87 



ovate; tliickest at the naircnv end, vvliere it vvas almost opaque ; 

 composed of five concentric layers; outermost very thin, translu- 

 cent, spotless ; others marked vvith variously shaped spots ; near the 

 margin of the shell these were simple [roundish, oval, or oblong]; 

 towards the centre more complex [elongated and variously but 

 slightly branchedj. Intenially, I found the gills distinctly, and, 

 to all appearance, perfectly fornied. The ink bag contained a con- 

 siderable quantity of very deep-coloured ink. The inferior pair of 

 arms vvere very broad at their base, aud furnished with a fin-like 

 expansion. 



*' The fcetus vvliich I laid aside (in salt vvater), covered vvith the 

 inner coat only (that membrane being entire), I found this morning 

 outoide of it and dead. I opened others of the group of eggs, and 

 found every fcetus dead. Some had ejected part of their ink withia 

 the egg. Jn some the amniotic fluid was, in part, gelatinous. The 

 spots were distinctly visible on the skin of the manile, head, and 

 arms ; yelIowish brovvn beneath j darker above." 



Mr. Cox read a Paper " On the Circumstances which raodify the 

 Existence of Animals in Northern Regions." He dwelt on the mi. 

 grations of these animals, chiefly in search of food, vvhich in the 

 countries they usually inhabit couid scarcely be obtained during the 

 winter months. VVhen the spring returns, and the supply of nutri- 

 ment becomes abundant, plethora and consequent disease would 

 probably result; but this, tlie author conceives, is provided against 

 partly by the expenditure of the animal forces for the purposes of 

 generation, and, in the Ruminants vvith deciduous horns at least, by 

 the extra supply of blood required for the renovation of these or- 

 gans. The horns of the several species of Deer, Mr. Cox remarked, 

 appear to be large proportionally with the extent to vvhich the va- 

 riation in the deficiency and abundance of food at different seasons 

 of the year prevails ; those of the extreme north being much more 

 heavy and branched than those of the animals of more temperate 

 regions ; and the branching being at its minimum in the Deer of 

 India. I n still vvarmer countries and in tropical regions, Deer al- 

 most cease to exist, their place being occupied by Antelopes, Rumi. 

 nan^s vvith persistent horns; a provision quite in accordance vvith 

 the assumed lavv that the grovvth of horn is designed to employ su- 

 perabundant blood produced by excess of nourishment at one period 

 of the year, these animals in vvhich the horns are continually grovv- 

 ing having constantly at their disposal food in sufficient and nearly 

 eąuable quantity. 



