found nothing in its stomach but Diatomacez, and a spe- 
cimen of an HEntomostracan, closely allied to, if not iden- 
tical with, Cetochilus arcticus of Baird, in the ‘‘ Appendix to 
Sutherland’s Voyage,” vol. ii. p. cciii., the presence of which, 
however, may, with a specimen of a species of Yoldia em- 
braced in its arms, be only accidental. (It may be men- 
tioned as a curious fact, that this Cetochilus forms a great 
portion of the food of the “commercial” whale (Galena 
mysticetus), a much disputed point, and of some of the 
minuter species of Acalephe.) 

_ Astrophyton scutatum has been occasionally got among 
the Northern Isles of Scotland (where it bears the rather 
classical name of Argus) and Norway.* 

It has been found, however, very rarely, and at distant 
periods, in the Arctic seas. Otho Fabricius, in his remark- 
ably accurate Fauna Groenlandica (Hafniz et Lipsiz, 1780), 
speaks of it (p. 372) as follows :—“ Asterias caput meduse. 
Hanc in museo plurimum reverendi Dn. Egede de colonia 
Jacobshavn (ni fallor) missam, vidi: unde concludo, in sinu 
Disco dari ; non autem vivam ipse offendi.” 

Whether Fabricius refers here to Hans Egede, the pioneer 
missionary of Greenland (1721), or to his son, Paul Egede, 
- also a missionary in Greenland, and both of whom published 


* The secretary of the Zoological Society lately exhibited a specimen at 
one of their meetings from the southern seas. (‘ Habitat in omni oceano, 
imprimis Pelagico.”’—Linn. Syst., i. 663, Hd. 10.) 


370 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


works on the country, does not appear, though in none of 
them can I find any account of this animal. The Chevalier 
Charles Louis Giesecke, who passed several years in Green- 
land, engaged in the study of its Natural History, in his 
article ‘‘ Greenland,” in the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, vol. x. 
p- 502, notes as follows:—‘‘In Disco-Fiord is found the 
Asterius caput meduse.” He is apparently here, as in many 
other places, only copying the doubtful record of its occur- 
rence by Fabricius. 

There is no notice of itin Hans Egede’s work on Greenland 
(Die Gemle Greenland nye Perlustration, 1729); or in the 
fuller and better work by David Crantz, one of the Mora- 
vian Unitas Fratrum (Historie von Gronland, 1765; English 
trans. 2 vols. 1820), both of whom studied very closely the 
Arctic Fauna with the best lights of the age. My attention 
has however been called to a note by Mr Gwyn Jeffreys, in 
the “ Annals of Natural History,” vol. vii. p. 253, where he 
refers to Sir John Ross having got a single specimen far 
north, which was described by Dr Leach, under the synonym 
of Gorgonocephalus arcticus, and is now in the British Mu- 
seum. It was obtained from 1600 fathoms soundings in soft 
mud, and measured, when expanded, two feet.* 

My specimen is much larger and finer than any I have 
ever seen got in the British seas. It thus appears that, with 
the exception of the doubtful indication of its occurrence in 
Disco Fjord, by Fabricius (cerciter 1760), and that by Sir 
John Ross in 1819, this specimen found last year is only the 
third got in the wide Arctic sea, north and west of Greenland. 
None of the Government exploring expeditions have brought 
it home, though it is quite possible that some of the many 
naturalists who have studied the Arctic fauna since the days 
of Fabricius—Eschricht, Staeger, Kroyer, Moller, Hoeg, Olrik, 
Rink, Reinhardt, Otto Torrell, &.—may have met in with it, 
though I am not aware that it is on record. Disco-Fyjord, a 


* Martens, the surgeon of a Hamburg whaler, in 1671, appears to have 
met with it in his “‘ Voyage to Spitzbergen, ¢. P. f. #.,” though Phipps (Lord 
Mulgrave), in his Fauna of that sea, does not mention it: ‘“‘ Voyage to the 
North Pole ;” apud Scoresby, ‘‘ Arctic Regions ;” though it was afterwards 
got in Davy’s Sound on the east coast of Greenland.—(Scoresby’s Voyage to 
Greenland, fc. ; Zoological Appendix.) 


Mr Robert Brown on Astrophyton scutatum. 371 


narrow inlet of the Island of Disco (lat. 68° 58’ 42” N., long. 
53° 13’ W.), appears to be a very likely place for it. It is 
almost opposite Cape Kater where I got it, and where it 
appears to be pretty abundant; for broken pieces occasion- 
ally came up on the whale-lines afterwards. 

A curious idea seems to have prevailed in Bishop Erick 
Pontopiddan’s day regarding this animal. After mention- 
ing in his excellent ‘‘ Natural History of Norway,” part 1. 
pp- 179-80 (Lond. 1755, English trans.), that it is rarely got 
on the Norwegian coast, and is called Sée-Navle by the Nor- 
wegians, and Sde-Soel or Sea Sun by the Dutch sailors, who 
frequently find it in the West Indies, according to Geo. 
Marcgrave’s account, in his “ Historia Naturalis Brazilie,” 
lib. iv. cap. xxi, he states, in all good faith, the following 
extraordinary notion, though, with a lack of credulity he has 
hardly been given credit for, repudiating it :—“ This strange 
and wonderful fish or korstrold is said to be only the young, or 
perhaps only the germ, of the roe of that great and frightful 
monster, which is here called Kraake [Kraken Anglice]. But 
as far as I could get information from several fishermen, who 
all agree in their accounts, this cannot possibly be true.” 

Though a rare animal, this ‘ Korstrold,” from its bizarre 
form, seems to have attracted the attention of all the “ enge- 
nuous” naturalists of an early date, as well as more modern, 
and to have received (after a fashion not peculiar to our 
time) a variety of names,—viz., Sternfisch, J. C. Adelung, 
Geschicte, &c., p. 381, tab. xvii. fig. (1768); “‘ Stella ma- 
rina 1. Ionstoni, Lnsect., tab. xxiv. fig. 11” (fide Fab.) ; 
Stella arborescens (Rondoletius and Gesner) ; Asterias caput 
medusee (Linnzeus, Muller, &c.) ; Asterias arborescens (Pen- 
nant); Huryale verucossum (Lamarck); Huryale scutatum 
(Blainville), &c. 

Most of the early authors give distinguishable figures of 
it. That of Pontopiddan is the best. Among modern, that 
of Professor E. Forbes is the only good portrait of it, but, 
from its want of colouring, his figure does not do full justice 
to the varied hues of the starfish. The coloured figures in 
Griffith’s beautiful edition of Cuvier’s Regne Animal, as also 
in the “Crochard Edition” of same work, are mere pictures. 


372 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Wednesday, 26th March 1862.— Atexanprr Bryson, Esq., President, 
in the Chair. 


The following Donations to the Library were laid on the table :— 


1. Canadian Journal, New Series, No. 36, November 1861.— 
From Canadian Institute. 2. First Report of a Geological Reconnois- 
sance of the Northern Counties of Arkansas, made during the years 1857 
and 1858.—From Geological Surveyor of Arkansas. 3. Fourth Report 
of Progress of the Geological Survey of Missouri.—By G. C. Swallow. 
1859. 


The following Communications were read :— 


I. Notice of Indian Insects exhibited at last meeting by Mr Elliot of 
Wolfelee. By R. F. Loean, Esq. 


Although not present at the last meeting of the Society, 
when Mr Elliot’s beautiful drawings of Indian animals by 
native artists were exhibited, I have since had the pleasure 
of inspecting them, through the kindness of Dr Coldstream ; 
and with reference more especially to the entomological 
portion of the collection, I wish to bear testimony not only 
to the intrinsic beauty and fidelity of the drawings, but also to 
their high scientific value, as comprising the transformations 
of many insects whose history has been hitherto unknown 
to science. Besides figures of the larve and pupe of many 
of the Papilionide, Pieride, Nymphalide, &c., some of 
which have been already figured and described, the collec- 
tion includes some most interesting details of the trans- 
formations of the Heterocera. Among the Woctue, those of 
the genera Hypocala, Hyblea, Ophideres, Achaea, Lagop- 
tera, and Serrodes, are especially worthy of mention. The 
larvee of Hypocala have no apparent affinity with those of the 
Catocalide, immediately before which they stand in Guenee’s 
arrangement. Those of Opilideres, of which Guenee re- 
marks, ‘‘Je desirerais vivement connartre les chemilles de ce 
genre singulier,” are quite as remarkable as the perfect in- 
sects. They are elongate and cylindrical, lke those of the - 
Ophiuside, and the anterior pair of ventral claspers is imper- 
fect ; but instead of being attenuated posteriorly and ante- 
riorly with a pair of small tubercles on the eleventh seg- 
ment, the latter forms a large conical protuberance, as in 


Dr James M‘Bain on the Development of Fish Spawn. 373 


the larva of Notodonta or Amphipyra, and the rest of the 
body is uniformly cylindrical, the fifth and the sixth seg- 
ments bearing a pair of large eye-like spots, somewhat like 
those of the larva of Cherocampa. The position, when at 
rest, is most remarkable, the body resting on the three pairs 
of perfect ventral claspers alone, with the anterior segments 
elevated and incurved, after the manner of the Sphinges, 
and some of the Geometre, while the posterior segments are 
elevated in the air after the fashion of the genus Notodonta. 

The drawings are on their way to London, I believe, to 
be placed in the hands of Mr Moore; so that their details 
may be expected to be embodied in the forthcoming volumes 
of the Descriptive Catalogue of the Insects in the Museum 
of the Hast India Company. 


II. Notice of the Development of Fish Spawn from the Firth of Forth, 
By James M‘Barn, M.D., R.N. 


On Tuesday the 11th instant, when examining fish spawn 
under the microscope, I observed a free and complete rota- 
tion of the embryo in the ovum, which rotatory movement 
was repeated at short intervals. The spawn had been 
dredged up four days previously in 144 fathoms water, half 
a mile to the westward of the Isle of May; and in all the 
ova which had a clear transparent appearance the same rota- 
tory motion was observed. ‘The following day, on making 
similar observations, the embryos were still found alive, 
and rotating freely in the ovum; and fresh spawn dredged 
up at the same place exhibited similar activity of embryonic 
movement. ‘The spawn in which this vital action was seen 
is said by the fishermen to be the herring spawn ; and to as- 
certain, if possible, to what species it really belongs, I pre- 
served small portions of the spawn in sea-water. On the 
18th instant, I was pleased to see a numerous brood spon- 
taneously extruded from the ova, swimming freely about in 
the vessels in which they had been placed. 

The ova were about 5th of an inch in diameter, and the 
young fry, when first extruded, measured two to three lines 
in length. A few of the young fish are now, eight days 


374 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


after extrusion, fully half an inch long, and have almost 
parted with the nutritive portion of the vitellus. There are 
many, however, that have made less progress, and have still 
a large yelk-mass attached to the upper part of the thorax 
immediately behind the pectoral fins. On the third day 
after exclusion from the ova, the mouth and jaws were quite 
distinct, the pectoral fins had appeared, and the outlines of 
the branchial arches were plainly visible. The cardiac con- 
tractile sac, which was seen in the embryo, was now found 
to contract and dilate sychronously with a fluid movement 
along the ventral aspect, which could be traced backwards 
four-fifths the length of the fish, where a notch in the deli- 
cate fin membrane appeared to indicate the separation be- 
tween the abdominal and caudal portions of the animal. 
The progress of development has been watched daily, and 
will be more fully detailed when the observations are com- 
pleted. 

As it is uncertain whether the young fry will exist long 
enough to pass into their adult condition, I have thought it 
proper to give this brief notice to the Royal Physical So- 
ciety, and at the same time to exhibit living specimens, 
along with pencil drawings illustrating the various phases 
of development from the first rotation of the embryo seen 
in the ovum until the present time. 


Dr T. 8. Wright mentioned that he had noticed a similar 
development, but was doubtful if the ova were herring 
spawn. 


III. (1.) On the Difference between the young Herring, Clupea harengus, 
and the Sprat, Clupea sprattus. (2.) On the Food of Fishes. By 
J. M. Mircaett, Esq. 

Mr Mitchell described the various differences between 
these distinct fishes; and proceeded to detail the results of 
the examination of the contents of the stomach in various 
genera and species of fishes. 


IV. On Phryxus Paguri. By Joun Anperson, M.D. 
In the month of May last year, when dredging in the 
Firth of Forth, I had the good fortune to meet with this in- 


Dr John Anderson on Phryxus paguri. 375 


teresting, and, according to its discoverer, Rathke, ‘‘ recht 
selten parasit.” As itis a new and interesting addition to 
the fauna of the Scottish seas, I shall shortly describe its 
external characters. This remarkable Bopyridian is fixed 
with its dorsal surface to P. Bernh., and from its anomalous 
position, one is apt to confound the ventral with the dorsal 
surface of the body. By means of its seven prehensile feet 
it adheres with considerable tenacity to the soft abdomen of 
the crab. In Phryxus, as in the other Bopyride, the pro- 
portions of the female greatly exceed those of the male in- 
dividual, which is always found associated with, and leading 
a parasitic life upon, the former. Differing in size, they also 
differ in external form. 

The female always selects the left side of the crab as its 
habitus, which, I suppose, is owing to this side of the crab 
being always in relation to the widest part of its appro- 
priated dwelling. It is about half an inch in length and a 
quarter of an inch in breadth ; all my specimens were of a 
pure white colour. The body of the animal, with the excep- 
tion of the caudal appendage, is nearly of the same breadth 
throughout its whole extent ; its anterior margin is rounded. 
As already stated, the dorsal surface is applied to the 
abdomen of the crab, and is flat, but slightly concave in the 
centre, and is divided into seven segments, each segment 
bearing a pair of prehensile feet. The ventral or upper- 
most surface is in relation to the shell in which the crab 
lives, and, like the dorsal, is distinctly segmented, but is 
hidden from view by six leaf-like membranes, which form 
the breeding cavity for the ova. 

The head of the animal cannot be detected on the ventral 
surface until the bladder-like pouches which overlap it are 
removed. This portion of the head consists of a large under 
lip, behind and over which are placed two valve-like bodies ; 
these bodies, in reality, are the altered pouches of the head 
segment. When viewed from the dorsal aspect, the head 
has a quadrangular appearance, bearing upon the centre of 
its anterior margin a small rounded process. The first pair 
of antenne are small, and consist each of three joints, the 
terminal joint bearing a few bristles. The second pair are 

VOL. II. 3c 


376 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


much larger than the first ; they consist each of four joints, 
the two terminal joints being provided with a few bristles. 
Eyes are wanting in the female. 

The segments of the dorsal surface of the body are sym- 
metrical, with the exception of the sixth, the unsymmetri- 
cal character of which is due to the animal being slightly 
curved, the convexity of the curve being towards the right 
side, and involving this segment. The segments gradually 
increase in size from the third to the sixth; the latter is very 
much expanded on the right side of the mesial line, corre- 
sponding to the convexity of the curve of the body. The 
seventh segment is symmetrical, but very much smaller 
than the preceding one. All these segments bear feet, which 
are very much distorted. From the different relative pro- 
portions of the segments, the feet are placed at various dis- 
tances from each other. The first pair closely surround the 
head, and have the second pair intimately applied to their 
external margins. The third pair are placed very near the 
second, but slightly posterior to them ; and the fourth pair 
are removed at some distance from the finite and also from 
the fifth pair, which lie behind them. A considerable in- 
terval exists between the fifth and sixth pair of feet, which 
is especially marked upon the right side of the animal. The 
sixth and seventh pair le contiguous to one another. 

Projecting beyond the posterior margin of the body 
(seventh segment) are the five branchial segments, all of 
which, with the exception of the terminal one, carry a pair 
of oval pedunculated branchie. The segments are rounded, 
and diminish in size as they approach the extremity. The 
terminal one ends in an oval-shaped process, which pre 
performs the same function as the branchie. 

The six ventral membranes of the breeding cavity in- 
crease in size as they approach the posterior extremity. 
The first or head pair differ in their form from the other 
five, from which they are also distinguished by their edges 
not being overlapped. 

They appear to be supported upon very short jointed 
stalks, and they consist of two portions, an anterior and pos- 
terior. The anterior portion is oblong in form, and bears 


Dr John Anderson on Phryxus paguri. 37 


upon its ventral surface four rounded tubercles, and has a 
curious crescent-shaped pedunculated appendage attached 
to the posterior extremity of its external margin; the pos- 
terior portion is about half the size of the anterior, and 
is convex externally, and slightly concave on its internal 
margin. | 

The connections of the remaining five pouch-like mem- 
branes are as follows :— 


The 2d belongs to the 1st Thoracic segment. 
mW Ou is Lao : do. 
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a NE 5 Sth and 4th do. 
Pe Ob Ot. , oth, 6th, and 7th do. 


The second membrane covers the valve-like leaf of the head 
and is overlapped by the third, which is partially covered by 
the fourth ; this, again, overlaps the antericr extremity of 
the fifth, the remainder of which, and the posterior half of 
the fourth, are hidden from view by the largely developed 
pouch of the fifth, sixth, and seventh segments. By this 
arrangement the plates visible from the belly side are the 
third, fourth, and sixth. The sixth plate is minutely serrated 
along its margins. In one of the specimens I examined, 
the fourth, fifth, and sixth membranes were filled with ova. 

The pale-yellow coloured male is a very little more than 
one line in length, and consists in all of nine segments, 
which diminish in size as they approach the caudal extre- 
mity. The anterior segment (head) is symmetrical, and 
bears two eyes. Projecting beyond its lateral margins are 
the external antenne, which consist of four joints. Placed 
internal to these, and completely concealed by the head, 
are the internal ones, which only consist of three joints. 
Each of the remaining segments, with the exception of 
the terminal one, carries a pair of feet which are provided 
with sharp claws. The segments are rounded at their ex- 
ternal margins. 


378 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


V. Observations on British Zoophytes and Protozoa. 1. Clava nodosa. 
2. Acharadria larynx. 3. Zooteirea religata. 4. Freya (Lagotia) 
obstetrica, Freya stylifer. 5. Chetospira maritima, 6. Oxytricha 
longicaudata. By T. Srrermintn Wricut, M.D. (Plate XVIL.) 

1. Clava nodosa (n. sp., T. 8. W.) 

‘‘Polypary creeping. Scleroderm membranous, ‘ Polyps 
single, small, aurora-coloured, each springing from a small 
knot of convoluted tubes.’ This zoophyte was found on the 
fronds of Delesserva sanguinea at Queensferry and Largo.” 

The very delicate threads of the polypary creep over the 
fronds of the seaweed, and at intervals twine themselves into 
a convoluted knot of membranous tubes, from which a single 
polyp arises. The species occurs only at low tide mark; 
while C. repens, for which it may be mistaken, is found in 
shallow rock pools. 

2. Acharadria larynx. (Pl. XVII. figs. 7, 8.) 

‘ Polypary branched, spirally twisted. Polyps pale orange, 
with two rows of tentacles. The lower row from 4 to 12, the 
upper row from 2 to 8 capitate.” 

On stones carrying Caryophyllia Smithi, received from 
Ilfracombe. This little Tubularian was about a quarter of 
an inch high, with three polyps, and resembled in habit 
Tubularia larynx. It bears the same relation to Vorticlava 
that Corymorpha does to Tubularza larynx. 

3. Zooteirea religata. 

I described this animal to the Society about dis years 
ago. It is a stalked Actinophrys. The body, asin other 
animals of this class, consists of two elemental tissues, 
to which I have given the term ectosarc and endosare, 
—terms which have been adopted by Dr Carpenter. The 
ectosarc or external tissue is prolonged into a thick brush 
of the most delicate contractile palpocils or tentacles, like 
threads of spun glass (Pl. XVIII.), by which the animal 
is constantly seizing small organic particles, and convey- 
ing them to the endosare or inner tissue, which is the 
nutritive element. I stated that the stalk was formed of 
a prolongation of the ectoderm, similar to the tentacles; 
but, having again discovered large colonies of these animals 
last summer, and again this winter, I have been enabled to 
study the structure of the stalk more closely, and find that 


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Observations on British Zoophytes. 379 


it is an elastic tube, which appears to consist of denser tissue 
than either of the elements of the body. The axis of the 
tube is occupied along its whole length by a powerful mus- 
cular band, which is well seen in the figure (Pl. XIX. fig. 
1d), in which the tube is distended with water, as sometimes 
occurs. The animals are very sluggish, remaining for days 
motionless, with all their rays extended; but the moment they 
are touched they vanish, drawn close down by their powerful 
muscular apparatus into the interstices of the shells in which 
they are generally found. Zooteirea multiplies by gemma- 
tion. The bud, which is given off close to the stalk, sepa- 
rates as a minute Actinophrys, which instantly fixes itself 
and develops its stalk. The lower part of the stalk is in- 
cluded in a mass of gelatinous tissue into which the animal 
can entirely retract itself. The long tentacles of Zooteirea 
religata can only be properly brought into “ black ground 
illumination,” when they appear like the rays of a silvery 
star, slightly curving under the influence of currents in the 
waters. : 

4, Freya (Lagotia) obstetrica, Freya stylifer (n. sp, T. S. W.) 

It is now some years since I described several species 
of the new genus Lagotia to the Society. It appears, how- 
ever, that Claparede and Lachmann had already consti- 
tuted the genus Freya for animals evidently belonging to 
my genus Lagotia, in a memoir which they communicated 
to the French Academy, which memoir was printed after my 
communication to this Society. The species of Freya dis- 
covered by them differed from any of my species, and I have 
now to describe two other species of this very remarkable 
genus. LPreya obstetrica (Pl. XIX. fig. 4.)—* Lobes of rota- 
tory organ very broad, not folded; the tips bluntly rounded 
and incurved, so as to resemble very closely the blades of 
the obstetric forceps. Body fusiform, scarcely longer than 
the rotatory lobes. Nucleus large, colourless, surrounded 
by dense green pigment. Body and rotatory lobes covered 
with striz, bearing fringes of cilia. Cell flask-shaped, with- 
out a trumpet-shaped mouth. Colour of animal and cell 
pale bluish green.” Freya stylifer (figs. 5, 6.)—‘* Rotatory 
lobes short, narrow, and widely expanded, one of the lobes 
bearing at its tip a fleshly prolongation or style as long as 


380 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the lobe; cell tubular, without trumpet-shaped mouth; cell 
and animal colourless.” Freya stylifer is the smallest spe- 
cies I have yet seen of the genus to which it belongs; when 
contracted within its tube, it projects the curious style, 
which is doubtless a sense organ, beyond the opening, only 
entirely retracting it when rudely disturbed. 

