58 Philosophical Society cf London. 



the river. The chief peculiarities of ihis otter-sheep, as 

 vulgarly ilenominated, are very short, crooked legs ; very 

 relaxed and feeble joints; a slow walk, a sickly constitution, 

 and a generally meagre bodv, — owing, probably, to the dif- 

 ficulty and pain It must undfrgo in procuring its food. 

 The reason for propagating this apparently diseased race 

 was the want of quickset ienccs, and the general adoption 

 of low stone walls, which were unequal to prevent the 

 common breed of sheep from trespassing on corn or mea- 

 dow lands. Its body usually weighs about 45lbs. ; its wool is 

 rather long and fine, and when crossed with the Merino 

 breed yielded a fine long silky staple, and weighing from 

 3 to 4 lbs. each fleece. It is difficult to fatten, but propa- 

 gates its species like the conmion sheep. Sometimes, 

 however, where the common ewe had twins by a ram of 

 this kind, the female lamb was like the mother, and the 

 male like the father, and the contrast between two such 

 lambs sucking the same ewe was striking. The defects, it 

 appears, of this breed overbalance its advantages, as it is 

 becoming extinct, and it was with difficulty that Colonel 

 Humphries could procure one to dissect, and send the 

 skeleton to the Royal Society. If it could not leap ditches, 

 it was equally incapable of being driven to market, and the 

 duration of its life was consequently uncertain, and rather 

 limited. A ph)sician who dissected one at Boston, called 

 it by a more characteristic appellation, Agkon, from ayxaiy^ 

 an elbow. 



A paper by Sir Everard Home was read on the coagu- 

 lating glands m the stomachs of some animals and fowls. 

 This short paper contained an account of some experiment* 

 made by the late Mr. Hunter, to ascertain the coagulating 

 power of the different parts of the stomach of calves and 

 fowls ; from which it appeared that the cardiac portion 

 yields the strongest runnet, and that the gastric juice is the 

 chief liquid that effects coagulation or becomes runnet. 



PHlLOSOPHrCAL SOCIETV OF LONDON. 



Mr. Wright's Lectures on the Passions — (Forming the 

 second Course of his Elucidation of the Oratorical 

 Character). 



Mr. Wright has during the present and last months re- 

 sumed his labours in this department of science before a 

 numerous audience. 



In 



