1823.] 
by such of their respective species as are 
the most imperfect. "The marine poly- 
pus has long been considered as a 
plant; for a longer time, still, it was 
thought to be an intermediate being be- 
tween the two kingdoms; but there are 
several other bodies that appear to he- 
long to the animal kingdom, altbough, 
during a part of their existence, they 
exhibit all the phenomena of vegetables. 
They have, pretty generally, been 
jucluded in the family of conferves, 
(hairweed); Adanson, however, had 
observed voluntary movement in one of 
them, and M. G. Chantran bad noticed, 
in some others, corpuscles which had all 
the appearances and properties of infa- 
sory animalcules. To obtain correct no- 
tions in respect to this group of organ- 
ized beings, a rigid examination became 
necessary. This M. B. de St. Vincent 
has undertaken; placing under a micro- 
scope all the filaments he had discovered, 
in salt or fresh water, tracing, atten- 
lively, their metamorphoses and deve- 
lopments, he has distinctly ascertained 
degrees of animality. The groupe of 
Jragillariated show but few signs of 
animal existence ; the oscillariated have 
a movement similar to what their name 
expresses ; in the conjugated, the fillets 
at times draw near together, place them- 
selves one beside and close to another, 
communicating and conjoining the co- 
Jouring matter with which their articula- 
tions are replenished, by means of small 
lateral holes or mouths. One of the 
articulations is emptying, while another 
is changing into one or several globules, 
that appear to be the means of reproduc- 
tion. The zoocarpated are those glo- 
bules whick have assumed all the cha- 
acters of real animals. After a certain 
number of transformations, they burst 
the case wherein the last metamorphosis 
was effected, and then have a voluntary - 
movement, and swim about, rapidly, in 
every direction, like the animalcules to 
whith the name of Volyox has been 
given. At another period they again 
become fixed, extending, lengthways, 
by the successive appearance and 
growth of several articles or joinis accu- 
mulating into another filament, which 
reimains motionless, till, in ifs turn, it 
produces a. fresh generation, in the 
same order as the preceding. Each of 
these groupes is divided into several 
kinds, according to. the detailed cireum- 
Slances accurately specified by M, de 
St. Vincent. ‘Vo this numerous family 
our naturalist has added another, which 
he terms baetiiarated, as these corpus- 
Academy of Sciences. 
253 
cles resemble small batoons or staves, 
Amongst the kinds that compose it is 
that animalcule, which, according to the 
observations of M. Gaillon, is the real 
cause that produces the green colour of 
certain oysters. 
M. Guyon has sent from Martinico 
the description of a leech, twenty indi- 
viduals of which he found in the nasal 
fosses or cavities of a heron, (Ardea 
virescens) of thatisland. If this were 
the constant residence of that worm, 
the faet would be remarkable, as we are 
not acquainted with any other species of 
leeclr that lives, constantly, in the inte- 
rior of other animals. 
M. Lamouroux has described tho 
polypus which iubabits a singular coral of 
the Indian seas, and has beef called the 
organ-player (Tubipora musica). M. 
Delamarck has terminated his History 
of Animals non-vertebrated, the seventh 
and last volume of which comprehends 
the Molluseee, the must elevated in 
point of organization. The History of 
the Quadrupeds of the Menagerie, by 
Messrs. F. Cuvier and Geoffroy St. 
Hilaire, has come to its 836th number. 
M. Devaucel has given the description 
and drawings of several animals from 
India; his labours are enriching the 
cabinet of Natural History with a mul- 
titude of valuable objects. M. IL. 
Delatour has also placed, in that vast 
depot, the collections that he formed in 
India, as also M. Auguste de St. 
Hilaire, the produce of his excursions 
into the:interior of Brazil. M. de Fer- 
rusac is proceeding on his great work 
respecting Molluscze of the Jand and 
of fresh water. He has begun the de- 
scription of fresh-water shells found in 
the fossile state, and instituted a compa: 
rison between the living and fossile 
species, treating, also, of a kind but 
littte known, to which he gives the name 
of melanopsides. One point which he 
aims to prove is, that the different spe- 
cies of this last genus, and of several 
others that abound in potter’s clay, and 
in the lignites, in several lower regions 
of Europe, are the same as those now 
found alive in more southern countries. 
In medicine and surgery, the namber 
of memoirs is considerable. An account 
of these, with the judgment of the aca- , 
demy respecting them, is postponed. 
M. de Humboldt has announced his 
intention to’ rear and bring the vigon or 
llama fo a state of domesticity, if prac. 
ticable, previous to transporting them 
into Europe, where itis probable they 
might live without degenerating, 
M, Lemare 