During the last summer I had an opportunity of watching 
another species of Freya (2. producta) building up its re- 
markably constructed cell. The cell of this species, which 
is often immensely prolonged, is formed of a spiral ribbon 
of chitine, cemented by a thick internal layer of soft green 
sarcode, secreted by the body of the animal, so that the 
whole forms a hollow tubular spring, like the spiral wire 
tubes formerly employed for conveying gas to moveable 
burners. These tubes will therefore bend aside like a wil- 
low twig on any rude contact from the animals which are 
constantly dashing about, and will instantly regain their 
proper position. The young Freya producta, which is a free 
swimming larva, fixes itself, and secretes the lower part or 
body of the cell from the outer surface of its body; it then 
begins to form the elongated neck by depositing the chitine 
and sarcode on the upper edge of the constantly lengthening 
ribbon, carefully moulding the plastic materials with its two 
short rotatory lobes, which it uses like a pair of hands (Pl. 
XIX. fig. 2), just as Sabella and Serpula mould their tubes 
with their hand-like secreting leaflets. Having built its 
tube to the requisite length, it finishes it off with a hand- 
some trumpet-shaped mouth, and then retires to develop its 
long rotatory lobes. Occasionally the animal outgrows its 
dwelling-place,; and finds it necessary to lengthen its tube. 
For this purpose a large quantity of dark green matter is 
collected in the body of the animal, a little below the rota- 
tory organ (fig. 3 6), and from this part chitine and sarcode 
are secreted, which are instantly moulded into shape by the 
rotatory lobes, and a new spiral tube rises up from within 
the trumpet-shaped mouth of the old one (fig. 3 a). 

5. Chetospira maritima (n. sp., T.S. W.) 

Two species of this remarkable animal have been noted by 
Lachmann—C. Mullert and C. Mucicola. Cheetospira is de- 
fined as a Stentor, in which the ciliary spiral and the paren- 


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Observations on British Zoophytes. 381 


chyma of the body supporting it are drawn out into a long 
thin process. When the animal issues from its tube, it pro- 
trudes its ciliary organ as a fleshy column, fringed on one 
side by a row of very long motionless cilia, but in an in- 
stant the column is twisted into a spiral, and the cilia are set 
in violent motion, urging currents of water towards the 
mouth. The marine species approaches in character, as to 
its rotatory organ, to C. Mullert, while it inhabits a mucous 
tube like that of C. Mucicola. 


6. Oxytricha longicaudata, (Pl. XIX. figs. 7, 8.) 

This remarkable animal, resembling very much Oxytricha 
retractilis, described by Claparede and Lachmann, was found 
in great numbers with Chetospira maritima. The tailin this 
species is fully twice as long as that of Oxytricha retractilis, 
and is dragged after the swimming animal like a trailing 
rope, when suddenly the extremity of the tail is fixed by 
the long cilia at its extremity, and the Oxytricha, by violent 
contractions of its tail, jerks itself backwards and forwards 
in the most violent manner. The structure of tail, under 
an excellent power of eighty diameters, presents a peculiar 
striated and plaited appearance, like that of voluntary mus- 
cular fibre, but I could not make anything of it under higher 


powers. 
Description of Plate XVII. 


Figs. 7, 8.—Acharadria larynx. 


Description of Plate XVIII. 


Zooteirea religata, seen by black-ground illumination, and focussed for the 
centre of the ‘“endosare ;” a, with palpocils extended and curved by an 
upward current of water; 6, emerging from its cell; ¢, retracted within its 
cell. 


Description of Plate XIX. 


Fig. 1.—Zooteirea religata, with palpocils partially extended, and tubular con- 
tractile pedicle distended by water ; a, ectosare ; 6, endosarc ; c, tube; 
d, muscular band ; e, areolar fibres; f, gelatinous cell. 

Fig. 2—Young Freya producta building its tube. 

Fig. 8.— Freya producta with lengthened tube ; a, old mouth of tube ; 0, thick- 
ened part of body from which the tube is secreted. 

Vie. 4 —Freya obstetrica ; a, nucleus. 

Figs. 5, 6.—Freya stylifer, extended, and in its cell. 

Fig. 7.—Oxyiricha longicaudata, with tail extended. 

Fig. 8.— i a with tail contracted. 


382 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


VI. On peculiar Hooked Spines on Ophiocoma bellis, with Observations 
on the Spines of other Ophiocome. (Plate XX.) By Caas. Wm. 
Pracu, Esq., Wick. (Specimens and drawings were exhibited.) 


On the 26th January 1859 a paper of mine was read, giv- 
ing an account of the discovery of hooked spines on Ophio- 
coma rosula, of which I had seen no notice in any work on 
British star-fishes. In April of the same year, when in 
London, I called at the Museum of Geology, Jermyn Street, 
and on mentioning this to Professor Huxley, he at once re- 
ferred me to a work in which similar spines were figured 
from star-fishes found in the Mediterranean—viz. Miller 
and Troschel’s ‘System der Asteriden, 1842.” Two species 
are figured and described as having jaw-like hooked spines— 
one at TableIX., fig. 4,—Ophionyx armata,—another at Table 
X., figs. 1 and 6—Asirophyton verrucosum. I only mention 
this work, so that any one feeling an interest in the subject 
may know where to refer. On the 14th June 1861, having 
obtained a large mass of star-fishes from the stomach of a 
cod, I found that about a hundred were Ophiocoma bellis. 
After carefully washing them, I placed portions under the 
microscope, and found that the under sides of the rays were 
furnished with hooked spines, like those I had before found 
on Ophiocoma rosula. They are not quite so distinct, nor 
so constant in form, and do not extend so far on the rays 
towards the disk ; for about the middle, they become more 
and more obscure, and before reaching it are straight, short 
spines. As well as the hooked-jaw like ones, the straight 
spines above these have hooked tips. Ophiocoma bellis is 
very abundant here, and is a favourite with cod-fish, as 
proved by the immense quantities found in their stomachs. 
Last night, in searching amongst my stores, I found enclosed 
in glass a specimen of Ophiocoma granulata, thus placed 
more than nine years ago; and, although pretty perfect, it 
was not in such a good state of preservation as I could have 
wished. Being the only one available, I was glad to have 
it. Although no hooked jaw-like spines are to be found on 
the under side of it, a provision has been made for its wants, 
by furmshing large hooks to the lower straight spines. These 


Te ShiveleN1By i SO® 


heoyal Fhysucatl Soctety, tide 


oPeach 


W. & A.K Johnston, Edinburgh 


On the Geology of Moffat, Dumfriesshire. 383 


are most hooked towards the ends of the rays. There is 
however, a peculiar feature to be noticed in this species: 
although it has not the jaw-like spine, it is furnished with 
“two little obsolete or undeveloped spines.” Ophiocoma 
rosula and Ophiocoma bellis have one only of these “‘ obsolete 
spines”—valves I would rather call them—for an opening 
may be seen when these are raised, out of which the pin- 
nated cirrhi are protruded. I regret exceedingly that I can- 
not find the drawings of Ophiocoma rosula where these cirrhi 
are shown, and which I sketched from a living specimen. 
I find in a specimen of Ophiocoma Ballit that the lowest 
spines on the under side of the rays are crowned with small 
hooks ; and I have every reason to believe that most of the 
Ophiocoma are more or less provided with hooks, either on 
straight or jaw-like spines. _ 


DESCRIPTION OF PLATE XX. 
Fig. 1.—Part of a ray of Ophiocoma bellis, showing spines, valves, &c. 
Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.—Spines from various parts of the ray. 
Fig. 9.—Part of a ray of Ophiocoma granulata, showing spines, &c. 
Fig. 10.—One of the uppermost spines. 
Fig. 11.—Hooked spine from the under side of the tip of a ray. 


VII. The Geology of Moffat, Dumfriesshire. By W1iiu1am 
Carrutuers, Esq., F.L.S. 


Lathology. 


I purpose in this paper describing the geological features of 
the district around Moffat, taking the village as my centre, 
and including all that lies within a radius of four or five miles. 
The district is situated in the centre of the immense Silurian 
tract of the south of Scotland; its predominant rocks conse- 
quently belong to the Silurian period. A red sandstone lying 
unconformable to them is the only other stratified rock. The 
superficial deposits are not numerous; they consist of boulder 
clay, gravel and sand, peat and shingle. <A trap-dyke, which 
runs through the district a mile below Moffat in a south-east 
direction, is the only igneous rock with which I am ac- 
quainted. 

VOL. II. 3D 


384 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Bibliography. 

I shall confine this bibliographical notice to works bearing 
distinctly on the district around Moffat. Hugh Miller has 
given, in a paper read to this Society in 1852, an admirable 
history of the Silurian rocks of the south of Scotland. 

In the Old Statistical Account of the parish (1792), the Rey. 
Alexander Brown, the immediate successor of Dr Walker, 
describes the soils, and alludes to some of the economical pro- 
ducts of the parish. 

In 1775 Annandale was searched for coal by Mr Burrel, 
but the account of his survey remains in the possession of the 
county unpublished. 

In 1800 the county gentlemen were anxious to obtain a 
geological description to accompany their excellent county 
map, and for this purpose applied to Robert Jameson, then a 
favourite student of Dr Walker’s, to survey the county. He 
was on the eve of setting out for Germany, and consequently 
declined at that time to undertake what he afterwards in 1805, 
on a renewed application, performed. In the meantime, 
General Dirom prepared some sections of the county, from 
published data, which were engraved on the map; and the 
Messrs Busby, two coal-viewers from Northumberland, were 
engaged to survey the county. Their journal was published 
as a supplement to Dr Singer’s “ Agriculture of Dumfries- 
shire,’ 1812. It shows them to have been shrewd men, with 
quick eyes and sound judgments. ‘They were not led astray 
by the dark shales to expect coal in the “primitive” rocks; 
they searched in them for minerals and slate. They found no 
certain indication of the former, but recommended a locality 
in the Frenchland Burn as a likely locality for the latter. 
They bored also for marl, but without success, at Calla Bank 
and Loch House. | 7 

Professor Jameson, in his “ Mineralogical Account of Dum- 
friesshire,” 1805, first referred the predominant rocks of the 
south of Scotland. to their true position. Hutton, in his 
“Theory of the Earth,” considered them as primary strata, 
but Jameson showed that they were members of Werner’s 
Transition Series. He gives an accurate account of the 
mineralogical peculiarities of the rocks, but is entirely ignorant 


On the Geology of Moffat, Dumfriesshire. 385 


of the contained fossils. He examined the shales at Hart- 
fell Spaw, but noticed only their mineralogical appearance, 
and failed to observe the graptolites which abound in them. 
An anonymous critic, evidently acquainted with the rocks of 
the district, says, in a review of Dr Jameson’s work, in the 
Literary Journal for 1806, “ We know that vegetable petri- 
factions are very common in the greywacke slates of Dum- 
friesshire.” The graptolites, which this unknown writer had 
evidently observed, remained unnoticed yet for many years. 
It seems scarcely possible that the keen eye of Dr Walker 
could have failed to see them. He says, ‘“‘ During my long 
residence at Moffat I collected, in a number of short tours, 
all the remarkable minerals of Dumfriesshire.” We cannot 
now ascertain to what extent the structure and peculiarities 
of the district had been determined by him, because of the 
unfortunate loss of all his papers. It was not till the year 
1850 that Harkness, Sedgwick, Murchison, and others, 
again drew attention to the rocks of the district, and re-dis- 
covered the forgotten “ vegetable petrifactions.” In the in- 
terval much had been done to determine the structure and 
position of the rocks of the south of Scotland, by Maclaren, 
Nicol, and Sedgwick. Professor Harkness, in his valuable 
and interesting papers published in the ‘‘ Geological Journal,” 
1851, refers the rocks of the district to the Caradoc sand- 
stone, from the characters of the graptolites. He describes in 
detail the anthracitic shales. An examination of their vari- 
ous localities led him to the conclusion that there was an 
anticlinal axis at Dryfe Water, that the strata north of this 
dipped northwards, and those south dipped southwards, and 
that the frequent recurrence of the graptolitic shales was pro- 
duced by three faults—the various localities grouping them- 
selves, as he supposed, into three series. Sir R. Murchison, 
while travelling from Dumfries to Moffat in the same year, 
supposed that the axis existed to the north of the former 
town, and published this opinion in his « Siluria,” 1854, con- 
sidering it identical with that of Harkness, and using one of 
that gentleman’s diagrams to illustrate his views. 

This is the generally received theory of the structure of the 
districts. 


386 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Silurian Rocks. 


The Silurian rocks in this district are remarkably similar 
in their composition and structure. There are no alternations 
of limestones, sandstones, shales, &c., as in the newer forma- 
tions, or even in the Silurians of some other districts. The 
rocks are almost entirely composed of water-worn quartz 
grains and clay. ‘These materials have been deposited either 
as mud, or as sand of different degrees of fineness, or of a 
mixture of both, and have produced shales or sandstones, 
which are extremely indurated, from the long continued meta- 
morphic action to which they have been subjected. The ar- 
gillaceous sandstone or greywacke rock is the predominant 
rock, It is generally fine grained, and of a uniform greyish 
colour, breaking with an uneven and somewhat conchoidal 
fracture. ‘The beds in which it occurs are generally of con- 
siderable thickness, though occasionally it is met with in thin 
layers, as at the Common Craig, where it has for long been 
quarried as a building stone. It forms a beautiful and very 
durable building material. A large portion of Moffat is built 
of it. The shales are generally light coloured, but in some 
places they are more or less blackened by anthracite, derived 
originally either from the animal bodies whose remains abound 
in these shales, or more probably from the sea-weeds that 
were their companions in the Silurian seas, and which, from 
their soft cellular structure, have left no definite traces behind 
them on the rocks. Iron pyrites, aggregated in small nodules, 
or scattered through the substance of the rock, is common in 
the shales.. So also is alum; at Garple the shales are so 
highly aluminous, that a mineral water is obtained by dashing 
the water of the burn against the more friable layers. Hand 
specimens of the shale are frequently broken up in the cabinet 
by the contained alum forming into masses of beautiful aci- 
cular crystals and separating the original layers of the clay. 
The whole of the strata are singularly free from lime. The 
only calcareous rock that Iam acquainted with is found in 
Garple Glen, but it contains such a small proportion of lime, 
joined to a large amount of mud, that it is of no economical 
value. Small veins of calcareous spar, as well as of quartz, 
occur frequently in the rocks. The indurated light-greyish 


On the Geology of Moffat, Dumfriesshire. 387 


or cream-coloured shales have been quarried for roofing slates 
at the head of Corrieferan Glen. They exfoliate in the planes 
of stratification, and have no true slaty cleavage. They are 
thick and heavy ; and though very durable, the bad roads, 
and the working expenses of a quarry in such a locality, have 
caused them to be neglected. 

The general directions of the strike of the Silurian strata is 
east and west; and the dip, when not vertical, is always at a 
very high angle—70° or more. Professor Nicol has noticed 
in Peeblesshire what may be observed in this district also, 
that the direction of the dip is towards the interior of the 
mountain chains, being south on the north, and north on the 
south side. The few scattered records of the strike and dip 
of the Silurian strata of the south of Scotland seem to be in- 
sufficient to establish a satisfactory theory of their structure. 
This will follow only after the observing and recording on a 
good map a large series of observations throughout the country 
from St Abb’s Head to Portpatrick, and from the Pentlands 
to the Solway. The theory of Professor Harkness, adopted 
by Sir Roderick Murchison, does not seem to meet the facts. 
Many of the additional localities for graptolitic shales, dis- 
covered within the last ten years, do not fit into his three 
faults. Nor does it seem possible that strata, vertical, or so 
highly inclined, could repeat themselves in a series of faults. 
Faults cannot dell, except on more or less horizontal strata. 
It is more in accordance with my own observations and those 
recorded by others, to believe that the position of the strata is 
owing to enormous flexures produced in a manner similar, but 
not so regularly, to what has been observed and ably ex- 
pounded by the Professors Rogers as occurring in the Appal- 
lachian Mountains. 

Permian Sandstone. 

The red sandstone is a very friable rock, the quartz 
granules of which are held together by a ferruginous cement. 
Its structure is frequently very coarse, forming a sandstone 
conglomerate, containing numerous generally angular frag- 
ments of the Silurian rocks. At Newton it has a fine and uni- 
form grain. <A few years ago a large quantity was quarried at 
this place for building, but it was so friable that it could not 


388 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


be used. It occurs in the bottom of the valley of the Annan 
and some of its tributaries, in strata nearly horizontal, rising 
slightly towards the surrounding high ground. It may be 
traced at the base of Hartfell, extending from the Corehead 
Burn to within about a hundred yards from the Meikleholm- 
side Bridge, where the greywacke rocks come down into the 
bed of the river, and make an evident break in the sandstone. 
It appears again further south on the roadside about three- 
fourths of a mile beyond Moffat. Probably this section, and 
the appearance of the same strata in the bed of the Well Burn, 
were the foundation for Professor Jameson’s statement, that 
the Gallows Hill (he evidently by mistake writes Chapel Hill) 
was formed of this sandstone. The same deposit occurs on 
the west side of the Annan, opposite Moffat, in the Horse 
Linn, and in Langshaw Plantation. It 1s found also in the 
Frenchland Burn, at Beld Craig, Wamphray Water, Rachills 
Glen, &e. 

This sandstone has hitherto yielded no traces of fossils in 
the district. It is evidently related to the red sandstone of 
the lower part of the valley, which contains the tracks of 
reptiles so beautifully figured by Sir William Jardine; and 
is thus most probably of Permian age. It has been deposited 
since the valley assumed its present conformation, though 
some changes have taken place since its deposition, as is evi- 
dent from the ‘inclined position the beds occupy in the Horse 
Linn, and in the localities where the junction is seen between 
them and the Silurian strata. Probably these last changes 
were contemporaneous with the intrusion of the trap-dyke, 
which we shall presently notice, and were the result of the 
causes which produced it. 

The Permian sandstone was referred to the Carboniferous 
series by Professor Jameson, Dr Singer, and others. Hence 
arose the notion that coal existed in the district. Dr Singer, 
in his “* Agriculture of Dumfriesshire,” 1812, at considerable 
length and with great ability, examines the merits of the case, 
and concludes that as coal has been found under red sand- 
stone, the Coal-measures may be hid by these strata in this 
district. He therefore recommended boring, and he regrets 
that an attempt made near Nethermills was.stopped before 


Pek, 


On the Geology of Moffat, Dumfriesslure. oo9 


anything satisfactory could be determined. The examination 
of the district, however, shows that the conclusion of Dr 
Singer, though correct theoretically, is really incorrect; for it 
is evident at the various junctions of the formations, as in the 
Newton, Hartfell, or Frenchland Burns, that the unconform- 
able sandstone rests immediately on the upturned edges of the 
Silurian strata. 

The occurrence of the black, coal-looking, anthracitic Silu- 
rian shales in many localities, has led to the belief that coal 
existed in their neighbourhood, and has caused several abor- 
tive attempts to reach it to be made, in opposition to the 
published opinions of the Busbys, Jameson, and Singer. It 
is remarkable that landed proprietors in every Silurian region 
have been induced to spend their money in vain attempts at 
searching for coal, where these anthracitic shales occur, on 
_ the recommendation of empirics, and generally in opposition 
to the published or known testimony of scientific men. 


The Trap Dyke. 


The Trap Dyke has been quarried for some years at a point 
where it projects on the surface near the summit of the Loch- 
house Hill. It supplies the bluish stone which has been 
extensively used in the recent buildings in Moffat. Its rela- 
tion to the strata, through which it is intruded, can be best 
seen in the bed of the Evan, a little above Longbedholm Cot- 
tage. Its direction is N.W. by S.E. Beyond the point where 
it crosses the Evan, it may be tracedin a N.W. direction until 
it crosses the line of the Caledonian Railway. In the oppo- 
site direction it has been quarried on Evan road side. It 
pushes out into considerable prominences in several places on 
the Coates Hill. It is also quarried, as has been said, on the 
Lochhouse Hill, and again in a plantation on the farm of 
Woodhead. Mr David Stewart has observed quarries in it 
in Dryfesdale and Eskdale. I believe it to be the same dyke 
that occurs again at Langholm. 

It is a compact, fine-grained greenstone, distinctly crystal- 
line in the centre, and becoming compact and amorphous at 
the edges. It is 32 feet wide at the quarry on the Evan 
road. 


390 Proceedings of the Toyal Physical Society. 


It is difficult to determine positively the age of this dyke 
from the strata in this district. If the position of the sand- 
stone on the sides of the Coates Hill tells, as it seems to do, 
that this hill was elevated subsequently to the majority of the 
hills around, then this trap dyke must be either a contempo- 
raneous or subsequent intrusion. 


The Boulder Clay. 


The boulder clay is a light-coloured clay, containing small 
boulders, many of them having the rubbed and polished 
appearance peculiar to and common in this deposit. It covers 
the Gallows Hill. The only section of it that I have seen is 
in a gully in a narrow plantation running down from the Old 
Well road; but this is of no great depth. It is exposed in the 
Whins, where it is sometimes dug for use in the village. The 
shoulder of land between Moffat and Annan Waters, forming 
Aikrigg farm, seems to consist also of boulder clay. A few 
of the large boulders here lying on the surface are from the 
Trap Dyke, which passes through the fields in this locality, 
although it cannot be detected on the surface. 

Gravel, here and there intermingled with sand, occupies 
the bottom of the valleys. At Granton, on the Dykefarm 
and in other localities, it exists in considerable masses. It 
presents no peculiarities requiring particular notice. 

The sides of the hills are covered with angular shivers— 
fragments of the underlying rocks—mixed with soil. 

Peat is abundant in the district. The flat summits of the 
mountains are covered with hill peat formed of, and now form- 
ing from, the mosses, lichens, heather, and rushes which cover 
the hills. It is a friable peat, wanting coherence, and is 
generally intersected by innumerable gashes (moss-hags), 
formed by the draining of the rain-water. The peat in the 
low grounds, as at Lochhouse, contains the trunks of trees of 
species similar to what still grow in the district,—fir, hazel, 
and birch. 


391 


Wednesday, 23d April 1862.—Jamus M‘Bain, M.D., President, 
in the Chair. 
The following gentlemen were elected members of the Society :— 
Peter Waddell, Esq., Claremont Park, Leith ; James Crichton Browne, 
M.D., Dumfries. 


Committees were appointed for special investigation during the sum- 
mer. 


The following Donations to the Library were laid on the table, and 
thanks voted to the donors :— 


1. Bibliographia Librorum Entomologicorum in America Boreali edi- 
torum. Auctore Guil. Sharswood.—From the Author. 2. Jahrbuch 
der Kaiserlich Koniglichen Geologischen Reichsanstalt 1860. XI. Jahr- 
gang, Nro. 2. April-December. Wein.—From the Imperial Geo- 
logical Society of Vienna. 3. Report of the Commissioner of Patents 
for the year 1858. Agriculture. Washington, 1859. 4. Report of 
the Commissioner of Patents for the year 1857. Agriculture. Wash- 
ington, 1858.—From United States Patent Office. 


The Communications read were the following :— 


I. Observations on the Phocide of the Greenland Seas. By Jonn Wat- 
Lace, M.D. Edin. (Communicated by Rozert Brown, Esq.) 


