Scientijic Jnlelliyence, — Zoology. 196 



them has, however, vanished, and their place is occupied by an old 

 Greenland hut. The water of these springs deposits a siliceous or 

 calcareous sediment, like Geiser and Strokr in Iceland. The Green- 

 hinders state that it is much hotter in winter than in summer, but this 

 opinion may proceed from the circumstance of the atmospheric air 

 being then much colder, and the contrast between its temperature and 

 that of the water much more perceptible of course than in summer— 

 (SraaUi Voyage to Greenland. 



ZOOLOOV. 



12. Continuation of Dr Martin Barry's Researches in Embryology ^ 

 S^'C. — At a meeting of the Royal Society, Dec. 10. 1840, a communi- 

 cation was read, entitled '' Supplementary Note to a Paper, en- 

 titled ' Researches in Embryology. Third Series: a Contribution to 

 the Physiology of Cells.' " By Martin Barry, M.D., F.R.SS. L. & Ed. 



In the paper referred to, the author had shewn, that after the ovum 

 of the rabbit has entered the Fallopian tube, cells are found collected 

 around its thick transparent membrane or '' zona pellucida ;" which 

 cells, by coalescing, form a thinner membrane — the incipient chorion. 

 He now adds, that the formation of this thinner membrane does not 

 exhaust the whole layer of these cells ; but that a stratum of them is 

 found remaining on, and entirely surrounding, the "zona," after the 

 thinner membrane has risen from it. The fluid space also between the 

 " zona" and the thinner membrane, presents a large number of cells 

 pr discoid objects, each of which contains a brilliantly pellucid and 

 highly refracting globule. In some parts, several of these discs, closely 

 joined together, have the appearance of shreds of membrane ; in others, 

 there are found pellucid globules, some of which are exceedingly mi- 

 nute. The discs now mentioned collect at the periphery, for the 

 thickening of the chorion. They seem to proceed from the region of 

 the " zona ;" and probably have their origin in the cells by which the 

 latter is surrounded. If so, the author thinks we cannot suppose them 

 to arise in any other way than that which, according to his observations, 

 appears to be the universal mode of reproduction, namely, by division 

 of the nuclei of the parent cells. Nor can we suppose that minute- 

 ness is any hinderance to their subsequent increase by the same means. 



At a meeting of the Royal Society, Jan. ?• 184-1, a paper was 

 read, entitled, '' On tlie Chorda dorsalis." By Martin Barry, M.D., 

 F.11.SS. L. & E. 



. The author of this connnunication, after pointing out the similarity 

 in appearance between an object noticed by him in the mammiferous 

 ovum, and the incipient chorda dorealiB described by preceding ob* 



