SELECTED NOTES FROM SOCIETY'S NOTE-BOOKS. 257 



the gizzard become true teeth, in others they might be considered 

 rather as modifications of ciHated epitheUum. Where the gizzard 

 opens into the stomach, there is a series of valves, sometimes 

 mistakenly called ^^ pyloric'' Our anatomical readers will see at 

 once how it is that this name cannot be strictly applied to valves 

 seated at the cardiac orifice of the stomach. These valves, so 

 far as I know them, are inflated, ciliated processes ) in some 

 instances, as the house-cricket, they constitute a beautiful and 

 interesting object. 



Abnormal formation of Shell of Hen's Egg (PI. XIX., Fig. 

 14). — I am much pleased to see this specimen, but do not know 

 exactly how to account for its formation, but believe that we have 

 the secret of calcification of egg-shell and other animal tissues 

 displayed in diagrammatic form before us, as so lucidly set forth 

 by G. Rainey. An attempt has been made on two or three occa- 

 sions to explain the subject in these notes. It is one of vast and 

 varied interest. How was it found ? Are fowls kept in chalk 

 districts more liable to such malformation of the shell than others? 

 I have some very rough eggs obtained at various times, the most 

 remarkable one being from a blackbird or thrush, but have not 

 had time to work over them. The subject will be found to repay, 

 and I hope will be taken up. 



Sclcctcb 1Rotc6 from tbc Societ^'6 



1Rotc^Booft0* 



Gizzard of Beetle possesses much wonderful beauty in its 

 structure. It has been cut into and turned open in a lateral 

 direction, as is represented in Mr. Tuffen West's drawing (PI. 

 XXL, Fig. 4). At one end of this object may be observed an 

 abundance of muscular fibres of the ordinary character in such 

 organs. When I first observed these, I thought by some chance 

 the scales of a butterfly had got on the glass, and the resemblance 

 may be curiously farther traced by observing that these muscular 

 plates (so to call them) are composed of a large number of minute 

 muscular fibres, so fine as to require a high power and very care- 

 ful manipulation to be well seen. This system of plates makes up 

 the greater part of the organ, and their mutual arrangement will 

 be regarded with pleasure. 



William Case. 



