Zoological Society. 377 



it, were not united to the vertebra itself, whence Cuvier was in- 

 duced to inquire, May not this be a small vestige of a rib ? Cuvier 

 does not appear to have noticed this detached portion of bone in 

 any but this young individual, nor as connected with any but that 

 which he continued, even in his latest work, to regard as the ninth 

 cervical vertebra. 



In two skeletons, however, which Mr. Bell possesses, one of a 

 young individual and the other adult, there are bony detached 

 appendages on each side both of the eighth and ninth vertebra, 

 reckoning from the cranium, and Mr. Bell is therefore disposed 

 to regard these vertebra: as being rather the first and second dorsal 

 than the eighth and ninth cervical, and to consider the seven ver- 

 tebrce craniad of them as constituting the normal set. The trans- 

 verse processes of these vertebrae are longer and narrower than the 

 preceding ones, and each is terminated by a perfect articular sur- 

 face, which is slightly depressed. To these articular surfaces are 

 attached the heads of the rudimentary ribs. The first of these 

 rudiments is small and slender, about four tenths of an inch in 

 length, having a distinct rounded head at the articular extremity, 

 then becoming abruptly smaller, and tapering to the apex. The 

 second is considerably larger and assumes more of the character of 

 a short rib. It is about 6 lines in length and nearly 2 in breadth. 

 Its head is oblong and rounded ; and there is a tubercle on the 

 upper and anterior side. Towards the extremity it becomes broader 

 and flatter, with an excavated surface inwards, and a convex rough 

 prominence on the outer side, apparently the point of muscular 

 attachment. Immediately behind and beneath the head of the 

 bone is a m'mutejbramen for the passage of intercostal vessels. 



The character of the transverse processes of the two vertebrae 

 differs very materially from that of the true cervical. In the supe- 

 rior vertebrae this process is transverse and slightly bifid. In the 

 seventh cervical it stands obliquely forwards, and its apex is broad 

 and oblong. In the first dorsal each transverse process is com- 

 pletely divided into an anterior flattened process which is turned 

 forwards, and a true lateral or transverse one which supports the 

 little rudimentary rib : the transverse process is smaller, but con- 

 siderably longer than those of the true cervical vertebra, and stands 

 more in a lateral or transverse direction. In the second dorsal 

 vertebra the anterior process does not exist, and the body assumes 

 the form of the succeeding ones. The transverse processes are 

 simple and obtuse, and the articular surface is slightly excavated. 



Mr. Bell exhibited, in illustration of his paper, the two skeletons 

 referred to ; that of the young individual being natural, and pre- 

 served with its connecting ligaments in spirit. The paper was 

 also accompanied by drawings of the structure described in it. 



A paper was read, entitled " Remarks on the Nature of the Respi- 

 ratory Organs in certain Littoral Mollusca of Madeira : by the Rev. 

 R. T. Lowe, A.M., Corr. Memb. Z.S." It referred to certain ex- 

 periments published by the author in the 19th Number of the 

 " ZoologicalJournal," which were instituted with the view of ascer- 



Third Series. Vol. 3. No. 17. Nov. 1833. 3 C 



