239 



Height at shoulders, 



" " posterior extremity, . 

 Length of skull, 

 Height of skull at meatus, 

 Greatest diameter behind meatus. 

 Diameter at zygomatic arches, 

 Diameter of skull at middle of do. 



7^ inches. 



8 



4 



It 

 1| 

 2i 

 1 



The canine teeth project | of an inch beyond alveolus ; the 

 lower incisors are arranged, 4 in front, and 2 others behind the 

 middle front ones. 



Mr. Girard read a note upon some researches of his own 

 with reference to the so called " biogen liquid " recently 

 described by Mr. Desor as existing in the ovum of Ascidia, 

 as follows : — 



When not long since the notion of the existence of a Biogen 

 liquid presiding over the formation of the eggs in the animal 

 kingdom was first introduced in the science of Embryology, I 

 availed myself of every opportunity offered to me to repeat Mr. 

 Desor's observations. I thought that if this liquid was a phe- 

 nomenon as general as the author seemed to believe, the eggs of 

 any given animal would be fit for these researches. I spent 

 much time without arriving at any satisfactory result. I became 

 convinced of this first fact, namely, that the Biogen liquid, should 

 it prove to be something, must be peculiar to some particular 

 animal and not referable to the whole animal kingdom. 



I determined to seek for it in the very species where it was 

 said to be found. I sought it there in vain during several weeks, 

 and was at a loss to know whence the Biogen could have been 

 derived, when I happened to make an observation which fully 

 explains the matter. Having out a fragment of an ovary, I 

 placed it between two glasses, which I pressed strongly together, 

 and when I thought the eggs sufficiently crushed I examined 

 this preparation under the microscope. To my greatest aston- 

 ishment (I cannot say satisfaction), I had before my eyes the 

 phenomena of the condensation of the yolk as they are illus- 

 trated in Silliman's Journal.* 



My conclusion is, that the theory of Biogen is without founda- 



* No. 21, May, 1S49, p. 396. 



