322 Intelligence aiid Miscellaneous Articles. 



which are omnivorous, or at least such as take food of a mixed nature ; 

 and this exactly accords with the nature of the calf's nutriment, as 

 derived from the slightly animulized fluids of an exclusively herbivo- 

 rous animal, either as supplied to the foetus, or in the form of milk. 



If the above reasoning be correct, and if the allantoic acid be 

 really derived from the foetal urine, the subject appears to acquire a 

 degree of importance which has not hitherto attached to it. It would 

 be very desirable to ascertain whether the acid is also contained in 

 the urine of the young animal after birth ; and a series of compa- 

 rative experiments on the allantoic fluid, and on the urine of the 

 young animal, while sucking only, while it both sucks and grazes, 

 and after lactation has entirely ceased, in all the Mammalia in which 

 the allantois exists, might lead to important results, relative to the 

 functions of the foetal urinary system, and perhaps also to the qua- 

 lity and process of formation of the foetal blood. It may be remarked, 

 in relation to this subject, that great additional benefits would be con- 

 ferred upon physiology, if the attention of the Committee of Science 

 of the Zoological Society,- — the investigation of the comparative ana- 

 tomy of various animals by whom, has already thrown so much light 

 on the relations of their minute anatomical structure to their re- 

 spective stations in nature, as well as on their physiology in general, 

 — were extended to the performance of experiments on the contents 

 of the animal fluids. The cow, the mare, and the ewe, in all which 

 the allantois is found, are readily accessible ; but the collection of the 

 Zoological Society consists, principally, of animals, which not being 

 objects of rural or commercial oeconomy, cannot often furnish sub- 

 jects for investigation by the animal chemist, but peculiar facilities 

 for researches on which are presented by that Society's establish- 

 ment. 



With respect to the source of what has hitherto been called am- 

 niotic acid, it may be said, perhaps, that the repeated experiments 

 of Lassaigne are amply sufficient to determine the point ; but as it 

 would appear, from the silence on the subject of Mr. Brande, Dr. 

 Henry, and Dr. Turner, that his results are not generally received 

 or attended to by chemists in this country, the foregoing remarks 

 upon it may not be superfluous. 



Sept. 22, 1832. E.W. B. 



OBSERVATIONS OF THE TRANSIT OF MERCURY, ON MAY 5, 1832, 



MADE AT HULL, BY MR. J. D. SOLLITT. 

 External ingress, or beginning of the transit, . . 4'' 20'' 59"^ I' 

 Internal ingress, 4 21 2 21 



At 22" it became thick and rainy, and remained so during the rest 

 of the day. 



The above observations are for Mean Time at Hull. 

 Latitude of the place of observation, .... 53° 45' 57" N. 

 Longitude in time 1 21 W. 



Hull, June 26th, 1832. .T. D. S. 