In this memoir, Dr Wallace described minutely the cha- 
racters of the four species of seals which form the source of 
the fisheries in the Arctic seas, and entered at length into 
an account of their habits and history—a subject regarding 
which little or nothing is known, and that (from the remote 
and almost inaccessible regions which the animals frequent) 
in a very contradictory and confused state. He prefaced 
his observations on the species with some general remarks 
on the anatomy and physiology of the group. The length 
of the intestine, according to his measurement, varies be- 
tween fifty and sixty feet. The livers have no poisonous 
properties, as has been alleged regarding those of Nova 
Zembla and the Southern seas. (Anson.) 

In the young seals the lymphatics of the neck are subject 
to a disease, which appears to be analogous to, if not indeed 
true scrofula. 

Many theories have been adduced to account for their 
capability of remaining so long below the surface of the 
water with impunity, though that of Buffon and the physio- 

VOL 11. 3 E 


392 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Soctety. 


logists of his time, and of Blumenbach and Houston in more 
modern times, are the most celebrated. The first is unten- 
able, as Dr Wallace found the foramen ovale unclosed in only 
one of the many hearts which he examined ; and in regard 
to the venous sinuses said to have been found by the latter 
anatomists in the liver and neighbouring parts, he had seen 
nothing which deserved the name. The venous system on 
the whole, and not in any particular part, unless in the vena 
cava, from the pressure exerted on its walls, is greatly en- 
larged, but this arises from the great quantity of blood these 
animals possess. Moreover, supposing these sinuses to exist, 
they could not contain the full quantity of blood that may 
return in that period from the capillary system. Their 
power of remaining so long below the water is to be referred 
to a cause physiological, and not structural. 

Their expertness in swimming is not acquired from birth, 
but only as an innate instinct. On first taking the water, 
they swim about in the smooth pools among the ice, and 
then swimming slowly and quietly about, seldom remaining 
longer than a few minutes below the surface. This train- 
ing, coupled with the enormous quantity of blood which they 
contain, and their slow respiration, will account for their 
capability of enduring po tempore a sub-aquatic life. 


1. Phoca Grenlandica, Mull. (The ‘“ Saddleback” of the northern 
sealers.) 

The most common length is five fect and a-half. The 
author had noticed some which differed so much from the 
typical specimens as to have led to the belief by the sealers 
of their being different species. 

Lepechin’s description of his Phoca oceanica is about the 
best description of the present species extant. The colour 
of the young at birth is a pure white, which gradually 
assumes a beautiful yellowish tint; they are then called 
“ white-coats,” and they retain this colour until they are able 
to take the water (when about fourteen or twenty days old). 
The colour of their hide changes at the same time to a dark 
speckled and spotted hue. Such are denominated “ hairs” 
by the sealers. This colour gradually changes into a dark- 


On the Phocidee of the Greenland Seas. 393 


bluish colour on the back, while on the breast and belly it 
is of a dark silvery hue. 

Young seals retain this appearance throughout the sum- 
mer, and are termed “‘ blue-backs.” The next and last stage 
is into the mature coats of the male and female adult. Three 
summers will be nearly the time required for these changes. 
The “ saddleback” has a wide distribution, influenced greatly 
by the nature and distribution of the ice, and performs a 
migration north in the spring, and south in the winter. 
Dr Wallace gave numerous additional details regarding its 
natural history, from personal observations in the Greenland 
seas during the year 1860. 


2. Phoca leonina, O. Fab. (The “ Bladdernose” of the English sealers.) 


No sealers, as far as he was aware, had ever seen such a 
seal as that described by Otho Fabricius in his ‘“ Fauna 
Grenlandi¢éa,” viz., with a straight line of brown on its back, 
as that author describes this seal in its second year. Crantz 
and Fabricius disagree regarding the localities which it fre- 
quents; the one affirming that it is found mostly on great ice 
islands, where it sleeps in an unguarded manner, while the 
other states that it delights in the high seas, visiting the 
land in April, May, and June. Both authors are correct, 
though not in any exclusive sense. The ‘ Bladdernose” is 
found all over the Greenland seas from Iceland to Spitzbergen 
and Nova Zembla. 


3. Phoca hispida, Mull. (Phoca fetida, O. Fab. Netstk of 
Greenlanders.) 

The smallest seal in the Greenland sea. It is chiefly seen, 
and taken as a curiosity, by the whalers, who call it the 
‘“ Floe-rat,” as it is always found on floes of ice, or quietly 
swimming about in the floe waters. 

They appear to be confined to high latitudes, and espe- 
cially to the parallels of 76° and 77° north latitude in the 
Greenland and Spitzbergen seas, and it is in those latitudes 
that the whalers find them. 


4, Dr Wallace described a fourth species of seal, which 
forms a considerable source of the Greenland seal fishery, 


o94 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


and which he considered corresponded more closely to 
Crantz’s description of the Eskimo Atarsoak than P. Green- 
landica, to which it has been referred; otherwise he be- 
lieved that it was unknown to science. 

It is the ‘‘ Ground-seal” of the hunters, and, like the last 
noticed species, few are taken by the sealers, but are mostly 
seen by the whalers in high latitudes, especially from the 
parallel of 76° north latitude as far as Spitzbergen. The 
length of the male is about eight feet, and the female up- 
wards of six feet. The colour and peculiar markings of the 
male very much resemble the male Saddleback, but its ap- 
pearance is much more robust, and of greater girth for its 
length ; while, upon the whole, the shade of its colour is 
darker, and yellowish or coppery ground colour more 
distinct. The full-grown female, also, to a certain extent, 
corresponds to the female ‘“‘ Saddleback ;” with this marked 
difference, that her colour is of a deep tawny yellow. Le- 
pechin’s Phoca leporina of the White Sea, or ‘‘ Hare of the 
Sea” of the Russians, is almost identical with the female 
geround-seal. Its most common resort is on the floe and 
fixed ice—in herds of two or three hundred. 

Shannon Isle and the east coast of Greenland are said to 
be peculiar haunts of this species, in common with the 
‘‘Bladdernose.” Its habits differ much from those of any 
other species of seal at present known to naturalists. 

Dr Wallace concluded his paper with some general re- 
marks on the ‘‘ Habits and Instincts of Seals,” and an account 
of the Greenland seal-fisheries as pursued at the present 
day. 

Seals pass most of their time asleep, sleeping and waking 
every two or three minutes. When disturbed, every seal 
makes an attempt to defend itself, and in the case of the 
P. leonina, with considerable danger to its assailant, if not 
well armed. They keep watches during the time the rest 
are sleeping (and it is said that these watches are gene- 
rally composed of females!) Their “ blow-holes” are evi- 
dently formed by the seals while the ice is forming, the 
animal always rising to breathe at the same place, thus pre- 


On the Phocidee of the Greenland Seas. 395 


venting the congelation into ice, or breaking it as soon as 
formed. It is impossible for the seal to pierce the ice after 
being formed to any thickness, as has been theoretically 
alleged, by keeping its warm (?) nose to the ice, thus melting 
out the hole. Unfortunately for this hypothesis, the nose 
is quite cold; but even allowing the temperature of the 
muzzle capable of performing this feat, where could the 
animal rise to breathe during the process? It would not 
venture to break through by force, as the nose is proverbi- 
ally the seal’s mortal point. Their fondness for music is 
taken advantage of by the hunters, to the destruction of 
the listeners. Many wonderful stories are told regarding 
the affection which they bear to their young, and, with the 
exception of the ‘“‘ Bladdernose,” they appear to have little 
or no combativeness in their nature. In the Greenland sea, 
the ‘‘Mountebank shrimp,’ Gamarus arcticus, forms the 
staple food of the seals. 

The number of seals taken yearly by the British and 
Continental ships (principally Scotch, Norse, Dutch, and 
German), in the Greenland seas, when they get among them, 
will average upwards of 200,000, the great bulk of which 
are young “ Saddlebacks.” When they have arrived at their 
maximum quality, 80 will yield a ton of oil; otherwise the 
general average is 100 to the ton. In 1899, good oil sold at 
about L.33 per ton; add to this the value of 100 skins at 
os. each, and the whole will amount to L.58 sterling. 

From this simple calculation, a very good estimate may 
be formed of the commercial value of the Greenland seal 
fishery ; for, supposing 2000 tons of oil to be about the 
annual produce, and assuming L.58 as the value per ton, 
inclusive of the skins, the whole produce of the fishery will 
amount yearly to L.116,000 sterling. 

There seems little doubt, notwithstanding the additional 
protection which the northern seals receive from the ice, 
that, before many years have elapsed, the seal fisheries in 
Greenland must share the fate of those in other parts of the 
world, and become extinct as a source of commercial value. 

The sealing fleet meets about the end of February in 


396 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Bressa Sound, off Lerwick, Zetland, from the British ports. 
It leaves for the north about the beginning of March, and 
shortly afterwards commences to encounter the ice. Upon 
the whole, the trade is a most dangerous and precarious 
one, and in many years does not repay the money expended 
on it. 


II. Notice of a Mass of Metcoric Iron, found in the Village of New- 
stead, Rouburghshire ; with some General Remarks on Meteorites. 
By Joun Atexanper Smita, M.D. (Plate XXII.) 


Description of Mass of Iron —The external surface of this 
mass of iron (exhibited to the meeting) is rough and irregu- 
lar; and it affects the magnetic needle very strongly. 

Its shape and general appearance is rather elegant, con- 
sisting principally of a large rounded and lobulated mass, 
irregular in outline, which tapers rapidly at one end to a four- 
sided pyramidal extremity, and terminates in an obliquely 
truncated point. (See Plate X XI.) 

For the purpose of a detailed description of its form, it may 
be divided into two portions: the larger extremity, which is 
rounded in its character; and the smaller, flattened, and 
smoother on its surface, which tapers to a blunt point. The 
first, or larger portion, is formed of a clustering mass of 
rounded lobes irregularly grouped together, and terminates 
behind in a broad blunt edge. The lobes vary in size, and 
in their greater or less projection from its surface. A deep 
furrow runs obliquely round the whole mass, and in front of 
it (towards the pointed extremity) there rises a large, round, 
and prominent lobe, with a smaller lobe on one side, and two, 
more irregularly shaped, projecting masses on the other; by 
measuring round these masses you get its greatest circum- 
ference. The second, or smaller portion of the meteorite, lies 
immediately in front of the prominent lobes just described, 
its rounded outlines rapidly changing into four irregular 
smoother surfaces or planes, which, meeting one another with 
two acute and two obtuse angles, together form a somewhat 
pyramidal four-sided figure, which tapers rapidly towards 
this end of the mass, and terminates in an irregular quadri- 
lateral or lozenge-shaped extremity. The sides of this lozenge 


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Notice of a Mass of Meteoric Iron. aot 


measure each about 24 inches in length; and one of these 
sides (showing a dimpled outline), from the oblique position 
of this lozenge-shaped extremity to the general mass of the 
meteorite, forms its small terminal edge, or pointed extremity. 

The whole shape of this piece of meteoric iron suggests the 
idea, that when its fall took place, the extremity, now the 
smaller and more pointed, first reached the earth, which, from 
its resistance, crushed the glowing and softened mass into 
these peculiarly flattened surfaces of its pyramidal extremity, 
bending even the oblique point itself a little upwards and 
backwards; while the larger extremity, though slightly flat- 
tened below, where it struck the ground, still shows in the 
projecting masses of its upper surface, the part least affected 
by the shock of its terrible descent through our atmosphere, 
to bury itself in terra firma. 

Size—The mass of iron measures 103 inches in its greatest 
length, and 7 inches across the widest part, about the middle 
of its length; the larger blunt-edged extremity measuring 6 
inches across. Its circumference round the larger extremity 
is 1 foot 3 inches; round the large lobular projection (about 
the middle of the mass) its widest part, 1 foot 84 inches; 
while within 13 inches of the point, it measures only 94 inches 
in circumference. 

Weight.—lt weighed 32 lbs. 11 ounces 13 drachms avoir- 
dupois, equal to 39°60 lbs. troy. 

Specific Gravity.—The specific gravity of the entire mass, 
Dr Murray Thomson informs me, is 6°517. 

Colour.—The external surface of this meteoric iron is of a 
dark reddish brown, approaching in some parts to black; and 
the lobulated parts show here and there, especially in the 
furrows which divide them, spots of a brighter red colour, 
due apparently to the partial oxidation of its surface. 

Photographs——The general appearance of the meteorite 
is well shown in the photographs exhibited. These have 
been beautifully taken by Mr Alexander M‘Coll. The mass 
of metal was laid on the 8vo vol. of the Royal Physical 
Society’s Proceedings, which thus gives a correct idea of its 
relative size and proportions; and, when the second picture 
was taken, the volume was turned quite round, without touch- 


7 


398 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


ing the iron; and in this way an exact representation of both 
its sides was obtained. From one of these photographs the 
accompanying Plate of the meteorite is taken. 

Plaster Casts——For the purpose of preserving completely 
the original appearance of the meteorite, a mould was care- 
fully taken before it was sent to the lapidary to be cut. This 
has been very successfully done, as shown by the casts* ex- 
hibited, coloured after the original. 

Rarity—This mass of meteoric iron is the largest that 
has yet been discovered in Great Britain ; only one other 
indeed, is known, a very small one—about the size of a 
hazel-nut. Robert Philips Greg, Esq., of Manchester, in 
his recently published valuable work,t and in letters with 
which he has favoured me, states that this small mass of 
meteoric iron “was found a good many years back by Da 
Costa, at Leadhills, and is now in Mr Greg’s collection.” 
It has since been secured for the national collection, the 
British Museum. Mr Greg tells us the proportion of me- 
teoric stone to iron falls may be taken at 25 to 1,7. €., 96 
per cent. of all that fall consist of stony matter; and in his 
Mineralogy he gives a list of nineteen or twenty meteoric 
stones, the fall of which has been recorded, as occurring in 
Great Britain and Ireland. The instance above referred to 
is, however, the only one of meteoric iron previously known 
and recorded. In the neighbouring country of France one 
specimen has been observed; and Mr Greg gives twenty-seven 
instances of meteoric irons found in the old world. 

History of the Discovery of the Meteorite Iron—The 
ancient village of Newstead, where this mass of iron was 
found many years ago, lies at the eastern extremity of the 
valley of Melrose, its cottages rising gradually up the bank, 
towards the higher ground beyond, which was probably the 
site, as I have formerly pointed out, of the Roman town of 
Trimontium.t Having already referred to this neighbour- 

* Mr Alexander Stewart, 1 Surgeon Square, will be glad to supply casts, at 
a very moderate price, to any one who may wish to possess an exact fac simile 
of this rare specimen of a Scottish meteoric iron. 

+ A Manual of the Mineralogy of Great Britain and Ireland. By Kk, P. 


Greg and W.G. Letsom. London: 1858. 
{ See Trans., vol. iv., and Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot., vol. i. &. 


On a Mass of Meteoric Lron. 399 


hood when various relics of the Roman occupation, discovered 
here, were presented to the Museum of the Society of Anti- 
quaries of Scotland, I shall now simply point out the exact 
locality where this mass of meteoric iron was discovered. 
Like other Scottish villages which have not been interfered 
with in their formation by the over-ruling taste of some ad- 
joining great landowner, the dwellings of the little proprietors 
or feuars have been scattered over the ground as their own 
fancy or convenience dictated, —keeping, however, in a general 
way by the lines of the roads which intersect the village, and 
clustering especially along the principal highway which ~ 
passes through, running east and west, from Drygrange Bridge 
towards Melrose. On the south side of this last mentioned 
road, and near the eastern termination of the village, there is 
a group of three cottages, beyond which a narrow cross road 
turns southwards into the valley behind, past one of the vil- 
lage wells, and crosses the little streamlet which runs at the 
bottom of the cottage gardens. 

In the year 1827, Mrs Kate Williamson or Davidson, 
the proprietor of the third cottage from the cross road just 
referred to, commenced to build another small cottage along 
the western border of her garden, to which there was access 
past the open end of her house, forming as it did the farthest 
west of the little group of cottages. The house was to be 
erected behind the other cottages and at right angles to 
them, and, to save the garden ground as much as possible, 
it was to be placed along its boundary. The garden was 
enclosed by a broad mound of earth or old turf wall with 
some stones intermixed ; this, of course, had to be removed, 
and the ground brought somewhat to a level surface before 
the foundations of the house could be dug; these were then 
cut out of the firm undisturbed clay below, and the build- 
ing operations commenced. Mrs Davidson had her own 
peculiar ideas of what were to be the special conveniences of 
her new cottage, and, accordingly, she caused two small pits or 
cellars to be dug in the floor of the kitchen, at no great dis- 
tance from the back wall and fireplace, which were to be 
covered over with wooden lids or doors, and in them coals or 
other necessary articles were intended to be kept. Curious 

VOL; 10. 3 F 


400 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


enough, it was in the process of digging out one of these 
sunken cellars that the black extremity of this piece of me- 
teoric iron was noticed sticking in the clay, at a depth of some 
three or four feet from the floor of the house. These pits 
were dug out of the ground, close by the boundary of the 
garden, on that part of it formerly covered by the broad 
mound of earth, or old turf wall, which formed the original 
fence. (The site of this house is well seen in the Ordnance 
Survey Map of the village, in the small division No. 2211.) 

The unusual appearance and great weight of the black-look- 
ing stone attracted the attention of Mr George Burnet, one of 
the masons employed at the work; and as he had a taste for 
collecting anything peculiar, he carried it to his own cottage, 
which was only a few doors farther down the village. Mr 
George Burnet died in 1842, and Francis his brother suc- 
ceeded to the cottage and garden, which he still occupies. 
Some time after a stone wall was built round this cottage gar- 
den, and as specimens of different kinds had been collected, 
an old stone trough, which happened to be in the way, was 
laid on its side and built into the wall, forming thus a sunk 
recess, where those various specimens which were considered 
scarcely ornamental enough to be kept in the dwelling house, 
could be placed in safety ; and here this mass of meteoric iron 
has lain, for five-and-thirty years ; exhibited from time to time, 
with the other curiosities, to any chance visitor whose fancy 
might lead him to examine them. 

Francis Burnet is an intelligent, observing man, and to him 
I was formerly indebted for collecting some of the Roman 
relics which were found in the neighbouring fields. When 
residing in the district last summer, I visited the village, to 
learn if anything new, or rather old, had been observed in the 
course of the agricultural operations of the last few years ; 
and my attention was soon attracted to the small collection of 
specimens in Mr Burnet’s garden. I was at once struck with 
the very peculiar appearance of this mass of metal, which we — 
removed to the burn side at the foot of the garden, to get 
washed and inspected more carefully. I then learned the 
history of its discovery, already so minutely detailed, and after- 
wards inspected the locality itself, being anxious to collect 


On a Mass of Meteorte Iron. 401 


and put on record all the incidents relating to this specimen, 
which I was inclined to think might turn out to be a mass of 
Meteoric Iron. A hammer was got, and one of its corners 
was slightly abraded; this showed the pure metal of which 
it seemed to be composed ; and its great weight, as compared 
with its size, proved that it must consist almost entirely of 
metal; it was therefore no ore of iron. While its peculiar 
shape was totally unlike that of any kind of manufactured 
metal—for its hardness, and closeness of grain, suggested that 
it resembled hammered iron, or steel; the district however, 
was no iron-producing one, and forges of greater size than that 
of the village blacksmith were quite unknown, and its history 
pointed to a period probably long before historic times. I 
was therefore convinced the specimen was native iron; and 
from the very great rarity of this metal in any quantity, and 
the fact of its being found buried in the clay bank, there 
appeared to be little doubt it was of meteoric origin. Stat- 
ing my conclusions to Mr Burnet, and my anxiety to get 
possession of the iron for a more careful and decisive exami- 
nation, he kindly agreed to let me have it for this purpose. 
Accordingly, it was arranged it should be immediately for- 
warded to my residence, that I might take it with me on my 
return to Edinburgh, for a complete determination of its true 
character and peculiarities. On mentioning to Mr Burnet my 
astonishment that no person had ever called attention to this 
very singular-looking piece of metal, the true character of 
which had been so long overlooked, I was informed that, some 
three or four years before, the Rev. Dr Rogers of Stirling, when 
on a visit to Newstead in search of Roman remains, among 
other things had examined it, and seemed to take a somewhat 
similar view to mine of its origin; but nothing having been 
said or done to settle the apparently very doubtful question, 
Mr Burnet had thought no more about the matter. 

On bringing the mass to Edinburgh, it was shown to vari- 
ous friends, who at once agreed with me there was little 
doubt of its meteoric character. With Mr Alexander Bryson 
and Dr M‘Bain’s kind assistance, an abrasion was made on 
its surface, and the nitric acid test applied, when a slight 
appearance of the peculiar and characteristic etching became 


402 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


manifest ; a little of the metal was then filed off, and put into 
the hands of Dr Murray Thomson, lecturer on Chemistry, with- 
out letting him know its history, and he informed me the filings 
consisted of iron, with a proportion of nickel. Native iron of 
terrestrial origin being almost chemically pure, and never con- 
taining any proportion of nickel, the mass of iron was therefore 
of meteoric origin, being an alloy of iron and nickel; the latter 
generally existing in very small proportion to the former. 

The peculiar shape and appearance of this mass of metal 
itself, so entirely unlike any handiwork of man, was indeed 
almost proof enough to many of its meteoric character, of 
which, however, there was now no room for doubt. 

The subsequent steps taken to learn the special peculiari- 
ties of its structure and chemical analysis have now to be 
detailed. 

Section of Meteoric Iron.—The iron was cut longitudi- 
nally into two portions, by Mr Young, lapidary, as I was 
anxious to see whether any difference of structure existed in 
any part of the mass, or whether cavities containing olivine 
could be detected. Nothing of this kind, however, was dis- 
closed, the mass being equally solid, dense, and steel-like in 
its appearance throughout, and the colour beautifully bright 
and white, like steel. With Mr Alexander Bryson’s assist- 
ance, and a new steel file, I next proceeded to rub down as 
much of the surface of one of the pieces, as would suffice for a 
minutely detailed chemical analysis being made; and in 
assisting to do so, soon made a practical discovery of the 
extreme hardness or toughness of the metal, which in a com- 
paratively short time turned the sharp points on the file itself. 
The hands soon became much blackened by the operation, as 
if plumbago was mixed with the iron. There seemed no doubt 
the metal was steel, from the carbon which was so manifestly 
present. The surface of the mass varied somewhat in its re- 
sistance to the file ; its prism-like point was very close and 
hard externally, and contained apparently more of the black- 
ening part of the iron ; the upper and rounded portions were 
also hard and dense, at least externally, offering more re- 
sistance to the file; and the tool seemed to have less effect 
upon the iron when it was used across the mass, than in 


me 


On a Mass of Meteoric Ivon. 403 


its longest diameter. Its hardness, as shown by a graving 
tool, was greatest next its outer surface—the inner portions 
being apparently softer, and more open in texture, while the 
prism-like point was tougher before the tool, and more like 
hammered iron; the explanation probably being—that this 
peculiarity was due to the shock of the fall being given prin- 
cipally to this part of the mass; and also, to its being sud- 
denly cooled by the contact of its surface with the earth in 
which it was found buried. 

The filings, of which about a troy ounce were procured, 
were black, and showed little of the shining metallic appear- 
ance of pure iron. 

