Sechelles and Amirantes Islands, 69 



more highly vahicd for collections, — he has not failed to fur- 

 nish us with information regarding species already known 

 which will greatly advance their history, and which was much 

 more difficult to bo acquired. To attain the latter object, 

 much more is necessary than to collect these animals, and to 

 put them among a liquid fitted for preserving them, as is al- 

 most always done by travelling naturalists. It is necessary to 

 pass days, months, and years in observing the animals, and 

 carefully noting all their peculiarities. M. Dufo's work must 

 be admitted not to bo essentially scientific ; to that the author 

 makes no pretension : but his researches are of real import- 

 ance, first, in themselves, and, secondly, in their rarity ; and 

 they will tend not a little at once to enrich the works of na- 

 turalists, and the collections of our museums. 



We think it our duty to propose to the Academy, that its 

 thanks should be given to M. Dufo for the zeal with which he 

 has fulfilled his self-imposed mission; and to invite him to 

 continue it, if he can ; and, in that case, to turn his attention 

 to the animals themselves in their relations to the shell, — to 

 the differences of sex, and to the eggs of each species, matters 

 hitherto but very little known in the history of molluscous ani- 

 mals, and which will exercise a great influence on the ulterior 

 progress of the science. 



The conclusions of this report were adopted by the Acade- 

 my. The commissioners were MM. Dumeril, Milne Edwards, 

 and Blainville. — Gomptes Bendus, N. 10. March 1840, p. 392. 



On the Hair in Man, and the Dermal Coverings of Animals. 



During several of the late meetings of La Societe Philomatique 

 of Paris, there have been animated discussions concerning the 

 growth of the hair, and some of the phenomena connected 

 therewith, a summary of which we shall now endeavour to sub- 

 mit to the notice of our readers. These discussions have origi- 

 nated in the recent publication of M. Mandl '•' on the Hair and 

 other Tegumentary Coverings," and the learned author has 

 borne his share in these disputations. One of the propositions 

 which M. Mandl is disposed to maintain, is, that the hair, and 



