SOCIETY OF niYSICS AND XATURAL IIISTOEY OF GENEVA. 373 



oecious. The same botanist reported, on the authority of MM. A. Famiutrin 

 and Baranetzky, interesting' details on the culture of the isolated gonidia of the 

 Parniclia parietina. These facts are a proof of the existence of aoospores among 

 the lichens. 



§ 7. — ZOOLOGY. 



At the last meeting' of the previous academic year, (Gth Jvme,) Prof. E. Cla- 

 parede presented to the society the result of his comprehensive researches on the 

 Annelides. This work will occupy two of the annual volumes of our memoirs, 

 and will not be the least ornament of the series. Oar learned colleague ex- 

 plained (4th July) the origin of certain valves observed at the extremity of the 

 bristles which cover the feet in some of these species. At the tin:ie of their 

 egress these bristles pierce the integuments by means of hoolcs covered with a 

 hood, aiid this hood, which is caducous, remains sometimes in the shajje of two 

 valves at the extremity of the bristle. Our colleague has recognized in the case 

 of a num who had died of a disease of the liver, that the reputed cyst fonued in 

 that organ, aiid which had attained the size of a man's head, resulted from an 

 aggregation of Ecliinococci. It is only a phase of the development of the toenia 

 of the dog, the agi^ of which is transformed into the Echinococciis in the interior 

 of the body of ruminants and of man. This explains the great abundance of 

 this parasite among the people of Iceland, where the number of dogs equals one- 

 third of that of the inhabitants. 



M. Godefroy Lunel, keeper of the museum, exhibited to us (3d October) the 

 admirably colored plates of a memoir on the fishes of the lake of Geneva, which 

 will be published by the Zoological Association of the Leman. M. Lunel finds the 

 number of species equal to that which Prof. Jurine has described in a memoir 

 inserted in vol. iii of our repertory ; but it is by separating the trout of the lake 

 from that of the rivers, and by suppressing one of the species admitted by tho 

 last named naturalist. M. V. Fatio discovered (21st November) in the museum 

 of Neuchatel a specimen of an old female tetra bearing the external appearance 

 of the male. In this connection he discussed some cases of cross-breeding 

 between neighboring species, and affirmed that these crosses are less rare than is 

 sui)posed. 



31. 11. de Saussure was designated to describe the hymenoptera collected 

 during the voyage of the Austrian frigate Novara around the world, (1857-59.) 

 He has taken this occasion to publish the new species lu'ought from the east by 

 M. Alois Iliunbert. The same member rendered a just homage to tho virtues 

 and talents of the Vaudese naturalist, Alexander Ycrsin, reiiioved by death in 

 the flower of his age, after having made himself known by remarkable researches 

 on the stridulation of insects. M. de Haussure has offered us the biographical 

 notice consecrated to the memory of his friend. 



In presenting' to us the cast of a skeleton of the gorilla, of natural size. Prof. 

 Pictet pointed out (1st August) the differences observable on a comparison with 

 tlie human skeleton. There has been recently found a new species of chimpan- 

 zee, the stature of which nearly approaches that of the gorilla. 



§ 8. ANATOMY AND I'UYSIOLOGY. 



Dr. Claparcdc exjdained (21st November) the latest researches instituted by 

 M. Dubois-Ile3miood on nmscular electricity. The results at which the Berlin 

 physiologist has arrived, by the employment of new instruments, are quite differ- 

 ent from his older determinations. {Archives dcs Sciences, dx., t. xxx, pp. 359, 

 3G4.) The same member presented (5th December) a series of designs relative 

 to the anatomy and eml)ry()genv of some species of acari. In the hydrachni, 

 and especially the Alax, the formation of the embryo in the Qi^'^ involves tho 



