Zoological Society. 477 



account of their rarity or the state of their plumage. They included 

 beautiful specimens of the Ivory Gully Larus eburneus, Temm., and 

 of the King Duck, Somateria spectabilis, Steph., as well as of other 

 rare species. 



A paper was read, containing H a brief account of a particular 

 function of the nervous system," in which Dr. Marshall Hall de- 

 tailed a series of experiments tending to prove the existence of a 

 source of muscular action distinct from all those hitherto noticed 

 by physiologists : viz. volition, the irritation of the motor nerves in 

 some part of their origin or course, or that of the muscles themselves. 

 The peculiarity of this motion he stated to consist in its being ex- 

 cited " by irritation of the extreme portion of the sentient nerves, 

 whence the impression is conveyed through the corresponding por- 

 tion of brain and spinal marrow as a centre, to the extremities of 

 the motor nerves." 



Dec. 11. — A specimen was exhibited of a Hedgehog from the 



interior of South Africa, which formed part of a rich collection of 



preserved animals, recently brought from that country by Mr. A. 



Steedman. It was characterized by Mr. Bennett as Erinaceus 



frontalis. 



A specimen was exhibited of the Phasianus lineatus, Lath., ob- 

 tained from the Tennasserim coast by G. Swinton, Esq., Corr. 

 Memb. Z. S., by whom it was presented to the Society. The spe- 

 cies was characterized by Mr. Vigors in the First Part of the 

 « Proceedings,' page 24, or Phil. Mag. and Annals, N. S. vol. ix. 

 p. 147. 



The exhibition of Mr. Cuming's Shells being resumed, new species 

 of the following genera were characterized by Mr. Broderip and 

 Mr. G. B. Sowerby ; viz. Murex, Ranella, Cardita, Pectunculus, 

 Capsa, Solenella, Nucula, Amphidesma, Neritina, and Ancylus. 



The stomach, cceca, cranium, fyc. of Hyrax Capensis were exhi- 

 bited, the former constituting part of the collection of Mr. Thomas 

 Bell. Mr. Owen, who had anatomically examined the individual 

 from which they were obtained, read an account of its structure. 



It was announced that the Meetings of the Committee were now 

 concluded. 



Proceedings of the General Meetings of the Society for Scientific 



Business. 



Jan. 8. — This was the first of the General Meetings for the trans- 

 action of Scientific Business. 



The Vice- Secretary (Mr. E. T. Bennett) called the attention of 

 the Meeting to a stuffed specimen of the M'horr Antelope, which was 

 exhibited on the table ; and characterized, in addition to the M'horr, 

 two other species of the same form of Antelope. 



Mr. Spooner read his Notes of the post mortem examination of the 

 M'horr. 



A stuffed specimen was exhibited of a female of the harnessed 

 Antelope, Antilope scripta, Pall., which had lived for some months 

 in the collection of the Zoological Society of Dublin, by whom it 

 was presented to the Society. 



