150 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



Mr. Owen read a Paper " On the Structure of the Heart of the 

 Perennibranchiate Amphibia, or Reptiles douteux of Cuvier." 



He briefly noticed the progressive discoveries relating to the heart 

 of Reptiles which have been made since the time of Linnaeus, and 

 which have successively rendered inapplicable to the Saurian s, Cheloni- 

 ans, and Ophidians, the phrase " Cor uniloculare, uniauritum", applied 

 to the whole of the Reptilia in the f Systema Natures'. He alluded to 

 the researches of Dr. Davy and M. Martin St. Ange on the structure 

 of the heart in the Caducibranchiate Amphibia, from which it appeared 

 that two auricles were appended to the ventricle in those Reptiles, as 

 well as in the higher orders above mentioned. He then proceeded to 

 give the results of an examination of the hearts of specimens of Am- 

 phiuma, Cuv., Menopoma, Harlan, Proteus, Schreib., and Siren, Linn. 

 He selected the heart of the Siren lacertina as the subject of detailed 

 description, considering that the genus Siren, in combining with per- 

 sistent external branchice a limited number of extremities, exhibits the 

 simplest form of the Amphibious Reptile. 



The heart in this species consists of three distinct cavities, as in the 

 higher Reptilia, viz. of two auricles and one ventricle. The auricles 

 appear to form externally one large and remarkably fimbriated cavity, 

 situated behind, and advancing forwards, on both sides of the ventricle 

 and bulbus arteriosus. The venous blood is poured into a large mem- 

 branous sinus by one posterior and two anterior ven<e cava prior 

 to passing into the auricle. The conjoined trunk of the pulmonary 

 veins appears also to enter this sinus, but it passes through without 

 communicating with that cavity, and terminates in a small separate 

 auricle, which opens into the ventricle by an orifice distinct from, but 

 close to, the orifice of the right auricle. In the ventricle a rudimen- 

 tary septum was noticed as affording an indication of a type of forma- 

 tion superior to that of Fishes. In the bulbus arteriosus a longitudinal 

 projection appears as a commencing division of the single artery, 

 which is given off from the ventricle. 



The differences in the structure of the preceding parts, and in the 

 origin and distribution of the different vessels exhibited by the other 

 genera of Perennibranchiata, were successively noticed ; and the affini- 

 ties indicated by these modifications to the Caducibranchiate Reptiles 

 on the one hand, and to the Cartilaginous Fishes on the other, were 

 also pointed out. 



The Paper was illustrated by drawings of the structures described 

 in it. 



XXIV. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



ON SOME NEW COMBINATIONS OF PLATINA. BY M. DGEBEREINEI?. 



IF solutions of muriate of platina and carbonate of soda, the latter 

 being in excess, be mixed and exposed for some days to the sun, 

 or a temperature of 212°, there is gradually formed a precipitate, of 

 a chrome yellow colour, which is partly in small crystals, composed 

 of soda and oxide of platina, in proportions not yet ascertained: these 

 contain from 0*5 to 1 per cent, of chlorine. I consider this pre- 

 cipitate as a salt, which I shall call provisionally platinatc of soda, 



