194 NOTE ON THE BRAIN OP HALICORE AUSTRALIS, 



I was able at last to saw the skull through, and made with a 

 long sharp scalpel the median section of the brain, which proved 

 to be in the most perfect (fresh) condition for examination. A 

 sketch of the section was made at once, because I had no means 

 of preserving the brain in the skull in alcohol, and I knew 

 that it would be greatly distorded by the taking it out from the 

 cranium. 



I extracted, as carefully as I could under the circumstances, 

 (sacrificing, however, the pituitary body and the pineal gland), the 

 two halves of the brain from the cranial cavity and kept them 

 well surrounded with wadding for a few days in strong 

 alcohol of about 90 %.) My time at Mabiak being very fully 

 occupied, I contented myself as regards the Dugong's brains, 

 with the sketch above mentioned and a few remarks in my diary. 

 As the brain appeared to me suflBciently hardened I embedded it 

 in wadding and a piece of soft calico, and left the small parcel 

 amongst other anatomical specimens in ajar (filled with alcohol of 

 about 40 %) waiting my leisure and opportunity for further 

 examination. [T mention all these details because I know too 

 well how much the value of anatomical investigations depends 

 ui)Ou the state of the investigated material.] 



A few weeks ago unpacking some of my New Guinea collec- 

 tions, I came aci-oss the packet with the Dugong's brain which 

 proved to be in a very good state of preservation, and not being 

 aware oi a description of the brain of Halicore (1), decided to 

 complete the examination of it. Of course its having remained 

 for 4 years in alcohol had some effect upon the brain, and still 

 more the removal of it from the cranial cavity. 



The comparison of the two representations of the same median 

 section (fig. 3 and fig. 4) shows the effect of the long preser- 

 vation on some parts of the brain, [bending of the corpus callosum, 



(1) The brain of Manatus americanus has been described by Dr. Murie 

 (Transactions of the Zoological Society, VIII., p. 127) and by Mr. A. H. 

 Garrod (Transactions of the Zoological Society, X., p. 137. Shaded outlines 

 with reference to the shape of the upper surface of the brains of : Manatus, 

 Halicore, Rhytina are given in Brandt's Symboke Sireuologicffi (Mem. de 

 I'Acad. Imp. des Sciences de St. Petersbourg. Tome XII., (186S), p. 284. 



