Royal Society. 509 



by giving a ferruginous ash. The salts obtained by incineration 

 from the alcoholic extractive yielded a larger proportion of alkaline 

 carbonate than those of the blood. The author is confirmed, by the 

 experiments he made on the present occasion, in his former views 

 concerning the cause of the white colour of the chyle, which he 

 ascribes to the presence of opake white salivary matter as one of its 

 constituents. The author then gives the results of his microscopi- 

 cal examination of the globules of the chyle, which he finds differ 

 totally from those of the blood. He points out as being remarkable 

 the large quantity of fatty matter existing in the chyle, and consti- 

 tuting an hydrocarbonaceous ingredient, which is constantly being 

 added to the mass of blood, and is very rapidly consumed ; as ap- 

 pears from the small quantity of this matter discoverable in the 

 blood itself The proportional quantity of osmazome in the chyle 

 he finds greatly to exceed that contained in the blood. 



February 17.— A paper was in part read, entitled, "On the Struc- 

 ture and Use of the Malpighian bodies of the Kidney, with Observa- 

 tions on the Circulation through that Gland." By William Bow- 

 man, Esq., F.R.S., Demonstrator of Anatomy in King's CoUeo'e, 

 London, and Assistant Surgeon to the King's College Hospital. 



February 24- — The following Meteorological Observations, taken 

 in conformity with the Report drawn up by the Committee of Phy- 

 sics, including Meteorology, for the guidance of the Antarctic Ex- 

 pedition, as also for the various fixed Magnetic Observatories, have 

 been communicated by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty 

 and the Master-General of the Ordnance, viz. — 



1. " Meteorological Observations taken on board Her Majesty's 

 ship Erebus, for November and December 1840; and for January, 

 February, March, April, May, June and July 1841," By Captain 

 James Clark Ross, R.N., F.R.S., Commander of the Expedition. 

 (Forms 1 & 2.)— 2. " Meteorological Observations taken on board 

 Her Majesty's ship Terror, for October, November and December 

 1840; and for January, February, March, April, May and June 

 184-1." By Capt. T.B. M. Crozier, R.N. {Forms 1 & 2.)— 3. "Me- 

 teorological Observations taken at the Magnetic Observatory, Cape 

 of Good Hope, for February, March, April, May, June, July, Auo-ust 

 and September 1841." By F. Eardley Wilmot, Esq., Lieut, in^he 

 Royal Artillery. (Forms 1 & 2.)— 4-. " Meteorological Observations 

 taken at the Magnetic Observatory, Ross-Bank, Van Diemen's Land, 

 lor April, May and June 1841." (Forms 1 & 2.) 



5. The reading of Mr. Bowman's paper, " On the Structure and 

 Use of the Malpighian bodies of tiie Kidney, &c., was resumed and 

 concluded. 



Tlie author describes the results of his examination of the struc- 

 ture and connexions of the Maljjighian bodies of the kidney in dif- 

 ferent tribes of Vertebrata, and siiows that they consist essentially of 

 a small mass of vessels, contained within dilated extremities of the 

 convoluted uriniferous tubes. The tubes tlicmselves consist of an 

 outer transjiarent membrane (termed by the author the basement 

 rmmhrane) lined by epithelium. 'J'liis basement membrane, where 

 it is expanded over the tull of vessels, constitutes tlie capsule de- 