Chemical Analysis —The filings were sent for examina- 
tion to Dr Murray Thomson, who gives details of their com- 
position in his subsequent communication. (See Analysis of 
Meteorolite, by Dr Murray Thomson.) 

Test of Htching by Acid.—EKach portion of the iron has 
been partially etched with the acid used by engravers on steel, 
which consists of equal parts of nitric and acetic acids; and 
the etched surfaces show the rough, irregular, projecting lines 
of the crystalline structure of the mass, which have been 
apparently but slightly acted on by the acid, from the pre- 
sence of nickel; the dark lines ard spaces showing where the 
acid has acted with greater effect. The acid was applied in 
‘the usual way for etching, and appeared to bite all at once, 
and that pretty deeply; it was then removed, the surface of 
the metal washed, and the acid reapplied, when it acted very 
slightly, and soon ceased to act altogether, not biting any 
deeper into the surface of the metal. The rough etched sur- 
face is characteristic of meteori¢e iron, various bright lines or 
points being observed in the fine frosted like appearance of 
the crystalline or fibrous surface of the metal. This etched 
surface is finer and more minute in its texture than that of 
any meteoric irons, the etchings of which I have been able 
to examine, suggesting a more minute subdivision of the 
particles of the iron and nickel, and a more general mixture 
of the nickel through the mass.* 


* Mr R. P. Greg of Manchester informs me this minute texture resembles 
the structure of the iron also found in Britain, and described by him,—more 


4.04 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


A steel-plate, treated in exactly a similar manner as this 
meteoric iron, was exhibited, and showed simply a regularly 
depressed smooth portion where the acid had been applied. 

These etched patches, having been placed near the middle 
of each surface of the two portions of the meteorite, perhaps 
rather unfortunately, give to a careless observer the idea of 
the mass having a core or central part of a different struc- 
ture ; this appearance is of course due entirely to the action 
of the acid. 

Printed Impression from Htched Surface.—I was anxious 
to learn if it would be possible to get a cast or squeeze in wax, 
taken from the etched surface, on each of the two portions 
into which the mass was cut, that it might be electrotyped, and 
the electrotype cast (which thus exactly corresponds to the 
original surface of the iron) backed up with metal in the 
usual way, so that impressions might be printed from it. 
The cast taken from the larger patch of etching was so large, 
and the raised markings so slightly defined in their character, 
that, when it was used as a woodcut, the printer could not 
prevent it getting blotted all over, when attempting to take 
an impression from its surface. The smaller etched patch, 
from its less size, and possibly slightly more defined mark- 
ings, was found to answer better, and an impression of it is 
accordingly exhibited (see next page), which gives a fac simile 
of the etched surface and structure of the metal. * 

The cast has been printed from, in the same manner as a 
woodcut, and shows the projecting parts black, the light spaces 
between being the more deeply etched parts of the surface, and 
the smooth polished metal surrounding the whole, appearing 
like a black border. The white spots which cross the picture 
show traces of decay and the line of the fracture by which the 
mass became separated into two portions; for I was rather 
startled to learn that the process of taking the wax squeeze from 
the surface of the smaller portion of the meteorite with the ordi- 
nary printer’s press, had broken it in two. It was evident, how- 
ever, from the fractured surface, which was simply a weathered 
looking or oxidised continuation of the deep furrow which par- 


than any other meteoric iron known; only the minute markings of his speci- 
men appeared to be more angular and sharp in character. 


: 


On a Mass of Meteorice Iron. 405 


tially surrounded the mass, that this furrow had penetrated 
much deeper than was suspected, and that the few scattered 
dark spots, like corrosions on the polished surface of the sec- 
tions, were the termination of the inner portions of this very 
furrow, part of the decay of which might be caused by the 
exposure and weathering the mass had undergone, in the five- 
and-thirty years of its existence on the surface of the earth ; 
the origin of the furrow being due to the lobulated arrange- 
ment of the mass. 


Impression of Etched Surface of the Meteoric Iron. 


Weight and Specific Gravity of each of the Sections of the 
Meteorite—Dr Murray Thomson has furnished me with the 
following notes of the weight and specific gravity of the dif- 
ferent portions into which the meteorite is now divided :— 

“1. Of the halves into which the iron was cut, one was 
rather larger and heavier than the other, and weighs :— 

In air, 18 lbs.20z. 74 drs. (Avoir.) 
In water, 15°,, 5 ., 122° ,, . 
Its specific gravity is therefore . 6-499 


“TJ. The smaller half, now broken into two portions, 
weighs :— 
1. The larger or pointed portion, 
In air, 7 lbs. 9 oz. 8h drs. (Avoir.) 


Ip wyaier Oo sa cet Ou 5, is 
Specific gravity, .  6°7400 


406 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


2. The smaller rounded or lobed portion, 
In air, 5 lbs. 10 0z. 24 drs. (Avoir.) 
In-water)*4,,0t11s fp 93 A 
Specific gravity, } : . £61919” 

The difference in the specific gravity of the halves of the 
meteorite may probably be explained, by the presence, in the 
smaller portion of the mass, of the principal part of the large 
furrow already referred to—filled up with earthy-looking 
matter* of lighter specific gravity. 

In conclusion, I may add a few notes on the general sub- 
ject of Meteorites or Aérolites. 

Theories of the Source or Origin of Meteorites —Various 
theories have been at different times brought forward to ac- 
count for the presence of meteorites or aérolites, these strange 
and apparently accidental visitors. 

These theories may be arranged in two great divisions :-— 

First, The terrestrial sources—the source or origin of these 
bodies being supposed to belong to our earth; and, secondly, 
The cosmical sources, which derive their origin from beyond 
our earth. These again may be each subdivided into two 
sections, or classes, as follows :-— 

J. TERRESTRIAL SOURCES. 

1. Volcanic—from the volcanoes of the earth. 
2. Atmospheric—from their supposed formation in the 
atmosphere of our earth. 

II, Cosmicat Sources. 


1. Lunar Voleanic—from the volcanoes of the moon. 
2. Interplanetary Space—the planetary or asteroidal 
theory. 


I shall not enter here into the arguments that have been 
brought forward both for and against these various theories, 
merely remarking that the old idea of their terrestrial origin is 
now almost entirely given up. The second of these divisions, 
and in particular that which derives their origin from a sup- 
posed belt of planetoids or asteroids revolving in space on the 
borders, or just beyond the most distant part (from the sun) of 

* Dr Thomson afterwards examined some of this earthy-looking matter, and 


found it to consist of the same chemical components as the rest of the mass, 
the iron, however, being in the state of an oxide. 


Pe ae ty oe oe a ee 


On a Mass of Meteoric Iron. 407 


the earth’s orbit, being now generally considered as the view 
which meets and explains most easily the peculiarities of their 
structure and appearance. [or expositions of some of the 
various theories on these subjects, I need only refer to the 
well-known memoirs of Professors C. U. Shepard and J. L. 
Smith, M.D., of America,* and especially of Mr Robert Philips 
Greg,t of Manchester. M. Haidinger, director-general of the 
Geological Survey of Austria, has also published his views on 
the origin of aérolites, in a recent communication to the French 
Academy of Science. 

Catalogues of Meteors and Meteorolites.—Catalogues de- 
tailing the particulars of all known meteors, aérolites, &c., 
have been from time to time published. I may refer to 
those given in the Reports of the British Association, and to 
the very complete list by Mr R. P. Greg in the Report of the 
year 1860. 

Aérolites may be supposed to have fallen on our earth from 
the earliest periods of its history. Iam not aware, however, 
of any instances that have been noticed connecting their ex- 
istence with the earlier or geologic history of our globe. In 
the sacred Scriptures, such expressions as the great stones, 
and the hailstones, that were cast down from heaven, on the 
enemies of Israel, on the memorable occasion when an appa- 
rent interruption of the earth’s motion took place (Joshua x. 
11); and, again, the use of such terms, as coals of fire, in 
addition to the lightning, by the Psalmist, when speaking of 
the wonders of the Almighty (Ps. xvil. 12, 13), suggest, at 
least, the possibility of an allusion to these mysterious bodies 
at that early period. 

Meteorie Stones worshipped.—In the book of Acts (xix. 
35) we have reference made to the image of the Diana of 
Ephesus, which fell down from Jupiter, undoubtedly an aéro- 
lite. ‘The fall of one of these bodies among an ignorant and 
superstitious people, with its attendant phenomena of fire and 
explosion, would naturally be considered as a message from 
the gods, and especially from the presiding deity of the dis- 
trict. Various instances of falls of this kind are noticed by 
ancient authors, whose statements we have no reason alto- 

* American Journal of Science. + Hssay on Meteorites. 


VOL. Il. oe 


408 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


gether to disbelieve. We have also instances of the fall of 
aérolites recorded in our own day, being followed by similar 
results, as in a case noticed by the Rev. Baden Powell, M.A., 
&c., in his Report on Meteors to the British Association in 
1859; of a stone-fall at Dooralla, near Loodianah, in 1815, 
when the natives worshipped it, and commenced subscriptions 
for erecting a temple over it. Two stones fell at Parnallee, 
near Madras, in 1857; and their fall was followed by exactly 
the same results—crowds of natives worshipping the larger 
stone, “as the image of their deity, which had fallen from 
heaven” (see Silliman’s American Journal of Science, No. 32, 
Nov. 1861). One of these stones weighs 130 lbs., and is the 
largest meteoric stone known; it is now, I am glad to say, 
deposited in the British Museum. 

There seems little doubt that meteoric falls were one, at least, 
of the causes of the stone-worship of the ancients, instances 
of which are represented on their coins, under canopies or 
shrines. The Diana of Ephesus is not represented in this 
way, although on an ancient medallion given as an illustration 
to a learned paper on the Coins of Ephesus,* by Mr J. Y. Aker- 
man, and struck, he supposes, for those who came to wonder 
and to worship at her shrine, there is a rude mummy-like 
figure of the goddess, and on its head, if not simply an im- 
perfect modius, with which she is often represented, something 
which reminds one of the very distinctive shape of a mete- 
oric stone or aérolite. 

Mr Akerman, in a paper on the Stone-Worship of the An- 
cients, illustrated by their Coins (Numismatic Journal, vol. ii. 
1837-8), since pointed out to me by Mr G. Sim, also refers to 
the probability of-aérolites being objects of worship. 

Map of Meteoric Stone and Iron Falls.—The illustration 
of the subject of aérolites would be increased if, in addition 
to these published catalogues, we had also 4 map showing 
their fall over all the world. I would be especially anxious, 
in a map of this kind, that a careful distinction be made (by 
colour or otherwise) between metallic, and earthy or stone 
falls ; a distinction which, it appears to me, has scarcely been 
kept sufficiently in view by some writers, when considering 

* Numismatic Chronicle, vol iv. 1841, p. 118. 


es 


~ On a Mass of Meteoric Iron. 409 


the question of the distribution of aérolites. Had we such a 
map, we could judge at a glance whether meteoric falls were 
generally pretty uniform in their distribution over the earth, 
according to Mr Greg; or whether there are any signs of the 
local aggregation of these bodies in particular districts, as in 
the two so-called meteoric zones of Professor Shepard. 

Have Meteoric Falls any relation to Terrestrial Mag- 
netism ?—We already possess maps, giving us the rain-fall 
over the world; and what a pleasure it is, when studying 
them, to be able to turn to other maps of allied phenomena, 
as, for example, the map of the winds, and to see at once how 
these different agencies act and react upon each other, and 
how the one map helps to explain to us the other. If we had 
our map of the aérolite falls, could we turn to any other map 
in our physical atlas that would help us to understand them 
any better? I cannot tell—but would be greatly interested 
in examining and comparing with it the maps illustrating the 
difficult subject of our terrestrial magnetism, and would be 
anxious to see whether the one threw any light, or appearance 
of light, at all on the other. To enable me the better to judge 
of this, | would carefully distinguish all metallic from earthy 
meteoric falls, and would be curious to observe whether the 
apparently irregular scattering of the former over the world 
could be seen to bear any particular relation to the various 
centres of greater magnetic force. 

There are four poles or maxima of magnetic attraction known 
to exist in our earth, a stronger and a weaker, in the northern 
hemisphere; and also a stronger and a weaker pole in the 
southern hemisphere. Supposing I have correctly stated these 
views of our terrestrial magnetism, it does seem interesting 
to find an observer like Professor Shepard coming to the con- 
clusion, from entirely different data, of the existence of the 
two meteoric zones, which at once attract me, by their position 
appearing to bear some relation to these northern poles of 
magnetic force. He tells us, he finds the meteoric zone of the 
old continent rather strangely translated farther to the north 
than that of the American continent; this seems also to 
show a relation between terrestrial magnetism and these 
meteoric falls, as it is stated that the northern pole of mag- 


410 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


netic force of the Old World (the weaker of the two), lies 
a good many degrees farther north than that of the New 
World. 

Another fact, which is rather a puzzling one, is the very 
great relative proportion of metallic falls which have been 
discovered in America, as compared with any other part of the 
known world—thirty-two meteoric irons having been found 
in the United States, according to Professor Shepard, twenty- 
three of which are included in his meteoric zone. While 
only fourteen meteoric irons (whose time of fall is unknown) 
have been recorded as found in the Old World, and eleven of 
these falls are included in its so-called meteoric zone.* Mr 
Greg gives the number of localities of meteoric irons in the 
Western Hemisphere as fifty-seven ; those of the Eastern 
Hemisphere being twenty-seven. Various explanations have 
been given of these facts; it is rather curious, however, 
to observe, that in the New World, we have the greatest 
number of metallic falls, apparently in the neighbourhood of 
the very locality where the magnetic force is described as 
being in a maximum in the northern hemisphere. The 
metallic falls of the Old World seem also to bear a rela- 
tion to the other northern magnetic pole; though, from its 
force of attraction being relatively weaker, it may be, the 
number of these metallic aérolites here is less, and the con- 
centration of them together would also appear to be less; the 
meteorites straggling, in their deposition, to greater distances 
from its centre, and so adding to the apparent length of this 
so-called meteoric zone. Can these various circumstances be 
dependent simply on an accidental coincidence? or do they 
not, at least at first sight, suggest the idea that this strange 
agent of magnetism has really something to do with these 
peculiar arrangements 2 

Writers on terrestrial magnetism tell us, as one of the 
ascertained results of their labours, that the agents of the 
greater part of the magnetic force of the earth are situated 
exclusively in the interior of the earth, although minor mag- 
netic oscillations and influences on its surface are due, without 
doubt, to the direct magnetic influence of the sun and moon ; 


* American Journal of Science, 1850. + Essay on Meteorites, 1855.. 


On a Mass of Meteoric Iron. All 


still these are only minor influences, the great magnetic force 
of the earth being situated exclusively in itself. Now, in my 
ignorance mayhap of the question, it does not seem to me to 
be a thing past belief, that when the earth in its orbit comes 
into the neighbourhood of the region in which these aérolites 
are now believed to exist; and, when their occasional proxi- 
mity is close enough to bring the attractive powers of the 
earth—the greater mass, to overbear that of the smaller—the 
aérolite ; besides, the mere attractive force of gravity dragging 
it down to the earth, that mysterious agency, the earth’s mag- 
netic attraction, should also come into operation; and, that 
a greater influence should of course be exerted over those 
bodies which are purely metallic, the component parts of which 
being also magnetic, are all strongly acted on by this mag- 
netic influence ; so that, as the daily revolution of our world 
takes place, the metallic meteoric falls would especially occur, 
as near as possible, to the poles of the greatest magnetic force ; 
or at least as near as would be compatible with the power of 
the other forces which might assist in attracting them to the 
surface of the earth. The possible, shal] I say probable, result 
being, that metallic meteorites, other things being equal, would 
be found clustering in greatest numbers near the points of the 
earth’s greatest magnetic force, at the time of their fall; and, 
the stony meteorites, attracted magnetically in a less degree, 
would, from the more general causes of their attraction, be 
spread more abroad over the general surface of the globe. 

Of course the poles or points where the magnetic force is in 
a@ maximum state, in the southern hemisphere, would also 
have their share of these metallic masses; but with these 
regions we are comparatively unacquainted, and must not 
forget the greater presence of water—the sea—in this part of 
the world, which hides at once any meteoric fall that might 
take place on its surface. Metallic meteorites, however, are 
not altogether unknown in Australia, two very large masses* 
having recently been discovered within some twenty miles of 
Melbourne. A friend of mine, just returned from Melbourne, 
tells me he has seen portions of them, and they somewhat re- 
semble the piece of iron I have exhibited. 


* One at least-of these masses has been lately secured for the British Museum. 


412 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Whether there may be any truth in these theories or not, 
I cannot determine, only they make me the more anxious that 
we should be possessed of a map of reference of these strange 
phenomena; and I hope our townsman, Mr Alexander Keith 
Johnston, will be good enough to give my hint of a map of the 
‘‘ Distribution of Meteorites over the Surface of the Earth”* 
his favourable consideration, when preparing for publication 
a new edition of his valuable national work, the “ Atlas of 
Physical Phenomena.” 


[Since this paper was read, the half of the Meteorite, which 
was broken into two portions, has been cut into several sec- 
tions or slices; and in the process of doing so, it was found 
that the lobed or rounded portion was very hard and dense, re- 
sembling cast-iron in its character, it was harder than untem- 
pered steel of the best quality, but not so hard as the pre- 
pared steel plate of the engraver ; while the pointed portion was 
softer and tougher, and was stated to resemble iron to which a 
small portion of malleable iron had been added. The slices 
showed that the mass was dense and metallic throughout, with 
the exception of a small part of the pointed portion, next the 
deep furrow which partially divided the mass (and by which 
it became separated into two); the metal here was marked over 
with dull spots, like corrosions, and seemed less pure and 
crystalline, appearing as if mixed with dross. A portion of 
this latter part was given to Dr Murray Thomson to examine 
specially for the presence of magnetic oxide of iron; and Dr 
Thomson has accordingly added some notes on the subject 
to his previous communication. 

The mass of iron was apparently not malleable, but brittle 
in its character. It would therefore, according to the classifi- 
cation proposed by Professor C. U. Shepard in his Report on 
Meteorites, belong to the 2d Srection—A lloyed, of the 3d 
OrDER—Drittle, of his 1st CLASsS—METALLIC METEORITES. 
(See “ Silliman’s American Journal” for 1846 and 1847.) 

* Mr R. P. Greg of Manchester has since informed me that maps of meteoric 
deposition have been lately published, in illustration of a memoir—* Ueber 
den Ursprung der Meteorsteine’’—by P. A. Kesselmeyer; in the third volume 


of the ‘‘ Abhandlungen, Herausgegeben von der Senckenbergischen Naturfor- 
schenden Gesellschaft. Frankfurt A. M., 1859-61.” 


~ 


On a Mass of Meteoric Iron. 413 


_ An opportunity was also taken of repeating, on one of the 
polished slices, the etching with acid, to see if it was possible 
to get a more distinct display of its peculiar crystalline struc- 
ture, by watching the action of the acid on the metal. In place 
of using the mixed nitric and glacial acetic acids of the steel 
engraver, as was formerly done, nitric acid alone was used ; but 
little or no effect was produced, with the exception of a very 
slight etching on the part first touched. The nitric acid was 
then diluted with about an equal quantity of water, and on 
its being again applied to the metal a rapid action took place, 
with a considerable evolution of gas, and a brownish or dark- 
coloured matter (carbonaceous ?) was seen to rise and mix with 
the acid solution, not from the coating protecting the rest of 
the metal, but from the bitten surface of the metal itself. 


Fig. I. 


Impressions of etched portions of the meteoric iron. 


The presence of this brown-coloured matter 1s stated not to be 
observed when ordinary steel is etched. Instead of making, 
as before, a large etched patch at the line of separation or 
fracture, of the rounded and pointed portions of the mass of 
iron, a small patch was etched near the middle of the rounded 
or lobed portion (fig. 1), and this displays very distinctly the 
characteristic and beautiful frosted-like lines of crystallization, 
crossing one another at various angles. As formerly stated, 
these lines are finer, or more minute, than in many meteoric 
irons. This finer texture seems to be also present in other 
brittle irons; at least it is mentioned as occurring in those 
described by Professor Shepard in his Report. (See “ Silli- 
man’s American Journal,’ 1847.) Jam inclined to think it 
not improbable that this fine, or less-distinctly marked texture 


414 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


may be simply dependent on the rapid cooling, or any other 
cause which gives the iron its brittle character. Another patch 
of etching was made near the narrow extremity of the pointed 
portion of the mass (fig. 2). Here the crystalline structure 
of crossing lines is less distinct, the metal being apparently 
more granular in its texture, and exhibiting a series of shining 
points. The action of the diluted acid on the metal was closely 
watched, and was stopped occasionally, so as to preserve the 
appearance of the etching, when its character was most dis- 
tinct. Wax squeezes and electrotype casts were taken from 
these etched surfaces, and are here printed from as woodcuts 
(figs. 1,2). They may therefore be compared with that figured 
before, which was taken in a similar way from the central part 
of the meteoric iron. 

A portion of this meteoric iron, with plaster cast of the 
entire mass, are now preserved in the Natural History Mu- 
seum, Edinburgh ; the principal part of the iron is in the 
British Museum, London.] 


Analysis of the Mcteorolite described in the foregoing paper by Dr John 
Alecander Smith. By Murray Tuomson, M.D., F.C.S., Lecturer 
on Chemistry. 


In giving a chemical description of this remarkable mass 
of meteoric iron, I have to call attention, in the first place, to 
its Specific Gravity ; the process of taking which was first per- 
formed on the undivided meteorite, and afterwards on each 
of its halves. Of course, with such a weighty mass this 
process could not be done by means of the ordinary delicate 
balance. I had therefore recourse to the standard beams and 
weights contained in the office of the Inspector of Weights 
and Measures at the County Hall, Edinburgh. The weight in 
air of the whole mass was 32 lbs., 11 oz., 14 drs., avoirdupois, 
equal to 39°60 lbs. Troy weight. The weight in distilled 
water was 27 lbs., 10 oz., 133 drs. This gives a specific 
gravity, it will be seen, of 6°517, which is very low for me- 
teoric iron. It stands at the lowest limit of recorded specific 
gravities of other meteoric irons. Shepard (Silliman’s Ameri- 
can Journal of Science, vol. ii. New Series, p. 377) gives the 


Analysis of the Meteoric Iron. 415 


specific gravities of iron and nickel meteorolites as ranging 
from 65 to 8:00. After the mass had been divided, the 
specific gravity was taken in a similar manner to the above, 
and the larger, heavier, and more solid half, gave a specific 
gravity of 6499; the smaller and lighter half, as already 
mentioned by Dr Smith, having been broken in two, the pro- 
cess of taking the specific gravity was repeated on each of 
these, with the following results :-— 


The smaller, rounded, or lobed portion gave, 6-1919 
The larger, or pointed portion of the mass, 6°7400 


The higher specific gravity of the pointed portion is appa- 
rently accounted for by its having been compressed more than 
the other parts. Dr Smith has also noticed that this portion 
was stated to be tougher before the edge of the graver. 

