17 



consider that motion is by no means a characteristic peculiar to 

 animals, there would seem to be just as good ground for consid- 

 ering these moving bodies with their cilia as mere cells, similar 

 to the vibratile cells described by Henle. The fact that they 

 are only found when the embryo is already furnished with its 

 long cephalic cilia (cirrhi) might easily lead to the supposition 

 that they are only similar cilia detached from the head of the 

 embryo ; which is the opinion of Vogt. At any rate, they must 

 be proved to be animals befors they can be quoted as an argu- 

 ment in favor of the theory of spontaneous generation. Mr. 

 Desor exhibited to the Society these bodies under the microscope. 



Dr. Cabot announced that he had procured in Boston 

 market a specimen of Turdus ncBvius, the first of the spe- 

 cies he had known to be procured east of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. It was shot in New Jersey. 



Dr. Shurdeff announced from the publishers of the Bos- 

 ton Atlas the donation of their newspaper. The thanks of 

 the Society were voted for this donation. 



Dr. Gould announced the donation of a fine Collection of 

 American Insects, from John Bethune, Esq. 



Dr. G. H. Lyman was elected a member of the Society. 



March 15, 1848. 

 The President in the Chair. 



Present, twenty-four members. 



Mr. Desor gave a further account of the development of 

 the Star-fishes. 



When the embryo is so far advanced that we can distinguish 

 the ambulacral furrows with the rudiments of the tentacles, we 

 may perceive, on compressing it, in the interior of the body, 

 several spots of a calcareous network between the outer zone 



PROCEEDINGS B. S. N. H. 2 MAY, 1848. 



