1 4 8 French National Institute. 



fully confirmed by the discovery of an almost entire carcase 

 of the former aniroal near the mouth of the Lena by M. 

 Adams of the PetcrsHurgh Academv*. 



Zoology has this year been enriclied bv the labours of 

 M. Biot, the ct'lebraled geometrician. While occupied in 

 the Balearic Islands in measuring an arc of the nicridian, he 

 thoui>;ht he observed that fishes, when suddenly drawn out 

 of the sea bv the line from a great depth, expelled a part of 

 their intestines from their months : this phsenomenon he 

 ascribed to the air-bladder being compressed by the great 

 column of water which it has to support, and which dilating 

 suddenly as the fish rises, tears a part of the intestines, and 

 causes them to rise into the month. M. Biot also examined 

 the nature of the air contained in this bladder, and found 

 that it varied from pure azote up to tVo"'^ ^^ oxygen; 

 but there was iio appearance of hydrogen. He was of opi- 

 nion lliat the oxvsien was more abundant in proportion to 

 the depth from which the fish came; and fresh water fish, 

 \\hich frequently swim near the surface, afforded very little 

 of this gas. This last observation has also been made by 

 Messrs. GeofTroy and Vauquelin, and by M. Hunjboldt, and 

 agrees with the opinion long atjo advanced bv M. Fourcroy, 

 in a memoir upon the air in the bladder of carps^ which he 

 regarded as almost pure azote. 



M. Jurine, correspondent of the class at Geneva, has 

 published a work on hymenopterous insects. He divides this 

 extensive class acceding to the nerves of the wings, a cha- 

 racter \\hicl: has the advantage of being extremely sensible, 

 and is more natural than might be expected from the small 

 degree of imjiortance attribured to it. 



M. Jurine is busied with a similar work on dipterce, or 

 two-wmged insects. 



Phvsiology. — M- Dupuytrcn has presented the Institute 

 some experin)ents on an important point in physiology, 

 viz. ; the coi.currence of the nerves of tlm lungs in the act of 

 respiration. The attention of physiof.jgists having been 

 long directed to the chenncal part of this anin)al function, 

 they had too much lost sight of its vital part ; and it was 

 supposed that, provided the motion of the sides and of the 

 diaphiagm brought the air into the ccl'ular part of the lungs, 

 the blood would be changed from venous to arterial. It had, 

 notwithstanding, been presumed, thit the texture of the ar- 

 teries, and consequently of the nerves fherein distributed, 

 must still take an active part in this operation, as well as in 



• See Philosophicil IMagnziii", vcl. xj..x. p. I! I. 



a-U 