The analysis was made on some filings of the mass obtained 
before polishing the surfaces of the halves. I should have 
preferred for this purpose a sample derived from various parts 
of the mass, but this, it would appear, was not easy to obtain 
without endangering the good appearance of the meteorolite. 

There is no point in the analysis calling for special descrip- 
tion, except, perhaps, the determination of the nickel. This 
metal was estimated by dissolving a known weight of the 
meteorolite in hydrochloric acid, and after separation of the 
gangue of carbon and silica, the iron was peroxodized by heat- 
ing with nitric acid, and then the iron oxide was precipitated 
by carbonate of baryta, and the excess of baryta afterwards re- 
moved by sulphuric acid. The precipitate of sulphate of 
baryta was separated by filtration, and the filtrate presented a 
decided green colour, which on concentration was deepened, 
showing the amount of nickel it contained to be considerable. 
The nickel in this solution was then precipitated and weighed 
as oxide. To arrive at a good result, it was necessary to 
operate on as much as 60 or 70 grains of the meteorolite. In 
the course of this process other metals, such as manganese, 
chromium, cobalt, as well as magnetic oxide of iron, &., were 
carefully sought for, but no trace of them could be discovered. 
The qualitative analysis, therefore, showed the presence of 

VOL. If, oH 


416 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


iron, nickel, carbon, and silica ; and these are present in the 
following proportions per cent. :— 


Tron, : 5 93.51. 
Nickel, ; 5 ; ; 4°86. 
Silica, ; : ‘ 0°91. 
Carbon, ; 0-59. 

99-57. 


It will be seen, therefore, that its composition is very 
simple, but at the same time not unlike that recorded in the 
analyses of other masses of meteoric iron. The occurrence of 
nickel in it, in such marked quantity, sets at rest any question 
that might be raised as to its meteoric origin. ‘Though one 
or two pieces of undoubted meteoric iron exist without any 
nickel in their composition, yet that metal is held by Shepard 
(vide Silliman’s Journal, ué sup.) to be the second most fre- 
quently occurring constituent. 


{After the above communication was written, and as a por- 
. tion of the mass had been cut into pieces of various sizes, an- 
other opportunity was had of taking the specific gravity of a 
slice (separated into two portions), embracing the whole thick- 
ness of the mass. These pieces being more manageable for 
the purpose of taking density, it is to be presumed that the 
following numbers express, with the utmost accuracy, their 
specific gravity :— 


Slice from the pyramidal or pointed portion gave, 6-750 sp. gr. 
3 rounded or lobed , 6°350 _,, 


It was also noticed, in examining a small portion of the 
first of these slices, where the metal was corroded-looking, and 
showed various black spots on its surface, that this iron was 
very brittle; so much so, that no difficulty was experienced 
in reducing a fragment of it to powder in an iron mortar. 

I would likewise here record, that a further chemical ex- 
amination was made, chiefly in search of magnetic oxide of 
iron, which is so frequently a constituent of meteorites, but, 
as before, I could obtain no evidence of the existence of this 
substance. 


On a Ray without a Name. 417 


It has been already stated that the portion of the meteorite 
used for analysis was that obtained by filing the exposed 
faces of its halves ; it might therefore be objected, that the 
material so procured, at least from the harder portion, was 
likely to be mixed with particles of the file used, and especi- 
ally that the percentage of the carbon in the meteorite might 
thereby come out too high. It certainly cannot be denied 
that minute particles of the substance of the file would mix 
with the filings ; but from the texture of the mass these must 
have been but a very trifling proportion, compared to the bulk 
of the filings. To be certain, however, that no substantial error 
had crept in from this source, another determination of the 
carbon and silica was made on a solid piece of the meteorite, 
the result being to show the presence of these constituents in 
the following proportions :— 

Carbon, ‘ ; ! . 0°66 per cent. 
Bilicamerpesud bad ce toned «OO wi: 

These new percentages being so close to the last, we may 

regard the first analysis as quite correct. | 


III. On Professor M‘Coy’s Ray without a name, taken im the Firth of 
Forth, May 1861. By Witutam 8. Youne, Esq. (The Specimen was 
exhibited. ) 


After carefully examining several authorities, I have come 
to the conclusion, that this ray is the same as one described, 
but not named, by Professor M‘Coy, in the “ Annals of 
Natural History,” vol. vi. p. 405, and which Yarrell, quoting 
Thomson, places under the species of Sandy or Cuckoo Ray. 
Couch, in his work on the “ History of the Fishes of the 
British Islands,” now coming through the press, arranges 
them as two distinct species, and neither description coin- 
cides with the specimen now before us. 

The specimen M‘Coy got in Dublin bay was considerably 
larger than this one, being 17 to 18 inches long, and 9 to 
10 inches broad. He says its outline,—the semicircle of 
spines or inner margin of the eye, and the spines at the tip 
of the snout, are the same as in the Sandy Ray ; and that it 
resembles the Sand or Homelyn Ray, in having one spot on 


418 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


each pectoral,—that is, a circular spot of chocolate brown, 
surrounded by a circle of white irregular spots, and some 
irregular white markings in centre, instead of the numerous 
small white markings of the Sandy Ray. It differs from 
the Sandy Ray, in having the surface of the body covered 
with minute spines, directed backwards,—the Sandy Ray 
being smooth, although Yarrell describes it as covered with 
spines. This specimen also differs from the Sandy Ray in 
its tail being long, whereas in the latter it is remarkably 
short; and, having the characteristic outline and disposition 
of the spines of the Sandy Ray, easily distinguishes it from 
the Sand or Homelyn Ray. 

M‘Coy thus gives the description of his fish, which so 
closely agrees with this specimen, that except in one or two 
minor particulars they appear to be the same species :— 

‘“‘Spiracles immediately behind the orbits. Skin rough 
above, with the spines largest on the anterior margin of the 
pectorals. Semicircle of six or eight spines round the inner 
margin of the orbits, and a few on the top of the snout; 
four short rows about or alittle before the middle of the 
back (these, I think, are the transverse rows forming the 
triangle at the upper extremity of the rows of large spines) ; 
two rows equally large spines down each side of the tail; 
four rows of large spines on the tail pointed backwards ; 
central line comparatively unarmed ; all the larger spines 
radiated at their base. Pectorals more abruptly rounded off 
than in the Sandy Ray. Colour uniform, light yellowish 
brown, the large oval spot containing variously shaped 
cream-coloured spots.” Such is Professor M‘Coy’s descrip- 
tion of this ray without a name. 

- The following is the description of the specimen now ex- 
hibited: length 12 inches, breadth 64 inches ; from the vent 
to the tip of the snout, 5 inches ; from the same point to the 
tip of the tail, 7 inches (these proportions are very much 
the same as in M‘Coy’s ray); eyes large ; spiracles immedi- 
ately behind the orbits; skin rough above, thickly covered 
with spines, which are larger on the anterior margin of the 
pectorals, and all of which, even to the most minute, are 
radiated at the base. At the upper end of the central line is 


On a Ray without a Name. 419 


an equilateral triangle of large spines, all turned backwards 
at an angle of about 50°, except the two large spines at the 
extremities of the base, which are nearly upright. From the 
base of this triangle down the back to the tail there are three 
rows of large spines, one on the central line, and one on each 
side of it; and outside of these are a considerable number 
of somewhat smaller spines irregularly placed. From the 
commencement of the tail to half-way to the tip there are 
three rows of spines on each side, the intermediate row being 
the smallest, and the only one continued to the extremity of 
the tail. The central line is armed with spines throughout 
its whole length. The under part of the tail is smooth, but 
at the margins thickly studded with a row of small spines. 
Lhe whole of the large spines, with the exception before 
mentioned, are directed backwards, at an angle of about 50°. 
The spines on the central line are not so fully developed as 
those on each side of it, but still perfectly distinct. All the 
large spines are very much more radiated at the base than 
the smaller ones covering the back. The pectorals are very 
abruptly rounded off at the posterior extremity. The colour 
is light yellowish-brown, with two large chocolate-coloured 
spots, irregular in outline, containing a few (from three to 
five) cream-coloured markings. These large spots divide 
the breadth of the fish into three equal parts, a little way 
below the base of the triangle of spines. 

This is therefore not a variety of any known species, but 
a new one. Professor M‘Coy records his specimen as far 
back as the year 1841; and I beg to propose that this species 
be named Rata M‘Coyi. This specimen was got in the 
month of May last year, in the well-known fishing-ground 
off Pittenweem called the Fluke Hole. 


The Secretary stated that as several communications 
still remained to be brought before the Society, he begged 
to move that an extraordinary meeting be held on Wednes- 


day, the 7th of May. The motion was unanimously agreed 
to. 


420 


Medncadogs 7th May 1862.—Joun. Cotpsrream, M.D., President, 
in the Chair. 


The Secretary laid on the table new Parts of Vol. II. of the Proceed- 
ings of the Society, which he hoped would be ready for distribution to 
members in a few days. 


The following donations to the pes were laid on the table, and 
thanks voted to the donors :— 


1. Description of a New Species of Clerodendron from Old Calabar, 
which flowered in 1861 in the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh. 
(Plate.) By Professor J. H. Balfour, A.M., M.D., &c.—From the 
Author. 2. Proceedings of the Literary and Philosophical Society of 
Liverpool, No. 15, 1860-61.—From the Society. 3. Journal of the 
Geological Society of Dublin, Vol. viii. Part 3.—From the Society. 
4. The Canadian Naturalist and Geologist, and Proceedings of the 
Natural History Society of Montreal, Vol. vi., No. 6, December 1861 ; 
and Vol. vii., No. 1, for February 1862. 5. The Canadian Journal, 
New Series. No. 37, January 1862.—From the Canadian Institute. 
6. Proceedings of the Royal Society, Vol. xi., Nos. 43-47.—From the 
Society. 7%. Observations and Experiments on the Carcinus menas. By 
W. Carmichael M‘Intosh,M.D. Prize Thesis, 1860.—From the Author. 
8. Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, Vol. vii., Part 1. 
—From the Society. 


The following communications were then read :— 


I. Notes of the Capture of the Red-Orested Whistling Duck (Fuligula 
rufina, Selby) in Argyleshire ; and of the Common Wild Duck build- 
ing ona Tree. By Joun Auexanper Suitu, M.D. 

Dr Smith read a communication from J. W. P. Orde of 
Kilmory, Esq., on the capture of a male of the Fuligula 
rujina, the Red-Crested Whistling Duck, which was shot 
in company with some Golden Eyes, on a fresh-water loch 
near Craignish, Argyleshire, in the month of January last. 
This bird is a rare occasional visitor to England, and was 
first noticed by Yarrell in 1826. Several specimens have 
since that time been observed in England, but none before 
this in Scotland. It is a bird of eastern Europe, emigrating 
southwards in autumn. 

A note was also read from Richard Bell, Hsq., of a wild 
duck’s nest, with nine eggs, discovered in May 1861, amongst 
the small branches of a thorn tree, at eleven feet from the 
ground, and about forty yards foc the river Esk ; on the 
farm of Billholm, Dumfriesshire. The nest was ppiupnctls 


| 
' 


On a Case of Abnormality in the Human Foetus. 421 


built of birch twigs, and lined with down, and was appa- 
rently the work of the bird itself, and not the old one of any 
other bird. Instances of wild ducks occasionally using the 
nests of other birds, have been observed, and even at as 
great a height as thirty feet from the ground. In these in- 
stances, it is believed, the young birds are brought down to 
the ground by the bill of the mother. 


II. Note on a case of Abnormality in the Ossification of the Parietal 
Bones in the Human Fetus. By R. H. Traquair, M.D. 


Some time ago I dissected the head of a human feetus of 
between the eighth and ninth months, in which the parietal 
bones presented a condition apparently at variance with the 
well-known rule, that these bones are two in number, and 
each developed from a single ossific centre. 

In this cranium the parietal bone of the left side is per- 
fectly normal, being ossified from one centre, which corres- 
ponds with the well-marked parietal eminence. 

On the right side, however, the part which represents the 
parietal bone is divided into two distinct pieces, in a line ex- 
tending from the middle of its posterior margin obliquely 
forwards to a little above its anterior inferior angle. Of 
these two pieces, each of which is of course ossified from its 
own centre, the lower is accordingly somewhat triangular, 
and is equal in size to one-half the upper rudely quadran- 
gular part; and the two pieces form together a double 
parietal bone, which is larger by about one-fourth than the 
single bone of the opposite side. 

This cranium is therefore abnormal— 

1. In possessing three parietal bones instead of two. 

2. In the asymmetrical disposition of these bones, two 
being on one side, one on the other. 

3. The vault of the cranium is also asymmetrical in this 
respect, that the double parietal bone of the right side is 
considerably larger than the single one of the left. 

The only other analogous case of which Iam at present 
aware, is one recorded by Von Sémmering.* He has de- 


* Ticdemann und Treviranus Zeitschrift fiir Physiologie, ii. 1826. 


422 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


scribed and figured not a foetal but an adult skull, apparently 
of a man between the ages of thirty and fifty, in which the 
parietal bones of both sides are divided by longitudinal 
sutures, each into two equal parts, making in all four sym- 
metrically disposed parietal bones. This skull then ditfers 
from my foetal one, in which there are only three such bones 
unsymmetrically disposed, and in which the two parts of 
the divided parietal bone are not equal, the upper piece 
being twice the size of the lower.* 

I may also state, that the feetal head, the peculiarity of 
whose parietal bones I have just described, presented in a 
marked manner the condition of Split Palate. In the recent 
state the interior of the nasal fossz was completely visible 
on opening the mouth; and as regards the dried bones, the 
palate plates of the superior maxillary and palate bones are 
entirely deficient, the superior maxillary bone articulating 
with its fellow of the opposite side only in front, and by the 
part corresponding to the intermaxillary of the other mam- 
malia. Further than this the cranium presents nothing 
worthy of note. 


III. Remarks on the so-called Raised Sea-Beach Bed in the Neigh- 
bourhood of Leith, and tis Relations to other Deposits. By Jamus 
M‘Bain, M.D., R.N. 


The superficial deposits which repose upon the grooved and 
dressed surface of the solid rocks have been classified under 
various appellations, according to the opinions entertained 
from time to time as to their mode of origin. In the “ Re- 
liquiz Diluviane,” published in 1828, the superficial strata 
are ascribed to a recent and transient inundation, considered 
to be identical with the Noachian Deluge; hence the terms 
diluvial, ante-diluvial, and post-diluvial, adopted in that cele- 
brated work. These names ceased to be employed in this 
sense by geologists after the well-known reply of Dr Fleming, 
entitled “ The Geological Deluge, as interpreted by Baron 


* Since the above has been in print, I have seen in “ Henle’s Anatomy” 
a reference to yet another analogous case, recorded by Gruber, “ Abhand- 
lungen aus der Menschl. und Vergl. Anatomie,” ? 118. Unfortunately I have 
not been able to see this latter work. 


On the so-called fiaised Sea-Beach Bed at Leith. 423 


Cuvier and Professor Buckland, inconsistent with the Testi- 
mony of Moses and the Phenomena of Nature.” <A general 
description of the superficial accumulations has been given by | 
Mr Milne-Home in a valuable memoir “ On the Lothian Coal- 
Fields.” This author states, that it is possible to identify and 
individualise at least seven formations, each having separate 
characters, and probably belonging to different epochs. Under 
the existing soil supporting vegetation, there is, 1st, An upper 
covering of gravel and boulders; 2d, A deposit of sand and 
shells; 3d, Beds of fine sand; 4th, Beds of fine clay; 5th, 
Coarse gravel or stony clay; 6th, Lowest boulder-clay ; 7th, 

Beds of sand and gravel. In the “ Lithology of Edinburgh,” 
Dr Fleming divides the strata belonging to the modern epoch 
into three groups,—First, The Taragmite series, formed subse- 
quently to the dressings and groovings of the solid rocks, and, 
where present, reposing on them. They seem to have been 
formed when violent aqueous movements were taking place, 
and probably at a period when the state of our island was 
widely different from the present. The second, or Akumite 
series, is chiefly characterised by its laminated clays and sands, 
and indicates the assorting power of water under circumstances 
of comparative tranquillity. The third, or Phanerite group 
consists of deposits produced by causes in ordinary operation, 
and respecting the circumstances under which they have been 
formed little obscurity prevails. I had repeated opportunities 
of visiting the critical sections in this neighbourhood with the 
late Professor Fleming, and of verifying the accuracy of his 
observations. I shall therefore make use of these generalised 
expressions in the remarks which follow. 

The lowest bed of the Taragmite group which has been ob- 
served in this neighbourhood consists of loose angular frag- 
ments of rock, 2 to 3 feet thick, which rest on the edges of strata 
composed apparently of the same materials, and in other places 
of sand and gravel. The extent of this basement deposit is at 
present but little known. The result of three borings, shown 
in a diagram which is copied from one in possession of Mr 
George Robertson, civil engineer, proves that the basement 
bed of the Taragmite series is of considerable extent in the 
neighbourhood of Leith. Two of the borings were made for 

VOL. II. 3 


424 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


the purpose of Artesian wells, and one for the foundation of a 
splendid work of art, the new Graving Dock. At a flour-mill 
situated near the west end of Leith Docks, the section passes 
through 80 feet of boulder-clay, then through a bed of sand 
22 feet thick, resting on the solid rocks. The excavation 
made for the Graving Dock passed through 24 feet of marine 
sand; and the boring shows that the boulder-clay is here 35 
feet thick, when a bed of sand is again reached 18 feet in 
thickness, or 4 feet less than at the flour-mill section. At the 
rope-walk on the north side of Leith Links, the boring passes 
through a bed of marine sand 30 feet thick, then through 70 
feet of boulder-clay, which at this place is found to rest on 
the mineralised strata, without any intervening bed of sand. 
Mr Milne-Home, in his “ Memoir on the Lothian Coal-Fields,” 
says, ‘“ that at Leith, and in the manufactory lately occupied 
by a Mr Burstall, a well was sunk through the boulder-clay 
45 feet. A bed of sand and fine gravel was then reached. 
from which water immediately gushed up, showing that the 
bed was probably of considerable extent.” Iam informed that 
the boring referred to by Mr Milne-Home was made in King 
Street, a little to the eastward of South Leith Poorhouse; and 
the borings since then instituted confirm his remark, and prove 
that this deposit underlying the boulder-clay is of considerable 
extent in the neighbourhood of Leith. This lower stratum of 
sand and shivers possesses a peculiar interest, inasmuch as it 
seems to imply that a period of time elapsed between the 
dressings of the rocks and their covering by boulder clay, 
sufficient to admit of disintegration and the formation of ex- 
tensive sedimentary deposition. Additional observations on 
this basement bed of the Taragmite series, and its existence 
in other localities, are still wanted, and may assist in throwing 
some light on certain obscure phenomena connected with the 
formation of the boulder-clay—a deposit which, Dr Fleming 
remarks, “has been to many pons asinorum.” There are 
numerous examples where the boulder-clay is observed passing 
upwards into stratified beds of sand and gravel. In the 
foundation for the new Post-Office of Edinburgh, Mr A. 
Bryson and myself noticed the upper portion of the boulder- 
clay becoming of a light-brown colour, with an increased pro- 


On the so-called Raised Sea-Beach Bed at Leith. 425 


portion of sand, and several horizontal layers of sand and 
gravel distinctly stratified, one of which, at 6 feet below the 
surface of the clay, was 16 inches thick, and could be traced 
for 20 feet. 

The Akumite group in the ascending order of the super- 
ficial strata consists of three distinct kinds of deposits—silt, 
sand, and gravel. Sections occur in this neighbourhood to 
prove that, subsequent to the deposition of the Taragmite 
series, and previous to the commencement of the Akumite 
group, extensive denudation had taken place, by which the 
newer or upper portion of the Taragmite beds had been re- 
moved. In all the sections examined in this neighbourhood, 
the silt appears as the basement bed of the Akumite series, 
and, where present, is seen to rest immediately on the boulder- 
clay. ‘There is evidence to show that in all probability the 
Akumite group may be regarded as a lacustrine formation, 
into which marine remains have occasionally been thrown by 
irruptions of the sea. Like the 'Taragmite formation, in pass- 
ing upwards it graduates into sand and gravel; and where 
sand occurs without the boulder-clay or silt being exposed, its 
true relation cannot be satisfactorily determined. ‘There are 
grounds for supposing that deposits of sand belonging to the 
boulder-clay and silt periods have been frequently confounded 
with a bed of marine sand of a different origin, to which the 
name of raised sea-beach bed has been given. ‘This bed be- 
longs to the third group in the ascending scale, or Phanerite 
series, of the superficial accumulations; and although, as its 
name implies, it presents characters very distinct and easily 
observed, it has nevertheless formed the subject of much 
geological controversy. 

