THE society's NaTE-BOOKS. ^51 



Palate of Whelk. — These teeth are simply cutical papillae, 

 having, of course, special forms, and solidified with earthy mate- 

 rial, but otherwise homologous with the processes on the tongues 

 of Felidse and Herbivora. 



TuFFEN West. 



Hair of Deer.— As the Hairs of all the varieties of Deer which 

 I have examined are alike, the specific name is not necessary. 

 The peculiarity in the hair is that, starting from a very shallow 

 follicle and having an extremely attenuated stem, this becomes 

 expanded almost suddenly into a singular pith-like substance, every 

 cavity of which contains air. By this contrivance, the hair 

 becomes a bad conductor of heat, and keeps out the cold of 

 winter, without such an addition as the great coat that we have in 

 sheep. There are many other hairs into which air enters largely, 

 sometimes in closed cavities, as in the Hare, sometimes in com- 

 municating cells, each set of which is separated from its neigh- 

 bours above and below, as in the rat and mouse. 



T. Inman. 



Liver-Fluke. — Agassiz discovered that a genuine Opalina was 

 hatched from the egg of a Distoma. Opalince are found in the 

 faeces of animals affected with liver-flukes, and they pass out with 

 the bile. Sewage-water develops them, and the young embryos 

 swim by means of cilia. They die in pure Avater. A metamor- 

 phosis of a complicated nature takes place. In the cavities of frogs, 

 snails, fish, mussels, &c., they live as parasites for a time, and then 

 the cilia are discarded. They fix themselves, and are oval, 

 motionless bodies for a time. Out of each a Cercaria arises. 

 The CercaricE have been found in the biliary passages, underneath 

 the skin of the foot, and in a cyst behind the ear of a sailor. The 

 eating of uncooked food, such as fish, whelks, and vegetables, 

 afi"ords a ready means for their reception. From Cercarice the 

 Flukes are developed. 



H. Brown. 



There is some doubt as to whether OpaVum represent a stage 

 in the development of the Fluke. I have consulted the latest 

 authorities, and find them by no means positive on this point. 



Van Beneden says they abound in the lower bowel of frogs, 

 and also in various Annelids, their office being to act as scavengers, 

 by feeding on the faecal matter even before it is expelled. 



