188 Mr Goodsir on certain Peculiarities in the 



In England, the walinut is one of the first trees which loses 

 its leaves ; and after it the mullberry, the ash, especially 

 when it has had much blossom, and then the horse-chestnut. 

 All supported trees, so long as their heads are sound, retain 

 their leaves for a long time. Apple and peach trees often re- 

 main green till the end of November. Young beeches never 

 cast their leaves before the New Year, and only do so when the 

 new leaves forcethem off; tall beeches lose their leaves towards 

 the end of October. — From Berghaus's Almanack fur 1840. 



On certain Peculiarities in the Structure of the Short Sun-Fish 

 (Orthagoriscus Mola).* By John Goodsir, Esq., M.W.S. 

 Communicated by the Author. With a Plate. (PI. IV.) 



The anatomy of an animal or vegetable may be investi- 

 gated and described with two objects in view ; first, the elu- 

 cidation of its habits, and of its true place in the system ; or, 

 secondly, the discovery of the laws which regulate organic 

 form and tissue (Morphological and Teleological laws). 



It is with the latter object in view that I have now to offer 

 a few observations on certain peculiarities in the structure of 

 the sun-fish, as confirmatory of some of the principles to which 

 I have just alluded. 



The anatomy of this fish has been investigated by Dr Ja- 

 cob, in a paper which I have not had an opportunity of con- 

 sulting, t Cuvier and Meckel, in their Systems of Compara- 

 tive Anatomy, have recorded its various peculiarities, but as 

 the observations of these anatomists have a reference to its 

 general structure, I shall not have occasion to refer again to 

 their labours. % 



* Read before the Werrerian Society 12th December 1840. 



t Dublin Philosophical Journal, November 1820, referred to by Mr 

 Yarrel. 



% Since this paper was written, I have seen a Leyden Inaugural Dis- 

 sertation, May 1840, P. H. J. "Wellenbergh, " Observations Anatomicae 

 de Orthragorisco Mola." The author gives a detailed account of the 

 skeleton, intestinal canal, and heart, but throws no light on any of the 

 subjects treated of by mo. • 



