Different Animals, €8c. 503 
when the brain was wanting.’’*—* In this child,” 
says he, ‘‘the upper part of the cranium is entirely 
wanting ; and there remains only a thin plate of 
bone, covered with a doubling of membrane, in 
place of the cervical and the greater part of the 
dorsal vertebre. This fold contained no me- 
dulla, though it exhibited, on being slit open, 
some slender fibrils, which might be construed 
into nerves. I should compare it to the proper 
coverings of the medulla spinalis, of a thinner 
texture, Lower down a displaced portion of 
vertebrez is shewn; which was hollow, but con- 
tained no medulla: the rest of the spine consisted 
of a solid column of bone, without any spinous 
processes, The child had besides a.slight in- 
version of the feet and a hare-lip on the right 
side, in other respects it was full grown and the 
colour of the skin was natural. There did not 
appear to be any deviation from the common 
Structure and arrangement in the viscera of the 
thorax and abdomen.”—* Though the eyes were 
outwardly well formed, I could not find by 
dissection any optic nerve, The nerves in the 
upper and lower extremities were, nevertheless, 
perfect.” 
# * Infantes in lucem eduntut omni fere cerebro atque 
spine medulla destituti, qui haud plantarum ratione tan- 
tummodo aluntur atque pinguescunt; sed etiam voci- 
Ferantur atque sugunt,” Soemmerring. T. 1V. p. 158, 
VOL. Vv. AA 
