384) Scientific Intelligence. — Zoology. 



solution of china-ink on the surface of the water in a vessel in 

 which we have placed a mussel, and directly over the upper half 

 of the mantle-slit, we will observe, as the particles sink towards 

 the bottom, and pass across the mantle-slit, they will be visibly 

 drawn by it into the interior of the animal, and, before a minute 

 has elapsed, will stream out again, more violently, from the 

 anus. If we now examine the animal, the course taken by the 

 china^ink will be distinctly seen, by means of the colouring of 

 the parts. — This subject has been taken up, in this country, by 

 an ingenious observer, Dr Sharpey. His observations are well 

 stated by himself in the Edinburgh Medical Journal. — For 

 further details, vide Unger iiber die Teichrmischel. Wien, 1827. 



20. Migration of the Commmi CocMe (Cardium edule) and 

 Donax anatinum. — On the beach of CoUeville, in Normandy, 

 the fishers remarked, that, in 1823 and 1824, these shell-fish 

 were so very abundant, that it was only necessary to stir the 

 sand with the foot, to occasion them to rise all around : but, in 

 March 1825, few or none were to be seen nearer this part of the 

 beach than a distance of three miles. 



21. Nerita giavcina. — M. Eudes-Delongchamps observed, 

 the mantle of the animal of this species covering, and even 

 •hiding the shell, as in the Cypraea tribe. 



22. P?-oofthat the Stomach is still the best Distinctive Cliarac- 

 ier <)f Animals from Vegetables. — It is generally believed that 

 the greater number of infusory animals are very simple in their 

 structure. Dr Ehrenberg of Berlin, after many years' investi- 

 gation, has convinced himself that all those kinds which are suf- 

 ficiently large to admit of examination, viz. not smaller than the 

 3^ 5 ijth part of a line, have a considerable range of structure. He 

 used very simple means to secure the accuracy of his observa- 

 tions, and found that all the species of TricJioda, Vorticella, 

 Kerona, Paramcecium, Kolpoda, Trachelitis, Vibrio, Enchelys, 

 CycVidinm, and Monas, in so far as they do not belong to a 

 higher organization, possess at least a mouth and internal sto- 

 «iach. These animals, in place of being Agastrica, so named 

 by Latreille, are, on the contrary, Polygastrica, because many 

 of them possess ra(;re than fifty ventral sacs, all of which they can 

 fill and empty at pleasure. These sacs are held by Miiller and 

 others to be infusoria swallowed by the animal. If we touch 



