486 



Elektrische Untersuchungen von W. G. Hankel. Erste Ab- 

 handlung, Tiber die Messung der Atmospharischen Elektricitat 

 nach absolutem maasse. 8vo. 

 — From the Society. 

 A General Index to the Philosophical Transactions, from the first 

 to the end of the seventeenth volume. By Paul Henry Maty, 

 M.A., F.R.S. 4to. London, 1787. — From the University 

 Library t Edinburgh. 

 Supplement to the Quarterly Returns of the Births, Deaths, and 

 Marriages registered in the Divisions and Counties of Scotland. 

 Year 1856. — From the Registrar-General. 



Monday, 6th April 1857. 

 Dr CHRISTISON, V.P., in the Chair. 

 The following Communications were read : — 

 1. On the Structure of Pedicellina. By Prof Allman. 



The author maintained that the genus Pedicellina, notwithstand- 

 ing the circular arrangement of its tentacula, does not properly belong 

 to the infundibulate Polyzoa at all, but is in reality hippocrepian , 

 of which type, however, it presents a remarkable modification. The 

 intestine at first sight appears to terminate within the margin of a 

 orbicular lophophore, and, consequently, within the circle of ten- 

 tacula, and thus to present a striking exception to the admitted 

 plan of the Polyzoa. It was shown, however, that the anomaly 

 which thus seems to exist was only apparent, for the lophophore, 

 when carefully examined, is found to be constructed on the hippo- 

 crepian type, with the tentacula confined to the outer or convex 

 margin, and the arms of the crescent united at their extremities 

 so as to enclose a space, around which the tentacula will then be 

 arranged in ah uninterrupted circle, and within which the intestine 

 opens, its termination being thus quite normal, and properly external 

 to the lophophore. 



As in the ordinary hippocrepian Polyzoa, so also here the mouth 

 is furnished with an epistome, which, however, is less complete than 

 in the others, and not provided with special muscles ; and it is more- 