At the concluding meeting of the Royal Physical Society 
for 1859, I gave a brief description of that portion of the so- 
called raised sea-beach bed which extends between the old 
sandstone quarry at Granton and the Magdalen Burn, near 
Fisherrow. I then stated that the lateral extent of this so- 
called raised sea-beach bed, and its relation to other accumula- 
tions of a similar lithological structure, but destitute of any 
trace of marine remains, had not yet been satisfactorily deter- 
mined. ‘The importance of this investigation will be readily 


426 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


admitted when it is considered that it forms, as it were, the 
starting point whence the great generalisations of geology 
begin. The raised sea-beach bed is described by Hutton, and 
is alluded to by his eloquent disciple Playfair, in his “ Ilustra- 
tions of the Huttonian Theory,” p. 441. “The marks of an 
ancient sea-beach,” he says, “are to be seen beyond the pre- 
sent limits of the tide, and beds of sea shells, not mineralised, 
are found in the loose earth or soil, sometimes as high as 30 
feet above the present level of the sea. The ground on 
which the Botanic Garden of Edinburgh is situated (the Old 
Botanic Garden in Leith Walk), after a thin covering of soil 
is removed, consists entirely of sea sand, very regularly strati- 
fied with layers of a black carbonaceous matter, in thin 
Jamelle, interposed between them. Shells, I believe, are 
but rarely found in it, but it has every other appearance of a 
sea beach.” In the “ Lithology of Edinburgh,” Dr Fleming, 
in reference to the remarks of Playfair, says,—‘“ The assump- 
tion here of ‘sea sand’ and ‘sea beach’ seem alike un- 
warrantable from the description given of the sand; and 
I may add,” he says, “that the occurrence of sea shells 
in the sand has not been since authenticated.” On the 
high ground that extends between Granton and North Leith, 
thence inland towards Edinburgh, I have had opportunities 
of examining numerous excavations and sections where de- 
posits of sand and gravel are frequently exposed, without 
finding a trace of marine remains. These deposits constitute 
the upper portion of the Taragmite and Akumite series, and 
are extensively distributed over the surface in the vicinity of 
Leith and Edinburgh. The ground chosen for the various 
cemeteries, and for the Experimental and Botanical Gardens, 
ig a portion of the same deposit; and the general inequality 
of the surface seems to indicate that the materials were as- 
sorted under the action of strong currents and eddies, in com- 
paratively shallow water. A little to the westward of Leith 
Fort, there ig an interesting section of the boulder-clay, known 
as the Man-trap, where a bed of ferruginous sand is seen rest- 
ing on the clay, 15 feet above the high-water line. A short 
time since a cutting was made for a drain in the sloping bank, 
which extended from the margin of the cliff up to Anchorfield 


CS 


On the so-called Raised Sea-Beach Bed at Leith. 427 


Buildings. The cutting passed through 2 feet of soil, and 
from 2 to 4 feet of ferruginous sand, in which no marine 
remains could be detected. The extent of the drain, from 
the margin of the cliff (which is here vertical) up to Anchor- 
field Buildings, was 90 feet, with a rise of 5 feet. For 
several years past the sea has been making rapid encroach- 
ments upon this part of the coast; and there is evidence to 
show that, during the last forty years, 90 feet of cliff with a 
similar gradient has crumbled down and been removed. The 
bed of sand, which rests on the boulder-clay at a height of 
12 to 15 feet above high-water mark, has been considered a 
portion of the so-called raised sea-beach bed. It would then 
have been 5 feet lower than at present, and, if the slope con- 
tinued at the same gradient seaward, would come in contact 
with the ripple-zone, composed of materials similar to what 
is now observed at the base of the cliff. ‘This zone extends 
between the limits of the high-water marks of spring and 
neap tides, where sands and gravel are thrown up in ridges 
of ever-varying elevation, and amongst which marine rejecta- 
menta of the most varied character are to be found. ‘The 
nature and contents of the present ripple-zone deposits are 
similar to those composing the so-called raised sea-beach bed ; 
and it is difficult to conceive they could have had a different 
origin. An attentive examination of the heterogeneous con- 
tents included in the older deposits, as exposed, for example, 
at the Foul Burn between Leith and Portobello, will not fail 
to satisfy the zoologist that the remains of molluscan life, 
huddled together in a bed several feet thick, could never have 
been associated during life. The bed is seen resting on the 
boulder-clay at the level of ordinary spring-tides; and at one 
spot is even interrupted by a slight rise in the clay of only 
3 or 4 feet above the level of the tide. At this place the sea 
is observed to be again encroaching on the older deposits ; 
and from observations made by my friend Mr William Young 
of Fillyside, it appears that 10 or 12 feet of the low cliff 
has fallen down during the last twelve months. Three years 
ago, a great abundance of living oysters were cast ashore 
from the oyster-bed that lies off at a short distance in one or 
two fathoms water. Several of our geological writers have 


4.28 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


appealed to the marine shells contained in the so-called raised 
sea-beach bed, to prove that a rise in the bed of the Forth has 
taken place within a comparatively recent geological period. 
In “ The Lithology of Edinburgh,” the instances adduced are 
proved to be unsatisfactory, and neither in accordance with 
the habits of the animals nor with the mode of distribution 
of the materials of a sea beach. 

An attempt has lately been made to prove a rise of the 
coast of the Firth of Forth within the historical period, by 
an appeal to the so-called raised sea-beach bed deposits. It 
is contained in a communication by Mr Archibald Geikie, of 
the Geological Survey, and published in the “ New Philoso- 
phical Journal’? for July 1861. Mr Geikie states that he 
found “fragments of Roman pottery in a stratified deposit of 
marine silt, the deposition of which was going on during the 
Roman occupation of Britain.” He says that “the strata 
with which this bed of silt is connected lie 25 feet above 
high-water mark, and are unequivocally those of the raised 
beach ;” and therefore he infers that a rise in the land to this 
extent has taken place here since the time of the Romans. 

In a communication to the Royal Society of Edinburgh by 
Mr A. Bryson, “ On Hasty Generalisation in Geology,” it was 
shown that this so-called marine silt-bed* (No. 5 of Mr 
Geikie’s diagram), supposed to be of the Roman age, contained 
also abundance of broken pieces of recent pottery, fragments 
of bone belonging to the sheep and ox, and bits of burnt coal 
with vesicular cavities irregularly disseminated throughout 
the mass. This sand-pit is situated on the south side of the 
Junction Road at Leith, and at the foot of Bowling Green 
House garden. ‘The section in this sand-pit furnishes a re- 
markable instance of old artificial deposits, bearing so close a 
resemblance to natural beds, that experienced observers, not 
geologically familiar with the locality, have entirely mistaken 
their nature and character. I examined this sand-pit up- 
wards of two years ago, with the view of tracing the lateral 
extent inland of the marine deposits. The uppermost natural 


* This bed is not distinctly stratified. There is no trace of lamination, and 
there are bits of burnt coal scattered throughout the mass, 


On the so-called Raised Sea-Beach Bed at Leith. 429 


deposit in the section consists of a bed of sandy clay, three or 
four feet thick, superimposed upon stratified beds of sand and 
gravel, and can be traced by its small columnar structure, 
due to shrinkage in drying and exposure, so characteristic of 
clays, as also by its light brown colour, onwards to the northern 
extremity of the section. This bed gradually blends with a 
dark unstratified mass of old humus, which, at the north end 
of the pit, is overlaid by a tongue of shot sand, with patches 
of humus intermixed, presenting an appearance of two beds 
that are represented in Mr Geikie’s diagram as beds 5 and 6. 
Bed No. 7, which Mr Geikie says “is the highest in the 
section, and consists of stratified sand and shingle, full of 
littoral shells, and some balani still attached,” 1s not seen in 
the sand-pit section ; and the only representative that has been 
observed is a narrow strip of marine shingle and sand, mixed 
with humus, laid down at the bottom of the garden. The 
whole of this locality is overspread with artificial deposits. <A 
diagram, prepared by Mr Sharbau, assistant marine sur- 
veyor, gives a correct representation of the phenomena observed 
in this sand-pit section. The lowest bed consists of sand and 
coarse shingle, and contains abundance of worn marine shells, 
the balani adhering to the interior of the oyster valves. This 
bed is four or five feet above the sea level, and its character 
and contents are identical with a ripple-zone deposit. The 
overlying stratum is composed of marine sand, and varies in 
thickness. In this sand-pit it is five or six feet, whilst in an 
adjoiming one, a few yards to the eastward, and now filled up, 
it was eleven feet thick, and contained abundance of worn 
marine shells and comminuted fragments. It is continuous 
with the bed of marine sand, in great part blown, on which the 
town of Leith is built, and is connected to the shore sand. 
This bed is frequently exposed in foundations for buildings 
and cuttings for drainage, and when passed through is found 
to rest on the boulder clay. The deposit of sand and gravel 
which overlies this bed in the sand-pit section is destitute of 
marine remains, and appears to be of fluviatile origin. It igs 
remarkably irregular, and rises at the south end of the sand- 
pit into a protuberance six feet thick. The bed of marine 
sand disappears in the direction of the river, and the gravel 


430 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


is cut off to the eastward, where the overlying bed of sandy 
clay, and the lower bed of marine sand are observed to come 
in contact. This protuberance of sand and gravel extends 
towards the centre of the sand-pit, where a depression oc- 
curs which has been filled up with humus. This short lateral 
ridge of sand and gravel presents an appearance similar to 
what is formed by the bifurcation of rivers, or by currents 
heaping up deposits along their margins. The uppermost bed 
of sandy clay, which forms part of the so-called stratified 
marine silt, has all the characters of a marsh silt or lacustrine 
deposit; and the neighbouring hollow indicates the existence 
of a former lake. This is still a marsh, over which the Water 
of Leith occasionally flows as far as the Bonnington road; 
although the river is now confined within narrower limits, and 
guided by piers across the extensive foreshore of flat sand to 
its junction with the sea. 


IV. On the Danger of Hasty Generalization in Geology ; with Special 
Reference to the so-called Raised Sea-Beach at Leith. By 
ALEXANDER Bryson, Esq., F.R.S.E. 


As my friend Dr M‘Bain was to favour us with a com- 
munication on this subject this evening, I thought it might 
interest the Society to add, as a sequel to his observations, a 
few notes, some of which were formerly brought by me before 
the Royal Society here. 

It is proper, before alluding to the failings of our friends 
in making hasty generalizations, to confess our own failures, 
so that by plucking out the beams from our own we more 
readily detect the motes in our neighbours’ eyes. The first 
instance which I shall notice of erroneous conclusions, drawn 
from scanty data, occurred to myself in 1856. Our late 
lamented fellow, Dr Fleming, brought me one day a very 
beautiful specimen of Carrara marble, on which was exhibited 
the most decided marks of a fossil plant, and, being much 
engaged at that time in the microscopic study of the Carboni- 
ferous flora, I felt no hesitation in pronouncing it to be a true 
Stigmaria. This being a new fact in geology, of course the 
specimen was often exhibited to demonstrate the existence of 


ee ee a a 


On the Danger of Hasty Generalization im Geology. 431 


earboniferous fossils in the primitive limestone. Fortunately 
for truth, a friend obtained many similar specimens in the 
establishment of a marble-cutter in Leith Walk, where I 
soon found the true explanation of the structure which had 
led me to maintain its organic origin. 

It is usual for the marble-cutters at Carrara, before send- 
ing out the blocks from the quarry, to reduce them into as 
small dimensions as possible. ‘This operation is performed by 
what is called a matting-hammer, consisting of many separate 
and blunt teeth placed alternate to each other, and is used by 
bringing the hammer down, in a perpendicular direction, to 
the flat face of the marble block. By this method a series of 
quinquncial indentations are produced precisely similar to 
those found in Stigmaria, and, to render the illusion more per- 
fect, where the percussion of the teeth of the hammer is 
greatest (which is at the point), the limestone at the bottom of 
each depression is more crushed, and being deprived of its air 
by the greater force, exhibits a different structure from the 
surrounding walls, and thus presents the regularity, both in 
shape and direction, of the protruding petioles of Stigmaria. 

Unfortunately, before this discovery was made, my dear 
friend Professor Fleming died, and I have no doubt that this 
specimen is now lying in his cabinet, labelled on my authority 
as a Stigmaria. Another instance of the danger of hasty 
generalization which occurred to myseli—the supposed native 
lead of Inch Mickery—was formerly brought before this So- 
ciety, and is published in our Proceedings, vol. 11. p. 85. 

I have now to deal with another instance in which a hasty 
generalization has met with more attention in the geological 
world than any of those I have mentioned, but not less than 
it deserved. Mr Geikie, in a paper published in the “ Edin- 
burgh Philosophical Journal,” vol. xvi. p. 102, has stated his 
belief that the ground on which Leith is situated has risen to 
the extent of 25 feet since the Roman period. The section 
from which he has come to this conclusion is in a sand-pit at the 
Junction Road, Leith, and is represented in the diagram, which 
is the same as Mr Geikie used to illustrate his paper. He thus 
describes the succession of the strata as seen in the sand-pit :— 

“ The lowest bed (1) visible is one of coarse gravel or 

VOL. II. 3K 


432 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


shingle, the pebbles being all well rounded, and loosely 
cemented in a sandy and somewhat ferruginous matrix. (2) 
Is a bed of fine white sand, about six feet thick. It is full of 
false bedding, the diagonal stratification being beautifully 
exhibited by the alternations of darker and lighter coloured 
layers. Its upper surface is irregular, and is overlaid by a 
well-marked seam (3) of sand and gravel, which averages 
about sixteen inches in thickness. Its lower part is gravelly 
and ferruginous. This stratum is covered by three or four 
inches of a stiff greenish clay (4), which contains numerous 
perpendicular (sometimes dichotomous) ferruginous pipes, pro- 
bably marking the remains of the stems of plants. This 
stratum passes up into a bed (5), about six feet thick, of dark 
silt or sandy clay well stratified, having thin lenticular inter- 
laminations of sand, with occasional oyster-valves, a few 


5 * 7 
eae o4 aN 4 tad / rf ot = 
) ge cup 

L 
NY 

SS 

“ath ; ok 
Dep TS uD Sy oes Pe 


Section of Sand-pit, Junction Road, Leith. 


stones, and fragments of bones and pottery. The upper part 
of this bed becomes more sandy, and graduates into the super- 
incumbent stratum of brown sand (6). The highest bed of 
the section (7) consists of stratified sand and shingle full of 
littoral shells, and some of the stones having balani still 
attached. The irregular deposit (marked h in the diagram), 
which rests unconformably upon the edges of the strata just 
described, ig a mass of loose humus, which has been thrown 
down here at no distant date, perhaps to fill up an irregularity 
of the surface. It is full of stones, bricks, bones, pieces of 


On the Danger of Hasty Generalization in Geology. 433 


earthenware, tobacco-pipes, &c., and its origin is sufficiently 
explained by a large board a few yards distant—‘ Rubbish 
may be laid down here free.’” 

“It is with the stratum marked 5 that we have chiefly to 
deal. But before entering into its details, 1 would dwell 
pointedly on the fact, that it is a regularly stratified deposit, 
with thin parallel interlaminations of sand and clay; its oyster- 
valves and stones lie horizontally, and it passes upward by 
gradations into brown sand, which is covered by well strati- 
fied shell-sand and gravel. It cannot for a moment be con- 
founded with the dark earth fh, in which no trace of stratifica- 
tion can be detected, and which, moreover, rests on the edges 
of the other deposits. Whatever may be the contents of this 
bed of silt, they are undoubtedly of contemporaneous depo- 
sition; in other words, all the materials imbedded in the 
stratum were laid down at the same time with the stratum 
itself. And that this deposition and arrangement were effected 
tranquilly by the tides, is abundantly manifest from the strati- 
fied aspect of the bed, as well as from that of the sand which 
covers it.” In this bed (5) Mr Geikie found pieces of pottery 
and bones, to which he thus alludes :—‘* The pieces of pottery 
found by Dr Young and myself were of two kinds; the first 
and most abundant were of a pale yellowish-grey colour, from 
two to nearly six lines in thickness, and of a firm compact, 
but somewhat granular clay. ‘They showed no glaze, but had 
a rough exterior and a rounded form like fragments of a 
flagon or urn. All the pieces we obtained occurred in the 
space of two or three yards, and might have belonged to one 
vessel. We also found, however, one or two fragments of a 
thinner and finer kind of pottery of a red colour, and coated 
with a pellicle of greenish glaze. Having obtained as many 
fragments as could be gathered, after a careful search during 
two visits to the sand-pit, we submitted them to Mr M‘Culloch, 
the curator of the Scottish Antiquarian Museum, requesting 
his opinion before informing him where they had been found. 
He at once pointed out, that they strongly resembled frag- 
ments of Roman pottery ; and he stated, that if found near a 
Roman station, he would have no hesitation in pronouncing 
them to be Roman.” ‘“ We have no doubt, therefore, that 


434 Proceedings of the Loyal Physical Society. 


the pieces of pottery embedded in the elevated littoral silt of 
Leith are of Roman origin.” 

« Along with these remains occurred numerous fragments of 
the bones of some ruminant, apparently a deer. With the ex- 
ception of a broken tibia, all the pieces were of small size, 
like little chips and splinters. There occurred also a number 
of ferruginous pipes of irregular size and form, occasionally 
branching. They arose probably from the decomposition of 
ferruginous soil round the decaying stems of plants, though 
they sometimes resemble annelide burrows. 

“‘ T have just shown that the bed of silt in which these re- 
mains occur, is a truly stratified deposit formed by water, 
exactly as a similar silt is being laid down on the shores of 
the Frith at the present day. The occurrence of stratified 
shell-sand and shingle above this silt proves that it was a 
littoral deposit ; and the inference is irresistible, that the land 
here has risen about 25 feet since the deposition of these 
littoral strata. Further, the existence of fragments of Roman 
pottery in the silt shows us, that the deposition of these up- 
raised strata was going on during the Roman occupation of 
Britain, and therefore that this rise of the land has taken 
place since the time of the Romans. This may seem, indeed, 
a startling deduction, when we consider the comparatively 
large increase of land which it demands, the short interval it 
allows for the process of elevation, and the silence of histo- 
rians as to any change of level. But these objections are only 
negative, and cannot be entertained in the face of the clear, 
positive evidence of the raised sea-beach itself.” 

When this communication of Mr Geikie’s appeared, Dr 
M‘Bain (who had previously studied the relation of the beds) 
and I determined to make a careful investigation of the sand- 
pit, more particularly bed No. 5 of Mr Geikie’s section. We 
were aided in our researches by the kindness of Mr Field, the 
proprietor of the sand-pit, who placed his men at our service 
for the purpose of excavating the stratum. The result of 
many visits confirmed our belief, that there was no proof of 
any rise of the shore at Leith within the human period, for 
the following reasons, which I shall briefly state. 

First, as to bed No. 5, in which the so-called Roman pottery 


On the Danger of Hasty Generalization in Geology. 435 


was found, on which Mr Geikie lays so much stress, and is in- 
deed the point d’appui of his whole argument. Instead of 
finding this bed to be of marine origin and distinctly strati- 
fied, as Mr Geikie has described it, we found it (as any one 
can determine the fact for themselves) to consist of two dis- 
tinct beds. The lower one, which rests on gravel, is evidently a 
marsh silt due to the overflowing of the Water of Leith, the 
remains of which may still be seen about 100 yards to the 
west. That this marsh existed not in the Roman age, but 
within the memory of the oldest inhabitant, is rendered highly 
probable, by the situation bearing the name of Puddock Hall, 
evidently from its proximity to the abode of frogs. That this 
marsh silt was deposited long posterior to the Roman occupa- 
tion, we shall endeavour in the sequel to prove. ‘The silt 
stratum or lower portion of bed (5) contains no remains of 
animals nor pieces of pottery ; when dessicated by exposure to 
the air, it separates into prisms perpendicular to the clay-bed 
below, and is thus easily differentiated from the upper stratum 
in which Mr Geikie found the so-called Roman pottery. 

The upper portion of No. 5 is distinguished from its lower 
congener by numerous vesicular coal cinders, evidently acted 
on by heat, and as the matrix shows no symptoms of fusion 
from internal heat or otherwise, I take leave to denominate as 
simply coal ashes. Side by side with the incinerated coals we 
found oyster shells, not add lying flat, as deposited in a bed, but 
at all angles to the horizon, precisely as any one may find 
them in a humus bed, where a farmer, knowing their worth for 
manure, had shot them in at random. Nor were the stones, 
as Mr Geikie has said, lying on their sides (as would have 
been the case if this bed had been a lacustrine or marine de- 
posit) but were arranged in as higgledy-piggledy a manner 
as the oyster shells. We, with the assistance of Mr Field’s 
men, had no difficulty in supplying ourselves with from 
thirty to forty specimens of pottery, also bones of sheep, the 
common ox (Bos taurus), teeth of the same, and also of the horse. 
Only one evidence of the deer was found, and that was a tooth. 
Before entering into the further proof of this bed being of 
very modern origin, let us consider first the occurrence of the 
burned coal so largely sprinkled through its mass, and ask 


436 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


ourselves or Mr Geikie the question, was coal so commonly 
consumed at the period of the Roman invasion, so as to yield 
so large a percentage of the bed? For myself I answer in 
the negative. With regard to the horizontality of the oysters 
and stones, I leave those who feel interested in the controversy 
to convince themselves ; but I cannot help expressing my own 
opinion that the number of oyster-shells in the upper part of 
bed (5) are not greater than can be found in any humus bed 
supplied by the manure of the city of Edinburgh; nor are they 
evidence of marine deposition more than can be afforded by 
any well-cultivated field of Mid-Lothian. I shall now advert 
to the character of the pottery found in bed (5), where Mr 
Geikie found his Roman pottery. Above I have stated that 
we found upwards of thirty specimens of the fictile art; these 
were submitted to the inspection of Mr Birch of the British 
Museum, the first authority we have in the kingdom as re- 
gards pottery. His answer was, “ Notone piece is of Roman 
origin.” 

Another gentleman, second only to Mr Birch in his know- 
ledge of pottery, pronounced them to be of local and modern 
origin; in this opinion he was both right and wrong. In re- 
gard to the pottery being of local origin, I found that the red 
pottery owed its formation to a manufactory at Portobello, 
where elegant jugs after the Ktruscan mould were made to 
hold butter-milk, and the others were remains of neat glazed 
flower-pots from Holland, which forty years ago the skippers 
brought over to adorn the parlours of their wives. 

During our diggings in this bed No. 5, we frequently met 
with the stems of tobacco pipes, which, of course, did not by 
any means prove its. Roman deposition; pursuing our researches 
further, we found five heads or bowls of pipes bearing the 
initials T. W. Knowing only one tobacco-pipe manufacturer 
in Edinburgh, we submitted them to him, and asked when 
they were manufactured. His reply was, “these are the 
initials of my father-in-law, to whose business I succeeded, 
and could not have been made before the year 1814, when he 
founded our establishment.” 

But another proof of this bed No. 5 being a humus bed, 
exists in the testimony of an old man, Thomas Anderson, who 


On the Danger of Hasty Generalization in Geology. 437 


forty years ago cultivated this identical bed before beds Nos. 
6 and 7 were laid down. 

The question now arises, how were the beds6and7 laid down? 
Bed (6) was the ‘tail end” of Mount Falcon, raised by Oliver 
Cromwell, and levelled over bed 5, when the road was made for 
the proposed advent of George IV. into Edinburgh in 1822. 
Bed No. 7, Mr Geikie describes as consisting of a true beach 
bed with all its shells and balani, and he is led to believe that 
the deposit was truly laid down by the sea. ‘There are, how- 
ever, two facts which at once set this aside: 1. The balani are 
often found on the stones with their valves downwards, instead 
of exposed to their native element; and, 2, bed No. 7 was 
taken out within eight years from the foundation of a house, 
and entirely consists of the same shells, &c., which form bed 
No. 1 of Mr Geikie’s section, to which I shall now devote a 
few words, showing that it was formed within the historic 
epoch, and long after the advent of the Romans. From the 
Ordnance Survey map I have taken various contour levels of 
the streets and quays of Leith to the number of seventy-two. 
These give an average height above mean high water of 28-7 
feet. Now, as the tides vary from neaps to springs about 16 
feet, we must deduct from this half the amount, equal to 8 
feet; this leaves for average tides a height of 20-7. Now, as 
the oyster bed of Mr Geikie, or rather his No. 1 (which I call 
a storm-raised bed) is 15 feet below the average of the streets 
of Leith, we have only to account for a storm-wave five feet in 
height, to throw up their so-called raised sea-beach bed so 
much insisted on by Maclaren and Chambers. 

Such conditions of the tides have often been observed by the 
elder inhabitants of Leith, the effects of which could not of 
course affect land lying below the houses. But let us suppose 
the condition of Leith before or immediately after the Romans 
laid the “‘ Fishwife’s Causey,” and man had not placed barriers 
against the sea, but that the piers, harbours, and houses of 
Leith, with all their defences, were removed, old Ocean would 
soon re-assert his former sway, and claim as his domain the 
links of Leith, and leave at all high tides, and during N.E. 
storms, effects equivalent to those which make this storm- 
raised bed the stumbling-block of all geologists who attempt to 


438 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


prove that we have any very modern evidence of a subsidence 
of the sea or a raising of the land in the basin of the Forth.* 


V. (1.) On the Pigmental System of the Alzuoreal Pipe-fish. By 
T. Stretuitt W rieut, M.D. 

A few weeks ago I received a specimen of this fish, from 
Mr Fulton of Granton pier, in a very lively condition. It 
was placed in a large white vessel of water at ten o’clock at 
night. The colour of the fish was at that time a dark green, 
marked with the usual bands. On examining it the next 
morning, it had assumed a general hue of bright orange. 
Towards evening, again, dark-green patches appeared over 
various parts of the body. It was found the next morning 
dead on the carpet, having escaped from the vessel in which 
it was confined, and still retaining the clouded appearance 
which it possessed on the preceding evening. 

