I 



36y 



whereas in Holcus hiaristattis the lowermost floret has a long dorsal 

 awn, and the uppermost floret has a long straight rough awn. 



An unusual variety of Holcus mollis was at the same time exhi- 

 bited, differing only in the spikelets being much smaller and the 

 panicle more compact (see Plate II.). Dr Parnell concluded the 

 paper by making a few remarks on some of the more closely allied 

 species of grasses. Fig. 1, spikelet ; fig. 2, florets; fig. 3, glumes. 



2. On the Ultimate Secreting Structiu-e of Animals. By 

 John Goodsir, Esq. Communicated by Professor Syme. 



After referring to the labours of those anatomists who had veri- 

 fied Malpighi's doctrine of the follicular nature of gland ducts, the 

 author alluded to Purkinje's hypothesis of the secreting function of 

 the nucleated corpuscules of these organs. In a rapid sketch of the 

 results of inquiries since the appearance of Muller''s work " De Peni- 

 tiore Structura Glandularum," and more particularly of the obser- 

 vations of Henle and others on the closed vesicles which are situated 

 at the extremities of certain ducts, Mr Goodsir stated, that no ana- 

 tomist had hitherto " proved that secretion takes place within the 

 primitive nucleated cell itself, or had pointed out the intimate nature 

 of the changes which go on in a secreting organ during the perform- 

 ance of its function." 



Numerous examples were now given of secretions detected in the 

 cavities of nucleated cells of various glands and secreting surfaces. 

 Among these secretions were the ink of the Cephalopoda, and the 

 purple of Jantkina and Aplysia, bile in an extensive series of ani- 

 mals, urine in the mollusk, milk, &c. 



The wall is believed by the author to be the part of the cell en- 

 gaged in the process of secretion. The cavity contains the secreted 

 substance, and the nucleus is the reproductive organ of the cell. A 

 primitive cell engaged in secretion is denominated by the author a 

 primary secreting coll ; and each cell of this kind is endowed with 

 its own peculiar property according to the organ in which it is situ- 

 ated. The discovery of the secreting agency of the primitive cell 

 does not remove the principal mystery in which the function has al- 

 ways been involved ; but the general fact that the primitive cell is 

 the ultimate secreting structure is of great value in physioloory, in- 

 asmuch as it connects secretion with growth as phenomena regulated 

 by the same laws ; and explains one of the greatest difficulties in the 



