
TRANSACTIONS: OF THE SECTIONS. 79 
The four canals bifurcate, and are continued along each of the cight lobes to their 
extremities, where they subdivide, and are continued along each of the thirty or thirty- 
two tentacles forming the terminal ciuster of the lobe. Professor Owen described a 
small triradiate pore at the round expanded end of each tentacle, and assigned rea- 
sons for regarding it as the orifice of the canal traversing the tentacle. He entered 
into a disquisition as to the function of this system of ramified canals, which is equally 
distinct from the digestive and generative systems, and contains a clear colourless 
liquid, with minute organic particles or granules; and expressed his opinion that the 
system of ramified canals was homologous with the partially-divided abdominal or 
aquifetous cavity from which the canals of the tentacula are continued in the Actinie. 
The generative organs were arranged in eight filamentary masses, disposed in 
short wavy folds along the inner surface of each of the eight lobes. Each mass con- 
sists of a central lobulated body containing the fusiform capsules of the spermatozoa, 
similar to, but smaller than those of the Actinie, and this body is surrounded by the 
looser stroma containing the ova. The large mature and impregnated ova dehisce 
from the inner surface, or that next the cavity of the infundibular web of the polype. 
Professor Owen having travelled from Dover to the meeting at Birmingham, had 
not had the opportunity of comparing his observations with those of any other au- 
thor, except such as were given in Dr. Johnstone’s excellent work on ‘ British 
Zoophytes,’—the best manual for the sea-side observer. In reply to some remarks 
respecting the four longitudinal muscles or ligaments, described by Sars and others 
as rising up within the pedicle, he remarked that nothing was easier or plainer than 
the demonstration of the arez of four corresponding canals in his Lucernaria: it re- 
quired only a neat transverse section of the stalk or peduncle to see that they were 
not solid, but hollow bodies. The pores on the clavate ends of the tentacles were best 
seen by viewing them as opake objects with a good reflected light. 
Since making the above communication, the author has compared his species with 
all the extant descriptions and figures of Lucernaria, and finds so close a resemblance 
in that figured in the late French illustrated edition of Cuvier’s ‘ Régne Animal,’ as 
to lead him to conclude that it is the same species. Itis referredin that work, how- 
ever, to the Lucernaria auriculata, although differing, like the Dover specimens, in 
the absence of the ear-like appendages to the webs signified by the name. If those 
appendages be constant, the specimens described by Prof. Owen, as well as that 
figured in the ‘Régne Animal,’ are a distinct species, for which the name Lucer- 
naria inauriculata is proposed. 

On Improvements in Pathological Drawing. By James Paxton, M.D. 
The intention of this communication is to recommend the style of cartoon painting 
as well-adapted to pathological representations. The author has shown that the pic- 
torial features of pathological drawings ought not to be deficient in the beauties of 
fidelity of expression and execution, but should possess these qualities in common 
with works in the fine arts of a more inviting character. For this purpose he has in- 
troduced a corresponding mode of painting; namely, illustrations of morbid anatomy 
by cartoons, with plate glass to give the transparent lustre which belongs to oil paintings, 
examples of which were exhibited to the Section. The colours employed were opake 
and solid ; permanent white being the medium for moderating the intensity of each 
tint, in lieu of the transparent medium commonly used on white paper. The lighter 
and brighter parts of the objéect ate brought out by penciling an opake body of colour 
on a darker ground. By this method a person. has a singular facility of copying the 
appearances displayed by disease. . Thus a coloured sketch of Scirrhus Pylorus was 
executed in an hour. ‘To produce as much of the character of disease on white paper 
with transparent media, would have occupied several hours. In a highly-finished 
drawing of Bright’s disease of the kidney, it appeared the labour was vastly diminished 
by penciling the indications of granular fibrinous deposits upon a deeper colour. 
The advantages of adopting this method of pathological drawing were pointed out as 
manifold. First. That we obtain a portraiture of practical medical anatomy in a com- 
paratively short space of time, and this circumstance is an important consideration, since 
alldead animal substances speedily undergo a succession of changesin colour. Second. 
Cartoon painting is peculiarly suited to morbid subjects, inasmuch as it displays their 
surface, organic development and texture, with greater distinctness and force than 