The pigmental system of the pipe-fish consists of two 
layers of pigment-cells, which are capable of contracting 
themselves to mere dots, and of extending themselves until 
they coalesce. In the outer layer these cells have a dark- 
brownish green tint; in the inner layer a bright orange. 
The green cells are excessively branched when dilated. The 
orange cells tend rather to form uniform expansions. I 
endeavoured with the utmost care to detect traces of cell- 
walls in both species of cell, but was unable to do so. The 
pigment cell appears only to consist of nucleus and con- 
tractile protoplasm, and to correspond very closely with the 
structure of some of the lowest forms of animal life, such as 
the Rhizopoda. 


(2.) Description of this iquoreal Pipe-fish. By Joun ALEXANDER 
Smitu, M.D. 


Dr Wright having given me this specimen of the Aiquo- 
real Pipe-fish, Nerophis Avquoreus (Kaup.), I thought it 
might be interesting to add afew details of its description:— 


* Since the above was written, the bed No. 7 of Mr Geikie’s section has been 
nearly all removed, the only portion remaining may be carried away in six or 
eight cart loads. The section exhibits now, what it did before, that humus and 
sand were alternate, as the carts which carried the stuff of the foundation 
were loaded anon with earth and then with sand. 


Observations on British Zoophytes. 439 


Body, octangular; fins, pectoral, anal, and caudal, awanting. 
Length of fish, 193 inches; length of head, 13 inch; point 
of snout to orbit, inch; front of orbit to extremity of oper- 
culum, 2 inch ; length from snout to anus, 94 inches; from 
anus to point of tail, 104 inches; from snout to first dorsal 
fin ray, 7£inches; length of dorsal fin, 23 inches; from last 
ray of dorsal fin to point of tail, 9 inches. The posterior 
termination of the dorsal fin is therefore nearly in the middle 
of the fish. 

The body consists of twenty-nine rings or divisions, the 
anus being in the twenty-ninth; the tail of about sixty. 
No depressions were observed on the abdomen,—probably a 
female. Dorsal fin, of thirty-nine rays, resting on nine rings 
of body and two of tail [21st to 31st inclusive]; anus under 
twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth rays of fin. (Tor descrip- 
tions of other specimens, see pp. 290 and 291). 

Professor Fleming, in his “ British Animals,” described 
this fish as rare, and called attention to the fact of its being 
“obviously pointed out by Sibbald, as an inhabitant of the 
Firth of Forth,” in 1684. Yarrell also states that examples 
of this species are rare. 


VI. Observations on British Zoophytes. (1.) Vorticlava Proteus. (2.) 
Trichydra pudica. (3.) On the Development of Pycnogon Larve 
within the Polyps of Hydractinia. By T. Streraiti, Wricut, M.D. 


(1.) Vorticlava Proteus. (Plate XVII.) 


Scleroderm absent. Colletoderm covering body of polyp. 
Upper row of tentacles capitate 5; lower row 9. 

Several specimens of this zoophyte were found in the 
“luke Hole,” Firth of Forth. The body of the polyp is 
exceedingly extensible. At one time a mere button at- 
tached to the stone on which it dwells; at another it trans- 
forms itself into the various shapes shown in the accom- 
panying figures. A hard covering to the body would neces- 
sarily prevent or impede these motions. The scleroderm, 
therefore, is absent, and the whole body of the polyp is 
covered with a layer of transparent “ colline,” which ex- 
tends from the foot, where it forms a thick mass, to a ridge 

VOL. II. 3 L 


440 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


which runs beneath the insertion of the lower rim of ten- 
tacles. The zoophyte has the power of changing its place. 


Description of Plate XVII. (Vorticlava proteus.) 


Fig. 1.— Vorticlava Proteus contracted. 

Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5.-Same in different states of extension. 

Fig. 6.—Diagram of the tissues of the polyp of V. Proteus; aa’, colletoderm 
attached to subtentacular ridge 6; c, ectoderm; d, endoderm. 


(2.) Trichydra pudica. (Plate XXII.) 


This hydroid, which I have already described to the 
Society, was found completely covering a small shell from 
the “Fluke Hole.” As its mode of reproduction has never 
been observed, I placed it in a small vessel of carefully-ex- 
amined sea-water, and exposed it to light, a mode of treat- 
ment which often induces the Hydroide to assume their 
medusoid phase. After some time, two small medusoids 
were found in the water, but I was unable, by the most care- 
ful examination, to detect their mode of development, as no 
‘“gonophores” appeared on any part of the ccenosarec. The 
connection of these medusoids with Trichydra is yet open 
to doubt, although I am convinced that no other zoophyte 
occurred on the shell, or in the water in which it was placed. 

Medusoid of Trichydra pudica ?—Umbrella mitre-shaped, 
covered with minute thread-cells. Sub-umbrella with four 
lateral canals, destitute of ovaries or sperm sacs. Peduncle 
short, cylindrical, four cleft at the mouth. Tentacles four, 
short, with two or four intervening tubercles. Oolites 
absent, eye-specks absent. 


Description of Plate XXII. (Trichydra pudica.) 
Fig. 1.—Polyp extended, showing the lax habit of the zoophyte. 
Fig. 2.—Polyp withdrawing itself when disturbed. 
Fig. 8.—Young Polyp. 
Fig. 4.—Polyp within its tube. 
Fig. 5.—Empty cell. 
Fig. 6.—Supposed medusoid. 


(3) On the Development of Pyenogon Larve within the Polyps of 
Hydractinia echinata. 


In a communication made by Professor.Allman to the 
British Association in 1859, entitled, ‘‘On a remarkable 
form of Parasitism among the Pycnogonide,” the author de- 


En AW ae OXoXG hee. 


Vol Il. 


Roval Fhystcal Society, Fdinburgy/. 


W.H.MS Farlane, Lith? Edin? 


: a * 


am 
aor 


T. Strethill Wright, del* 


Trichydra pudica. 


Observations on British Zoophytes. 441 


scribed the occurrence of certain vesicles on the branches of 
the Coryne exima, which, although possessing a strong re- 
semblance to the reproductive sacs of the zoophyte, and 
formed of all the proper tissues of the ccenosare and its 
coverings, were distinguished from those organs by each 
enclosing a single living Pycnogon, which, in the smaller 
vesicles, was embryonic, while in the larger it presented an 
advanced stage of development. A similar observation was 
made by Mr G. Hodge (Ann. and Mag. N. Hist., ser. 3, vol. 
ix.), who considered that the sacs were modified or stunted 
branches of the Coryne, the development of which had been 
arrested by the presence of the enclosed Pycnogon. On read- 
ing the papers of these gentlemen, I remembered that I had, 
some time before, been much puzzled by the discovery of 
armless Pycnogons resembling Mr Hodge’s figure (pl. 1v. 
fig. 10, op. cit.) in several altered polyps of a specimen of 
Hydractinia. In this case two or three were found in each 
polyp, which had assumed the form of a dilated and trans- 
parent sac crowned by its usual tentacles. The polyps ap- 
peared to be bloated and overgrown under the use of their 
Pycnogon diet. Mr Hodge’s paper at once set me on the 
look-out for another specimen of Hydractinia tenanted by 
Pycnogons, and this I at last obtained by the kindness of my 
friend, Dr Wilson, Demonstrator of Anatomy at the Univer- 
sity of Edinburgh. In this, one of the polyps contained 
three larvee of a pale yellow colour, which appeared, as far 
as could be seen without injuring the polyp, to be destitute 
of legs. When first observed, the polyp was furnished with 
its proper complement of tentacles; but as the development 
of the Pycnogons proceeded, the tentacles were absorbed, and 
the polyp became a long sac pointed at its upper extremity, 
and fitting closely on its contents, which appeared to be em- 
bedded in the longitudinal folds of the highly-developed 
endoderm. Mr Hodge supposes that the larvee, at a very 
early stage, are swallowed by ordinary alimentary polyps 
of the Coryne, and carried through the tubes of the cceno- 
sarc, until they arrive at a part which is about to become a 
polyp, which thereupon has its destination altered. And 
I think there can be little doubt that his surmise is correct, 


442 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


as in Coryne all Pycnogon sacs, in all stages of development, 
are not only destitute of tentacles, but are, according to 
Professor Allman, covered by a layer of the chitinous poly- 
pary or scleroderm. Such a mode of wnidification, however, 
could not take place in Hydractinia, the ccenosarcal tubes 
of which are of exceedingly small calibre. Accordingly, we 
find that the Pycnogon sacs in this zoophyte are formed, 
not by the arrest or change in development of an immature 
polyp, but by the degeneration of a tentacled polyp previ- 
ously perfect. 

Perhaps I ought to mention here, that globular sacs are 
occasionally found in place of the polyp, in Coryne glan- 
dulosa (Dalyell). These are destitute of scleroderm, and 
lined with a very dense brown endoderm, arranged in some- 
what reticulated folds. As far asI observed, they were empty, 
and, by constantly undergoing alternate processes of dilata- 
tion and contraction, appeared to influence the circulation 
of the zoophyte, It is possible that minute Pycnogons may 
have existed in these sacs. 


VII. Report of the Committee on Marine Zoology. By Grorex Logan, 
Esq., W.S., Convener. (Specimens were exhibited.) 


The Committee had several excursions in the Firth of 
Forth during the past season, and were occupied in trawling 
and dredging, and also in sweep-net fishing on the shore. 
Upon the 11th of May last, among numerous specimens of 
Mollusca procured off Inchkeith, the following only were 
worthy of notice; recorded by Dr. M‘Bean:—IAst, The 
bivalve, Cardium norvegicum of Spengler, alive; 2d, The 
bivalve, Montacuta substriata of Montagu, also alive, on 
Spatangus purpureus; 3d, The univalve, Apenhais pes 
pelicani of Linneus, alive,—it lived until the 10th of 
September; 4th, The univalve, Pdleopsis Hungaricus, or 
Fools-cap limpet,—it was also alive upon Modiola modiolus, 
and lived until the 20th of June; and 5th, The Hchinus 
thyone papillosa, which spawned upon the 18th of June, and 
died next day. | 

Mr William 8S. Young recorded a specimen of the Psolus 
phantapus, which came up upon a baited line near Inch- 


Report of the Committee on Marine Zoology. 443 


keith, and a large and beautiful specimen of Serpula filograna 
of Berkeley, found near the Bass, by means of an anemone 
taking a baited hook and bringing up along with it the 
mass of annelides to which it was attached. The Committee 
have the pleasure to report another fish new to the Firth of 
Forth, not noticed by Parnell, viz., the Poor or Power cod, 
Gadus minutus of Linneus, Morrhua minuta of Fleming, and 
described by Yarrell, vol. 11. p. 241 of his “British Fishes,” in 
a very interesting manner.: This little fish was first detected 
during this spring among a number of the common codling, 
by Mr R. F. Logan, and was subsequently frequently noticed 
by the reporter in similar company, the fishermen always 
confounding it with the whiting-pout, or brassey, the Gadus 
luscus of Linneeus, which it much resembles. Some of the 
specimens were found to be full of matured spawn. 

Through the energy of a member of the Committee (Mr 
William 8. Young), a fine specimen of the Greenland shark, 
Scymnus borealis, caught on the Dogger Bank on 30th April 
1862, was secured for the examination of the Committee, 
and Mr Young has favoured them with the following de- 
tailed description :— 

‘This specimen was presented to me by Mr Finlay, fish- 
monger, Leith; and as this is only the sixth instance, so 
far as known, that the Greenland shark has been observed 
in our seas, I thought it proper to make some observations 
and measurements. 

“The measurements are as follow, which were carefully 
noted by Mr James B. Davies, of the Edinburgh University 
Museum :— 


Feet. In. 
Dorsal line from snout to point of upper lobe of tail, 8 6 
Snout to anterior angle of first dorsal fin, : 3 8 
Snout to insertion of upper lobe of tail, . ‘ € cd 
Ventral line from snout to insertion of lower lobe of tail, 6 10 
Snout to abdominal fins, : Fise 33 


Line from snout to anterior angle of Leehal dorsal fin eo 10 
Line from angle of mouth to anterior angle of abdominal 

fins, sa ae 
Angle of mouth to Sie mele of lower lobe of tail? 6S 
Straight line from point to point of tail, : i De eS) 
From same points in line of curve, Die O 


AAA. Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


Circumference,— 
1. At first spiracle, 
2. ,, posterior angle of pectorals, 
phi ie i first dorsal, 
Aig, 5 3 abdominals, . 
Hye to ear, 
Kar to ear : 
Nostril to nostril, : 
From line of nostril to upper jaw, 
7 point of snout, 
Angle of mouth to insertion of pectoral fin, 
Angle of mouth to first spiracle, 
Length of group of spiracles, 
Mouth, open—transverse, 
i 3 vertical, 


onl 
= 


= 
SOSCSOHSCOCOCOOH Wwws 
i 
Or STO OAT S Or NT Co wT 
nt 


oH de 


“The colour was a uniform light-bluish grey, skin covered 
with minute hooked spines, hooks pointing backwards. <A 
row of mucous ducts extended from the tail to the head, 
their apertures, four-tenths of an inch apart, forming the 
lateral line which branches off at the head into symmetrical 
curves. These ducts are about half an inch in length, and 
communicate obliquely with a longitudinal canal just under 
the skin, lined with a dark pigment membrane. On dissect- 
ing the fish, the liver, consisting of two lobes, each 5 feet in 
length, weighed 35 pounds. 


Feet. In. 
Length of the stomach, 
si intestine to first cceecum, 
Thence to first turn, 
Thence to vent, 
Pancreas—long fork 
f. short fork, 
Spleen—extreme length, 
Kidneys—length, 


fond fel fel ped CC SOD 
mMMoOwo wo wo © bo 


Lea 


‘In the stomach was found a pultacious mass, along 
with portions of the cat-fish, cod, and haddock, and a large 
cod-hook with a part of snood attached. The usual spiral 
valves were observed in the intestine. The claspers at the 
base of the ventral fin showed this to be a male fish; and 
an elongated testis, covered by a delicate membrane, ex- 
tended on each side of the spinal column the whole length 
of the abdominal cavity. Some of the more interesting por- 
tions of the viscera are now in good hands,—Mr Turner, 
who was present at the dissection, having possession of 


On the Composition of a Pseudo-Steatite. 445 


those parts which were considered worthy of more critical 
examination. 

“Three years since, in the month of May, a somewhat 
larger specimen than this was caught near Inchkeith, and 
is now preserved in the Natural History Museum, Uni- 
versity.” 

In continuation of previous observations made during the 
course of the last three or four years, reported annually to 
the Society by this Committee, the Convener examined con- 
tinuously the herrings and sprats brought to market during 
the whole fishing season, and the result has shown that, 
from the end of June to the end of September, and from 
the beginning of December to the beginning of March, her- 
rings were taken having spawn in all stages of development, 
and the proportion of herring fry found among the sprats 
was even smaller than on previous occasions,—so far as ob- 
served, certainly not five per cent. on an average,—thus sup- 
porting the deductions drawn in previous Reports of this 
Committee. The Pilchard, or Gipsey herring, appeared 
along with the true herring occasionally or for short periods 
during the winter, and about the month of February large 
numbers of the sea bream were taken in the Firth. 

A vote of thanks was given to the Committee. 


VIII. On the Composition of a Pseudo-Steatite. By Murray Tuomson, 
M.D., F.C.S., Lecturer on Chemistry, Edinburgh, and Mr Morp 
Binney, Student in Dr Thomson’s Laboratory. 


The mineral which is the subject of this short notice I 
have ventured on denominating a Pseudo-Steatite; 1t was 
found by John Gellatly, Esq., late of the Chemical Works 
at Bathgate, forming a joint between the masses of a kind of 
serpentine; which latter rock is esteemed of some value for 
the construction of certain parts of bakers’ ovens, and for 
which purpose it is quarried close to the village of Blackburn, 
Linlithgowshire. 

Mr Gellatly, while making a visit to this quarry, picked up 
some pieces of the mineral, and sent them to my pupil, Mr 
Mord Binney, simply with the view of furnishing material to 
him for analytical practice, and not at first under any impres- 


446 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 


sion that the result of analysis would reveal anything unusual. 
Mr Binney proceeded with the analysis under my direction ; 
and it was only on the completion of it, and inspection of the 
results, that Mr Gellatly and myself were struck with the 
disagreement that seemed to exist between the external 
characters of the mineral and its chemical composition. As 
it presented the external characters of a steatite, it was re- 
garded by all who examined it to be a variety of that mineral; 
but the analysis showed it to contain only a comparatively 
small quantity of magnesia, which is the characteristic base 
of the steatites, while at the same time, the alumina had a high 
percentage ; in other minor features, also, the composition 
did not correspond with any of the published analyses of 
steatites. 

Having arrived at this result, it was needful, to avoid error, 
to make fresh analyses, which were accordingly made by Mr 
Binney and myself independently, and the numbers thereby 
obtained are those which have been put below side by side 
with each other. The result of these second analyses in a 
great measure confirmed the first, though they showed a com- 
position widely different from that of steatites generally. 

The typical composition of a steatite is, that it consists of 
silica, magnesia, with more or less water: these are the usual 
constituents enumerated ; but it will be seen that the mineral 
we have analyzed differs from that type in containing but 
little magnesia, a good deal of alumina, and protoxide of iron; 
along with a diminished percentage of silica. There is, how- 
ever, onevariety of steatite, called by Haiiy “saponite,”* which, 
by both Klaproth’s and Swanberg’s analyses, contains con- 
siderable amounts of alumina as well as magnesia; but even 
here the quantity of the former base does not exceed 10, and 
that of the latter is not set down as less than 25 per cent. 
To neither of those numbers do the percentages which we 
obtained approach ; so thatfrom the composition of the mineral, 
coupled with the following physical characters, we are in- 
clined to think there are sufficient grounds for concluding that 
it is 2 new species. 


* Dana, Hd. 1850, p. 2538. 


On the Composition of a Pseudo-Steatite. 447 


The following are the physical characters of the mineral:— 
It occurs in irregularly striated masses of a dark-green colour, 
which here and there changes to a brownish tint; it has 
generally a dull surface, and when exposed to the air efilo- 
resces; fracture uneven; it is easily broken and reduced to 
powder, which has a green colour. very part of the masses 
has the genuine soapy feeling of the steatite. Its degree of 
hardness is 2:2; as it is hardly scratched by gypsum, but is 
distinctly so by cale spar. Streak dark greenish grey, and sub- 
lustrous. It does not adhere to the tongue, has no taste, but 
has a slightly argillaceous odour, especially when a fresh sur- 
face is exposed. ‘The specific gravity is 2-469. Before the 
blowpipe itis infusible, but changes in colour from green to 
brown ; with borax a yellow head changing to green; with 
carbonate of soda a persistent dull green. 

The results of our analyses are now appended. 


Thomson. Binney. 

Silica, . : : : : 41°89... 42-78 
Protoxide of Iron, . : ‘ GO20 42> 631 
Alumina, . : : 22,00 0 22-08 
Manganese, . 5 : : traces ... traces 
Lime, : : Die ii ec. 2 OF 
Magnesia, . ; ; F Gel Giraz: 6:76 
Water, : 5 ams Xs 20:225- > LO68 
99:36 0.4. 99560 


si0, RO R,O, HO 
Oxygen ratio, fo ele 2 3 


IX. Notice of a Fetal Narwhal (Monodon monoceros, Linn.) By 
Rozert Brown, Esq. 


Mr Brown exhibited a small foetal specimen of a Nar- 
whal (fonodon monoceros, Linn.); and stated that another 
foetus was also found in the uterus of the same animal, 
which was captured in Davis’ Strait, June 23d, 1861. 

In the “ Linnean Transactions” (vol. xii. pp. 620, 621, 
“ Extracts from Minute Book”), in a letter from Mr W. R. 
Whatton of Manchester, it is noted, that in the summer of 
1821, while a Hull whale ship was beset in the ice in the 

VOL, I. 3M 


448 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Socvety. 


North Seas, the crew took a female Narwhal having a tooth 
in the upper jaw, perfect, and in every respect like that of 
the male, though not so long. The sex of the animal was 
satisfactorily ascertained in cutting up, when two fatuses 
were taken out of it. Mr Brown was acquainted with similar 
instances of the “horn” being protruded in the female Nar- 
whal; and though it is said to have been seen with two 
young following it, yet the instances mentioned were the 
only ones with which he was acquainted, in which the subject 
had been brought to an experimentum crucis. In all likeli- 
hood, the Cetacea in this respect follow the same laws as 
the other Mammalia, though our opportunities for observing 
the former were much more limited; and hence the value 
of every fact, however apparently triflmg, being put on 
record. 


Mr W. 8. Youne proposed a vote of thanks to the Presi- 
dents and other office-bearers, which was unanimously 
agreed to, and the Society adjourned until the commence- 
ment of the next Session. 


rN oD EX, 


Acharadria larynx, 378. 

Ajquoria vitrina, reproduction of, 316. 

Agelaius pheeniceus, Vieill., 47. 
zanthocephalus, Bonap., 47. 

Alauda alpestris, Linn., 111. 

Alcedo ispida, 245. 

Alcyonide, petrifaction of, 208. 

Alder (Joshua), on British Zoophytes. 
Hydractinia areolata, n. sp.; Atrac- 
tylis arenosa, n. sp., 314. 

Anahyster calabaricus, Murray, 157. 

Anchovy on coast of Caithness, 257. 

Anderson (Dr John), on Ph&ryxus 
paguri, 374. 

on Sacculina, 306, 

on New Holothuria, 331. 

“ Anowantibo,” Perodicticus Calabar- 
ensis, J. A. Smith, of Old Calabar, 
Notice of, 172. 

Anas boschas, Linn., 54, 348, 420. 
clypeata, Linn., 110, 189. 
strepera, Linn., 110, 150. 

Anser canadensis, 52, 181. 
hyperboreus, Gmel., 50. 

Anthus Ludovicianus, Gmel., 47. 

Apternus tridactylus, Sw., 48. 

Archibuteo sancti Johannis, Gmel., 45. 

Arctomys empetra, Schreb., 21. 

Argentine, 256. 

Astrophyton scutatum, 368. 

Atractylis arenosa, 'T. 8. Wright, 815, 

349. 
coccinea, T. S. Wright, 251. 
miniata, 'T. 8S. Wright, 351. 
palliata, T. 8. Wright, 250. 
ramosa, 'T. S. Wright, 35. 
repens, 250. 
Asio brachyotus, 46. 


