25 



of the heart in mammals with the ailult condition of that organ in lower forms 

 of life as illustrating the doctrine of the common origin and descent of living 

 beings. He concluded with a reference to Harvey's immortal work, which he 

 said was accomplished by vivisection. For Harvey says, " When I first gave 

 my mind to vivisections as a means of discovering the motions and uses of the 

 heart, and sought to discover these from actual inspection, and not from the 

 writings of others, I found the task so truly arduous, so full of difficulties, that 

 I was almost tempted to think with Fracastorius that the motion of the heart 

 was only to be comprehended by God." But " the motions of the heart as 

 seen in the dissection of living animals," led him to a result which is the basis 

 of all modern medicine. At length, as Harvey expresses it, he " discovered 

 what he had so much desired," " by using greater and daily diligence, having 

 frequent recourse to vivisection, employing a variety of animals for the 

 purpose, and collating numerous observations." The lecturer thought there 

 could be no question of the folly of anti-vivisectionist sentimentalism as 

 opposed to judicious investigation. Notwithstanding the rapid progress of 

 physiology and practical medicine under a vivisectionist regime, problems as 

 stupendous as that which occupied Harvey yet remain to be solved, and the 

 solution lies in a similar method, and can only be attained by a similar 

 earnestness and tenacity of purpose ; for observation and comparison are, as 

 Linnxus pointed out, the royal roads to knowledge. A vote of thanks was 

 awarded to the lecturer, proposed by Mr. C. A. Watkins and seconded by 

 Mr. E. B. Stamp. 



DECEMBEE 12th, 1883.— OEDINAEY IMEETING. 



MR. WM. BOULTING, L.E.C.R, 



President, in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The 

 donations to the Museum were announced, and the donors thanked. 



Mr. Wm. Hornibrook was elected a member of the Club. One gentleman 

 was proposed for membership. 



A paper was read bv MR. SPENCER MOORE, F.L.S., on " THE MIMI- 

 CRY OF ANIMALS" BY SEEDS, WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO 

 THE EUPHORBIACEjE." The lecturer having cited cases from Belt's 

 " Naturalist in Nicaragua," showing how important a part is played by 

 mimicry in a tropical country, proceeded to explain the structure of the 

 carunculate euphorbiaceous seed, and the origin of the appendage or 

 carunculus as an outgrowth of the placenta, which, after fertilisation, 

 attaches itself to the tissue of the ovule in the neighbourhood of the 

 micropyle. Attention was then drawn to the difference in nutrimental 

 qualities between the delicate aleurone-containing endosperm tissue and the 

 thick-walled aleurone-less cells of the carunculus with their small quantity of 

 protoplasm and mere traces of starch. Comparison was then made, by means 

 of enlarged figures, of certain seeds with compatriot arachnida and insects. 

 The small castor-oil seed was shown side by side with one of the " carapatos " 

 of the Brazilians, the testa closely resembling in form, ground-colour, and 

 marking the body of the carapato, whose rostral apparatus was simulated by 

 the carunculus. A large local form of the seed was also compared with a 

 local tick (Ixodes htppopotamensis, Denny), and a purple black south tro- 

 pical African variety, shown to be very like a tick in the British Museum 

 from Fernando Po. Other seeds, which it was suggested might resemble 

 ticks, were the Indian Tatropha curcas, Koxb, Croton rtticulatus, Heyne, and 

 Balvsspemum montanum, Roxb. Success, however, had not yet crowned the 



