G. GENERAL NATURAL HISTORY AND ZOOLOGY 345 



other vertebrates being converted into one of the auditory 

 ossicles (the malleus). This super-class is re23resented by a 

 sincrle class the Mammals. 



Professor Gill declares that the more these groups are 

 studied in all their relations, the more natural do they ap- 

 pear, and concludes with the following exposition of their 

 succession in a descending series : 



Branch VERTEBRATA. 



A. Sub-branch CRANIOTA. 

 Super-class Malleifera. 



I. Class Mammalia. 



Super-class Quadratifera, 

 (Sauropsida. ) 

 II. Class Aves (Birds). 



III. Class Reptilia (true Reptiles). 



(Batrachopsida. ) 



IV. Class Batrachia (Frogs and Salamanders). 

 Super-class Lyrifera. 



V. Class Pisces (true Fishes). 

 VI. Class Elasmobranchiata (Sharks and Rays). 



Super-class Monorrhina. 

 VII. Class Marsipobranchia (Lampreys and Hags). . 



B. Sub-branch ACRANIA. 

 VIII. Class Leptocardia (Lancelet). 



Pre-eminently the most homogeneous of the classes is that 

 of Birds, all the living representatives of which are claimed 

 to belong to a single order, for which the name Eurhipidura 

 (alluding to the fan-like tail) is proposed. i Z>, vi., 432-435, 

 December^ 1873. 



MESMERISM OF A:N'IMALS. 



In a lecture at Leipsic on hypnotism in the lower animals. 

 Professor Czermak first discussed the statement that if a crab 

 be held by the tail with one hand, and the other hand, with 

 the fingers curved slightly downward, be passed over it from 

 the tail toward the head with a stroking^ motion a certain dis- 

 tance above it, but not touching it, the animal will in a short 

 time fall into the so-called magnetic or mesmeric sleep, and 

 can then be set up vertically on its head and claws ; further- 

 more, that if the movement of the hand now be made in the 

 opposite direction, the magnetism will pass ofi*, and the ani- 

 mal Avill return to its normal condition. He showed that 



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