Balfour (Prof.), Opening Address (His- 
tory of Wernerian Society, &c.), 1. 
— on the Birds of Heligoland, 
communicated by, 82. 

Banks (James), on Lantern-fly of 
Honduras, 102. 

Beaver, habits of, 329. 


Beaver, American, 21. 
Beetles, eyeless, from Carniola Ae 
Hungary, 88. 
Bell (Rev. T. B.) Notes from the 
neighbourhood of Stranraer, 148. 
Bernicla canadensis, Linn., 50. 
leucolema, Murray, 51. 
Lutchinsii ? 58. 
Bimeria vestita, 61. 
Birds, British, 44, 58, 69, 139, 244, 
259, 292, 347, 3638, 420. 
of Caithness, 834. 
of Heligoland, 82. 
of Hudson’s Bay Territories, 45, 57. 
Bison priscus, 77. 
Bloch’s Top-knot, taken near North 
Berwick, 189. 
Bos primigenius, 72, 77, 111. 
longifrons, 208. 
Botaurus lentiginosus, Montag., 50. 
stellaris, Selby, 364. 
Bovinee, fossil, 71. 
Brown (Robert), on Astrophyton scu- 
tatum, 368. 
on a foetal narwhal, 447. 
on Phocide of Greenland Seas, 
communicated by, 391. 
Bryson (Alex.), on danger of hasty 
generalization in geology, 85. 
with reference to the so-called 
raised sea-beach at Leith, 480. 
on tenacity of life in Buceznum 
coronatum, 89. 
on structure of pearl, 142. 
on silicification of organic 
bodies, 202. 
Buecinum coronatum, tenacity of life in, 


Buteo lagopus, 44. 
Buzzard, rough-legged, 44. 


Calabaria fusca, 201. 
Carruthers (Wm.), geology of Moffat, 
3838. 


on geology of Swellendam, 
South Africa, 108. 


450 


Castor Americanus, Brandt, 21. 
Cervus alces, Linn., 18. 
Ceryle alcyon, Linn., 46. 
Chetospira maritima, T. 8. Wright, 380. 
Chalk-flints in Caithness, 159. 
Chameleon tricornis, 149. 
Charadrius semipalmatus, Kaup., 49. 
Charlesworth (Edward), exhibited 
specimens, 318. 
Cheimatobia borearia, 260. 
Chimpanzee, 41, 156. 
Chimpanzee, skull of, from “ Deyvil- 
house,” Old Calabar, 41. 
Chlamydosaurus Kingii, 318. 
Chordeiles Virginiana, Briss, 46. 
Chough, The, 143, 145. 
Chromis Niloticus, Cuv., 359. 
Chrysaora, reproductive system of, 218. 
development of Hydra tuba from, 
35, 
Circus cyaneus, Linn., 46. 
Clarias jugar, 361. 
Nieuhoffi, 361. 
Clangula albeola, Linn., 55. 
Claparéde (Professor), on reproduction 
of a medusa, 1388. 
Clava nodosa, T. 8S. Wright, 378. 
Clavula Gossit, 35. 
Cleland (Dr John), on fishes from Old 
Calabar, 359. 
on vomer in man and mam- 
malia, 91. 
on the serial homologies of the 
axis, atlas, and occipital bone, 221. 
Clupea alba, in Firth of Forth, 180, 
248. 
pilchardus, 289. 
Coelogenys paca, skeleton of, 138. 
Colaptes auratus, Linn., 48. 
Colymbus arcticus, 56. 
glacialis, 56. 
Comatula Woodwardii, Barret, 86. 
Corethria sertularic, 80. 
Corvus Americanus, Audub., 46. 
Coryne implexa, Alder, 59. 
margarica, Wright, 61. 
Corythus enucleator, Linn., 48. 
Crea porzana, 292. 
Curruca atracapilla, 342. 
Cycloid fish, capture of, in Bay of 
San Francisco, 138. 
Cygnus Bewickii, Yarr., 259. 
Cypselus apus, Flem., migration of, 144. 


Dafila acuta, Linn., 54. 
caudacuta, 44. 
Dassauville (P. A.), exhibits speci- 
mens of rarer British birds, 110, 259. 
Dendronessa sponsa, Linn., 55. 
Dendrophrya erecta, 276. 


INDEX. 


Dendrophyra radiata, 276. 

Dubuc.(Dr E. W., R.N.), on marine 
animals from Ceylon, 249. 

on deep-sea soundings, 286. 


Edwards (A. M‘K.), on inflammation 
in fishes, 228. 

Electris from Old Calabar, 359. 

Elliot (Walter, of Wolfelee), on draw- 
ings of Indian animals by native 
artists, 348. 

Engraulus encrasicolus, Flem., 257. 

Folide, thread-cells of, 38. 


Falco candicans, Gmel., 46. 
islandicus, Lath., 226. 
peregrinus, Gmel., 47. 
Felis catus ferus, 368. 
Fiber zibethicus, Cuv., 21. 
Filaria in pearl-oyster, 101. 
Fishes, inflammation in, 228. 
from Old Calabar, 259. 
development of spawn of, 3738. 
Fleming (the late Professor), proposed 
memorial to, 150. 
Fossils, Old Red Sandstone, from south 
of Scotland, 36. 
Reptilian of Morayshire, 155. 
Old Red Sandstone of Forfar- 


shire, 195. 
Ornithic, from New Zealand, 
164. 


Fregilus graculus, 148, 145. 

Freya obstetrica, T. S. Wright, 379. 
stylifer, T. S. Wright, 379. 
producta, T. S. Wright, 380. 

Fringilla montifringilla, 150. 

Fulica atra, 348. 

Fuligula affinis, Yarr., 55. 
eristata, 348. 
rufina, 420. 


Galago murinus, Murray, 157. 

Garveia nutans, T. S. Wright, 62. 

Gatke (W. H.), on birds of Heligoland, 
82. 

Goldie (Rev. Hugh), on silk bags 
formed by insects at Old Calabar, 
87. 

Goodsirea mirabilis, T. S. Wright, 80. 

Goose, Canadian or Cravat, 50, 131. 

Gorilla, skull of, 848. 

remarks on, 42. 

Grifithides mucronatus, M‘Coy, 258. 

Gromia oviformis, 82. 

Grouse, hybrid, 44, 245, 364. 

Grus Canadensis, Temm., 50. 


Halcampa Fultoni, T. 8. Wright, 1938. 
Halichondria ventilabrum, 227. 


INDEX. 


Halietus albicilla, 345. 

Hare, Alpine, 20. 

Hargitt (Edward), exhibited wild cat, 
368. 

Hearelda glacialis, Linn., 55. 

Heterobranchus from Old Calabar, 361. 

Heligoland, birds of, 82. 

Felix virgata, tenacity of life in, 90. 

Hemitrygon Ukpam, J. A. Smith, 69. 

Hippocrene Britannica, development of, 
35. 

Hippopotamus amphibius, Linn., 158. 

Holothuria edulis, 249. 

new form of, 331. 

-Homologies of articular surfaces of 
axis, atlas, and occipital bone, 221. 

Hudson’s Bay Territories, natural his- 
tory of, 15, 45. 

Hunter (Rev. Robert), on markings on 
Old Red Sandstone slabs, 1638. 

Hydra tuba, development of, from 
Chrysaora, 85. 

Hydractinia, 283, 314. 

Hypocala, larva of, 372. 


Insects, Indian, 372. 
Jardine (Sir William, Bart.), on Ame- 


rican Ptarmigan, 48, 57. 
on birdsfrom Hudson’s Bay, 57. 


Kelaart (Dr E. F.), on pearl banks of 
Arippo, Ceylon, 101. 
Kionistes retiformis, 91, 277. 


Labrus bergylta, 149. 
Lagopus albus, and synonyms, 48. 
Lagotia obstetrica, T. S. Wright, 379. 
producta, 26. 
reproduction in, 28. 
Lamna cornubica, Cuv., 258. 
Lanius excubitor, 44, 110, 227, 245. 
septentrionalis, Gmel., 48. 
Lantern-fly from British Honduras, 
36, 102. 
Laomedea decipiens, 'T.8, Wright, 352. 
Larus argentatus, Gmel., 56. 
eburneus, 57. 
glaucus, Temm., 259, 347. 
ridibundus, 3438. . 
zonorhynchus, Richard, and 8w., 56. 
Leaf insect, A new, 146. 
Lecythia elegans, T. 8. Wright, 277. 
Lepus timidus, albino of, 3638. 
glacialis, Leach, 20. 
Lepidodendron, with Lepidostrobus at- 
tached, 38. 
Lestris cephus, Brunnich, 56. 
Limosa fedoa, Linn., 50. 
Hudsonica, Lath., 50. 


451 


Lincta borealis, 48. 
Livingston (John S.), on metamor- 
phism in mineral kingdom, 267. 
Livingstone (Dr), extracts of a letter 
from, 131. 

expedition, memorial on be- 
half of, 133. 

Lizzia, reproduction of, 138. 

Logan (George), reports of Dredging 
ee and on Gadus minutus, 


on white bait in Firth of Forth, 

130. 

— on herring and sprat fishery of 

Firth of Forth, 130, 240, 288, 442. 

notice of snakes and lizards 

from Old Calabar, 199. 
Logan (Robert F.), on Canada goose 
shot at Duddingston, 131. 

on Vanessa polychloros and 

Cheimatobia borearia, 260. 

on Indian insects, 372. 

Loxia curvirostra, Penn., 368. 
leucoptera, Gmel., 48. 
pityopsittacus, 342. 

Lutra Canadensis, 26. 


Manatus Senegalensis, Desmar., 158, 261. 

Mareca Americana, Steph., 54. 

Marine Zoology Committee, reports 
of, 180, 240, 442. 

Markings on Old Red Sandstone slabs, 
163. 

Marmot, Quebec, 21. 

Mackenzie (J.), on American reindeer, 
16. 


onthe habits of the beaver, 829. 

M‘Bain (Dr James, R.N.), on tenacity 
of life in Helix virgata, 90. 

——— on fossil Nautilusfrom Sheppy, 
108. 

on so-called raised sea-beach 

at Leith, 105, 422, 

on osteological remains from a 

Pict’s house in Harris, 141, 207. 

on bones of a Moa (Palapteryx) 

from New Zealand, 164. 

remarks on British sponges, 


= 


238. 


on skulls of Manatees from Old 
Calabar and Bay of Honduras, 261. 
on development of fish-spawn, 


3738. 
Medusa, reproduction of a, 1383. 
Mergulus alle, 347. 
Mergus albellus, 247. 
cucullatus, Linn., 56. 
serrator, Linn., 56. 
Meteoric Iron found in Roxburghshire, 
396. 


452 


Merkel’s muscle, 135. 

Merlangus virens, 241. 

Metamorphism in mineral kingdom, 
267. 

Miller (the late Hugh), on Ctenodus 
and Dipterus of Old Red Sandstone, 
37. 


museum of, 151. 

Mitchell (J. M.), remarks on Cuvier’s 
statements regarding the herring, 
269. 

on difference between the 
young herring and the sprat, 374. 

Moffat, geology of, 383. 

Monochirus linguatulus, Cuv., 241, 257. 

Monodon monoceros, 447. 

Moose deer, 18. 

Morrhua minuta, in Firth of Forth, 443. 

Murray (And.) Opening Address, 117. 

on Nat. Hist. of Hudson’s Bay, 

15, 45. 

on eyeless beetles, 88. 

on progress of entomology, 120. 

on large cycloid fish of San 

Francisco Bay, 138. 

on supposed meteoric stone 

from Hudson’s Bay, 138. 

notice of anew leaf-insect, 146. 

description of new Sertula- 

riadee, 146. 

notice of Chameleon tricornis, 149. 

on fauna of Old Calabar, 156. 

Mus leucopus, Rafin, 24. 

Muscicapa parva, 82. 

Musk rat, 21. 


Nautilus, on a fossil from Island of 
Sheppy, 108. 

Nemertes, ova of, 198. 

Nucula decussata, 105. 

Nullipores in boulder clay, 98. 

Numenius Hudsonicus, Lath., 50. 
 pheeopus, 346. 

Nyctea nivea, Daud., 46. 


Office-bearers for Session 1858-59, 38. 
1859-60, 1382. 
1860-61, 228. 
— 1861-62, 318. 
Oidemia Americana, Linn., 56. 

nigra, 139. 

perspicillata, Flem., 55. 

velvetina, Cassin., 55. 
Old Calabar, mammals of, 157. 
« Angwantibo”’ of, 172. 
——— Chimpanzee, skull from, 41. 
snakes and lizards from, 199, 
fishes from, 359. 
——— “Ukpam,” Hemitrygon ukpam, 

J. A. Smith, from, 64. 


INDEX. 


Onuphis tubicola, 162. 

Ophiocoma granulata, 382. 
neglecta, 63. 
rosula, 63. 
bellis, hooked spines on, 382. 

Ophideres, larva of, 372. 

Ophiura, new to Britain, 86. 

Ophryodendron abietinum, 216. 
Reproduction of, 274. 

Orthagoriscus mola, 258. 

Osborne (Henry), on ornithology of 
Caithness, 341. 

Otocorys cornutus, Sw., 47. 

Otter, American, 26. 

British, 244. 
new genus from Old Calabar, 
157. 

Oxytricha longicaudata, 381. 

Pagan monuments in Outer Hebrides, 
352. 

Page (David), on new fossil forms 
from Old Red Sandstone of Forfar- 
shire, 195. 

Pagophila brachytarsus, 58. 

Palapteryx, bones of, 165. 

Pancreas, human, on examination of, 
151. 

Parus ater, 342. 

Parasites on Crustacea, 306, 374. 

Parietal bones, abnormality in, 421. 

Passer montanus, 69. 

Peach (C. W.), on chalk flints of the 
Island of Stroma, 159. 

note on Onuphis tubicola, 162. 

on nidus of Pontobdella and 

other annelides, 195. 

on argentine, anchovy, and 

other fishes, 256. 

on spines on Ophiocoma, 63, 382. 

on nullipores and sponges in 
boulder-clay of Caithness, 98. 

Pearl banks of Arippo, Ceylon, 101. 

structure of, 142. 

Pelecanus erythrorhynchus, Gmel., 56. 

Perdix cinereus, 227. 

Periosoreus Canadensis, Linn., 46. 

Perodicticus Calabarensis (the ‘“ Ang- 
wantibo”’), J. A. Smith, 172. 

Petrel, The Stormy, 144. 

Petromyzon marinus, 248. 

Phalaropus lobatus, Ord., 50. 

Phasianus colchicus, 59. 

torquatus, 59. 

Pheasant, hen, with plumage of male 
58. 

Phoca Greenlandica, Mull., 392. 
hispida, Mull., 398. Z 
leonina, O. Fabr., 898. - 
leporina, 394. 

Phenicura suecica, 82. 


INDEX. 


Phryzus paguri, 374 
Pict’s house, osteological remains from, 
141, 207. 
Picus major, Penn., 227, 368. 
Pike, voracity of, 44. 
Pilchard, in Firth of Forth, 445. 
_ Pinnotheres, 249. 
Pintail duck exhibited, 44. 
Plectrophanes Lapponica, Linn., 47. 
nivalis, Linn., 47. 
pictus, Sw., 47. 
Plinian Society, early members of, 3. 
Plumularia gracilis, Murray, 148. 
strathionides, Murray, 148. 
Pluvialis Virginiacus, Borkh., 49. 
Podiceps auritus, 367. 
cristatus, Penn., 365. 
cornutus, 56, 367. 
Podiceps rubricollis, 366. 
Polarizing prisms of nitrate of potash, 
107. 
Pontobdella muricata, nidus of, 196. 
Portuguese man-of-war, 249. 
Porzana Carolina, Linn., 49. 
Presidents’ Addresses :— 
Professor Balfour, 1. 
A. Murray, 117. 
W. Rhind, 211. 
Dr T. 8. Wright, 295. 
Prince-Consort, address of condolence 
on the death.of, 328. 
Procellaria pelagica, 144. 
Protozoa, new, Dr Wright on, 26. 
Pseudo-steatite, 445. 
Pycnogon larvee, 440. 


Querquedula Americana, Linn., 55. 
caudacuta, 247. 
strepera, 150. 


Raia M‘Coyu, W. 8. Young, 417. 
Rangifer caribou, 15. 
Reindeer, 15. 
Rhind (Wm.) Opening address, 211. 
exhibits coal fossils, 38. 
on reptilian fossils of Moray- 
shire, 155. 
Rhinomus soricoides, Murray, 159. 
Rhizopodal structure, 251. 
Rhizopoda, reproductive elements of, 
270. 
Rhombus hirtus, Yarr., 258. 
punctatus, Bloch, 189. 
Rhynchaspis clypeata, Linn., 54. 
Robb (Rev. Alex.), on Angwantibo, 172. 
Ross-shire, natural history of west 
coast, 86. 


Sacculina carcino, Thomps., 311. 
inflata, 806, 318. 


453 


SacculinaTriangularis, Dr Anderson,312. 
Salpistes castaneus, 38. 
Miillert, 32. 
Sciurus Noveboracensis, Bonap., 47. 
Scolecophagus ferrugineus, Gmel., 48. 
Scopelus Humboldii, Cuv., 256. 
Scalops canadensis, Cuv.? 25. 
Scymnus borealis, 448. 
Sertularia corniculata, Murray, 148. 
labrata, Murray, 147. 
tricuspidata, Murray, 147. 
Sertulariade, new, from coast of Cali- 
fornia, 146. 
Serpula filograna, near the Bass, 448. 
Shark, Greenland, 448. 
Shearer (R. I.), on ornithology of 
Caithness, 334. 
Shrew-Mole? 25. 
Shrike, great grey, 44, 110, 227, 245. 
Silicification of organic bodies, 202. 
Smith (Dr John Alex.), notes on Old 
Red Sandstone fossils, 36. 
specimen of lantern-fly, 36. 
on skull of chimpanzee, 41. 
notices of the rarer British 
birds, 44, 58, 69, 110, 189, 244, 259, 
292, 347, 363, 420, 
om Ukpam” from Old Calabar, 


64. 


on Bos primogenius in Museum 
of Antiquaries of Scotland, 111. 
notice of British fishes, 139. 
on “ Angwantibo,” 172. 
notice of sea lamprey, 248. 
on equoreal pipe-fish, 291. 
on meteoric iron from Rox- 
burghshire, 396. 
on albino of common hare, 363. 
description of zquoreal pipe- 
fish, 139, 291, 488. 
Somateria V. nigrum, Gray, 54. 
Sorex parvus, Say, 25. 
Forstert, Rich., 26, 
Spizella monticola, Gmel., 47. 
Sponges, remarks on British, 2338. 
Squatarola helvetica, Linn., 50. 
Squirrel, Note on the, 361. 
Stenops (Perodicticus) Potto, 157. 
Stentor castaneus, 33. 
Miilleri, 32. 
Sterna arctica, Temm., 56, 348. 
Hirundo, Linn., 56. 
nigra, Linn., 56. 
Stewart (John nO on natural history 
of west coast of Ross-shire, 86. 
Stirling (A.), notice of pike, ‘4, 
Strepsilas interpres, Linn., 50. 
Strix Tengmalmi, Temm , 244, 
Surnia funerea, Gmel., 46. 
Sylvia cerulicula, 82. 


A 


an 
7 sl, Vil 
Sylvia hippolais, 342. 
Tytleri, 82. 
Sylvicola cestiva, Gmel., 47. 
parus, 47. 
striata, Gmel., 47. 
Sygnathus (Nerophis, Kaup) cequoreus, 
139, 290, 291, 438. 
pigmental system of, 438. 
Synodontis serratus, 359. 
Swellendam, Geology of, 108. 


Taylor (Andrew), on Old Red Sand- 
stone beds of Liberton and Grange, 
254. 

Tengmalm’s Owl, 244. 

Tetrao canadensis, Linn., 49. 

melanurus, Jard., 57. 
obscurus, Say, 57. 
phasianellus, Linn., 49. 
medius, 44. 

Thomson (Dr Murray), analysis of 
Meteoric Iron from Roxburghshire, 
414, 


on pseudo-steatite, 445. 
Thread-cells of Holide, 38. 
Thomas (Captain, R.N.), on pagan 
monuments in Outer Hebrides, 352. 
Totanus flavipes, Vieill., 50. 
melanoleucus, Gmel., 50. 

Traquair (Dr R. H.), on abnormality 
in parietal bones of a foetus, 421. 
on trilobites in Fifeshire lime- 

stone, 2538. 
Trichydra pudica, 440. 
Trachinus draco, Linn., 256. 
vipera, Cuv., 241, 257. 
Tringa alpina, Linn., 50. 
pugnax, 139. 
Trilobites in mountain limestone, 2538. 
Troglodytes niger, 41, 156. 
gorilla, 42. 
Tubularia implexa, Alder, 60. 
Turdus merula, pied variety of, 363. 
migratorius, Linn., 47. 
musicus, variety of, 245. 

Turner (Wm., M.B.), on. British fossil 
Bovine, 71. 
on a new muscle of the human 

larynx, 135, 326. 

on transparent injection in ex- 

amination of human pancreas, 161. 

- on non-striped muscle in or- 
bital periosteum, 819. 

Turris neglecta, reproduction of, 34. 

Tyrannus borealis, Sw., 48. 


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INDEX. 


Tytler’s Robin, 82. 


“Ukpam,” Hemitrygon ukpam, J. A. 
Smith, from Old Calabar, 64. 

Unio plicatus, 142. 

Uria grylle, Lath., 56. 


Vanessa polychloros, 260. 
Vomer in man and mammalia, 91. 
Vorticlava proteus, 439. 


Wallace (Dr John), on Phocide of the 
Greenland seas, 391. 

Weir (T. Durham), note on the squirrel 
feeding on birds, 361. 

Wernerian Natural History Society, 
account of, 4. 

Whitebait in the Firth of Forth, 130. 

Wild cat exhibited; 368. 

Wright (Dr T. Strethill). Opening ad- 
dress, 295. 

on new protozoa, 26. 

observations on British zoo- 

phytes, 34, 59, 80, 91, 193, 216, 250, 

270, 276, 314, 349, 378. : 

on thread-cells of Holide, 38. 

on Goodsirea mirabilis, 80. 

on polarizing prisms of nitrate 

of potash, 107. 

on a ready method of finding 

microscopic objects under high 

powers, 134. 

on rhizopodal structure, 251. 

on reproductive elements of 

the Rhizopoda, 270. 

on reproduction of Ophryoden- 

dron, 274. 

on reproduction of quoria vi- 

trina, 316. 

on pigmental system of zquo- 

real pipe-fish, 438. 


Xema Bonaparti, Rich., and Sw., 56. 


Young (Wm.§8.), on Sygnathus equoreus, 
290. 


on M‘Coy’s ray, 417. 


Zonotrichia albicollis, Gmel., 47. 
leucophrys, Gmel., 47. 

Zoophytes, British, Dr T. S. Wright 
on, 34, 59, 80, 91, 193, 216, 250, 
270, 276, 814, 349, 378. 

Zooteirea religata, 29, 378. 


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