S04; Boyal Society. 



fice of the gland is situated about two-thirds of the length of the 

 lower jaw backwards from the synipliysis, being a longitudinal slit 

 a little within the lower edge of the basis of the jaw, through which 

 exudes the substance just Pientioned. During warm weather, when 

 the animal feeds freely, the secretion is copious ; but in winter it is 

 much diminished in quantity and is less powerful in scent. The 

 gland itself is a simple follicle of an elongated pyriform figure, lying 

 between the skin and the under surface of the tongue. In an alli- 

 gator of four feet in length, it is about half an inch long and one- 

 sixth of an inch in diameter. This gland is enveloped by ex- 

 tremely fine and delicate muscular fibres, disposed obliquely, con- 

 sisting of two fasciculi passing repeatedly over and under the 

 gland, which unite at its base into a long and slender round muscle, 

 closely attached to the corner of the os? hyoides, and following the 

 course of another muscle apparently identical with the mylo-hyoi- 

 deus in the mammiferous animals. The use of the muscle appears 

 to be to bring the gland into a proper position for its discharge, 

 and then to operate the discharge, by pressure. 



The author, considering the situation of the gland near the mouth 

 of the alligator, and the predatory habits of the animal, together 

 with its voracity of fish, and the well-known partiality of fish for 

 odorifernus oils and extracts, conceives, that this secretion acts as a 

 bait, attracting the fish to such a position as will enable the alliga- 

 tor readily to seize them, in his usual way of seizing his prey, by 

 snapping sideways at them. 



The reading was also commenced, of a paper " Note on the che- 

 mical composition of two liquids lately proposed as powerful dis- 

 infectants, and on the action of those liquids on putrid animal mat- 

 ter." By A. B. Granville, M.D. F.R.S. 



March 8. — MM. Morichini, Ehrman, and Ampere, were re- 

 spectively elected Foreign members of the Society. 



A letter was read by the Vice-President in the Chair, which had 

 been received at the Foreign office, from M. Ruraker, announcing 

 his discovery of a comet in the southern hemisphere, in September 

 last, at Paramatta. 



The reading of Dr.Granville's paper was then concluded — Mons. 

 Labarraque, a pharmacien residing in Paris, proposed, two or three 

 years ago, to employ chlorine in a liquid form, in lieu of Morveau's 

 method hitherto adopted, for disinfecting air in which putrid ani- 

 mal effluvia are disseminated, and for arresting putrefaction in dead 

 bodies. For this purpose he selected; 1st, a solution of the salt 

 formerly termed oxymuriate of lime in water; and ^dly, a solution 

 of carbonate of soda saturated with chlorine gas. 



To these liquids Mons. Labarraque gave the names of Chlorure 

 d'oxide de calcium , et d'oxide de sodium" corresponding to our chlo- 

 rides of lime and soda; and under those denominations he promul- 

 gated, with a becoming spirit of liberality, his discovery of their dis- 

 infecting properties. The promulijation, however, was not as one 

 had a right to expect, accompanied by any scientific inquiry into 

 the real constitution of the liquids, nor by any analysis of their in- 

 gredients. Nor was it followed by any attempt to explain the 

 curious and important facts which they had brought to light, and 



which 



