170 



in lakes, to form the food of fresh-water fishes generally ; and that 

 Leeuwenhoeck had even figured the identical animal found in the 

 stomach of the vendace in 1833 more than 130 years before, stating 

 that it and the other minute animals in similar localities, formed the 

 food of the laiger fishes. 



Regarding the sexes of the vendace, the author did not consider 

 the necessity of a male parent required to be proved. 



2. Food of the Herring, — The author stated, that the food of the 

 herring was known and described from personal examination by 

 Neucrantz, previous to the year 1634 ; by Leeuwenhoeck in 1696 ; 

 by Fabricius in 1781 ; by Miiller in 1785; by Bloch about the 

 same period ; by Lacepede and Latreille in 1798; by the Rev. Dr 

 Scoresby in 1 820 ; by Pennant and others ; and, in fact, is men- 

 tioned by every writer who treats of the natural history of fishes : 

 And that what has been stated by all authors on the subject of the 

 herring's food, is corroborated by the examination of the stomach 

 and intestinal canal of that fish, and by the specimens on the table 

 of the Society. 



3. Food and Reproduction of the Salmon. — The author stated on 

 this head, what had been remarked by the most esteemed anthors 

 on natural history to form the food of the salmon ; and exhibited 

 preparations by Dr Parnell, confirming the statements of these 

 writers. He next noticed the valuable evidence taken before a 

 Committee of Parliament in 1824 and 1825, regarding the food and 

 natural history of the salmon, which also corroborated the state- 

 ments of systematic writers ; and remarked, that when these fishes 

 prey upon animals in roe, the ova often remain in the stomach and 

 intestinal canal, when the other portions of the food are wholly di- 

 gested. He next gave an abstract of the evidence before the Par- 

 liamentary Committee, as to the periods of the ascent of the salmon 

 in the diflFerent rivers for the purpose of spawning, and the descent 

 of the fry to the sea ; and pointed out the experiments made on the 

 development of the ova by Mr John Hogarth junior, as detailed in 

 the appendix to the Report of the Committee, — and those made by 

 Mr Schonberg, and recorded in Sir David Brewster's Journal of 

 Science. 



2. Dr Barry made some verbal remarks on the Physiology 

 of the Proteus Jnguinvs. 



