582 Zoological Proceedings of Societies. 



His previous researches had led him to doubt the existence of 

 blood-vessels without nerves, and the extreme vascularity of the 

 placenta led him to suspect them in that organ. With the assist- 

 ance of Mr. Bauer, therefore, he first examined the placenta of 

 the Seal, the arteries and veins of which had been injected, and in 

 which nerves were discerned, not only surrounding the umbilical 

 arteries, but also in the uterine portion. 



In the pregnant uterus of the Tapir of Sumatra, in which, there 

 being no placenta, the umbilical cord is connected with the 

 chorion ; nerves were very conspicuous in the transparent portion 

 of the chorion, along which the branches of the funis pass before 

 they arrive at the spongy part. 



Having thus proved the existence of nerves in the placenta, and 

 where that is wanting, in the flocculent chorion. Sir E. proceeded 

 to offer some general remarks upon their probable uses and in- 

 fluences. From the various sources, the number and the ganglia 

 of the uterine nerves, and from the circumstance of their becom- 

 ing enlarged during pregnancy, he inferred their powerful in- 

 fluences on the Foetus in Ulero ; and, for the further illustration 

 of this subject, added a description of the nerves connected with 

 the generative organs in the Human Species, the Quadruped, the 

 Bird, and the Frog. 



He concluded the lecture with remarking, that since the dis- 

 covery of the placental nerves proves the existence of a communi- 

 cation through their medium between the brain of the child and 

 that of the mother, some light may be thrown upon the degree of 

 dependence in which the foetus is kept, during the whole time 

 of utero-gestation, and upon the influence of the bodily and 

 mental affections of the mother upon the child ; in further illus- 

 tration of which, several instances were detailed in proof of the 

 descent of various peculiarities of the mother to the offspring. 



Observations on the C/ianges the Ovum of the Frog xinder- 

 goes during the fortnation of the Tadpole^ by the same author. — 

 The ova of the Frog when in the ovaria, consist of dark vesicles, 

 which acquire a gelatinous covering on entering the oviduct, and 

 arc completely formed by the time they reach the cavities in 

 wiiich the oviducts terminate, and during their expulsion from 



