Royal Society, 55 



different, and appeared to be favourable to the action of the sperma- 

 tozoon. The fluid obtained by trituration of the spermatozoa was 

 applied to several sets of eggs, but no fecundation of the egg was 

 eff'ected by it ; the yelks, however, became affected, being in some 

 cases shrivelled and contracted, as when potass solution or decom- 

 posing seminal fluid is applied, thus showing that the substance of 

 the broken down spermatozoa had passed to the yelk by endosmosis. 

 These experiments were made at the same time with others made 

 with portions of the same fluid which had not been triturated, and 

 in which the spermatozoa were still active. In these instances fe- 

 cundation was constantly effected, so that the conclusion deduced 

 from these comparative trials was, that fecundation is not the result 

 simply of the addition of the substance of the body of the sperma- 

 tozoon to the e^g, but primarily seems to be due to a force or 

 dynamic power in the spermatozoon, which is lost when this body 

 has ceased to give evidence of its retention of it, in its power of 

 motion. 



The author then proceeds to inquire whether these results do not 

 justify our viewing the spermatozoon as the organ of a special form 

 or condition of force in the animal structure ? and states, as he 

 has done on a former occasion (Proceedings, June 1851, p. 83), 

 other grounds on which the hypothesis seems to be supported, 

 pointing out that the spermatozoon, like muscle and nerve, has both 

 general and special anatomical structure and special chemical com- 

 position ; and that as we have been accustomed to regard the power 

 of muscular contractility as a distinct force, or form of force, of the 

 body, — the same view being held with regard to nerve, the properties 

 of these two tissues being perfectly distinct from each other, — so 

 it appears to be correct to view the property of the spermatic struc- 

 ture ; which is not only perfectly distinct from either of these, but 

 different from that of every other tissue in the organization, and is 

 not exercised until the structure itself has been entirely separated 

 from the body of which it originally formed a part. 



" On the Functions of the Membrana Tympani, the Ossicles 

 and Muscles of the Tympanum, and of the Eustachian Tube in the 

 Human Ear, with an account of the Muscles of the Eustachian Tube 

 and their action in different classes of Animals." By Joseph 

 Toynbee, Esq., F.R.S. &c. 



The author commences his paper by making some observations on 

 the general arrangements of the ossicula auditus. The malleus and 

 incus being firmly connected together by ligaments, are considered 

 as a single bone, forming an elastic arch, the anterior extremity of 

 which is firmly attached to the Glasserian fissure, the posterior to 

 the anterior part of the mastoid cells. This arch is kept steady by 

 the actions of the tensor tympani. The movement of this arch is 

 that of rotation ; and it is effected by the tensor tympani muscle. 

 When this muscle contracts, the lower part of the arch, consisting 

 of the handle of the malleus and the long process of the incus, is 

 drawn inwards ; by this action the membrana tympani is rendered 

 tense, and the stapes being pressed towards the cavity of the laby- 

 rinth, the fluid in the latter is compressed. 



