Influence of Light on the Growth and Nutrition of Animals. 143 



which has rested upon it from his supposed persistence in unjustly- 

 claiming priority for himself. The following extract from a Report 

 to the Academy of Sciences on M. Seguin's experiments, dated 

 28th August 1790, and signed Lavoisier, Brisson, Meusnier, and 

 Laplace, the last named being the reporter, will prove that Lavoisier 

 was not unmindful of the appeal which had been addressed to him 

 by Blagden some years previously, and that he distinctly resigned 

 the priority of discovery to Cavendish : — 



" M. Macquer a observe dans son Dictionnaire de Chimie que la 

 combustion des gaz hydrogene et oxygene produit une quantite 

 d'eau sensible ; mais il u'a pas connu toute Tiniportance de cette 

 observation, qu'il se contenta de presenter, sans en tirer aucuue con- 

 sequence. M. Cavendish paroit avoir remarque le premier que I'eau 

 produite dans cette combustion est le resultat de la combinaison des 

 deux gaz, et qu'elle est d'un poids egal au leur. Plusieurs ex- 

 periences faites en grand et d'une maniere tres-precise, par MM, 

 Lavoisier, La Place, Monge, Meusnier, et par M. Lefevre de 

 Gineau, ont confirme cette decouverte importante, sur laquelle il ne 

 doit maintenant rester aucun doute." — Annates de Chimie, tome 7, 

 pp. 258-9. John J. Bennett. 



" On the Influence of White Light, of the different Coloured Rays 

 and of Darkness, on the Development, Growth, and Nutrition of 

 Animals." By Horace Dobell, M.D. 



In this communication the author laid before the Society the par- 

 ticulars of a series of experiments, having for their object to discover 

 what influence is exerted by ordinary light, by the different coloured 

 rays, and by darkness on the development, growth, and nutrition of 

 animals. 



After referring to the experiments of Edwards, Higginbottom, 

 E. Forbes, Morren, Wohler, Hannon, Moleschott, and Beclard, the 

 results of which were shown to be somewhat contradictory, the 

 author described the precautions taken by himself to avoid sources 

 of fallacy. 



The original experiments detailed in this Paper were conducted in 

 the years 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858. The subjects selected were the 

 Ova and Larvse of the Silkworm {Bombyx mori) and of the Frog (i2a?2a 

 temporaria). A comparative experiment in the vegetable kingdom 

 was also made on the Sweet Pea {Lathy rus odoratus). An appa- 

 ratus contrived for the experiments on Tadpoles was described and 

 figured ; it secured the following desiderata : — 



1 . That each of six compartments or cells should be supplied with 

 water from the same source, at the same time, subject to the same 

 changes, and capable of being refreshed without interfering with the 

 cells. 



2. That each of the cells should be placed in the same condition 

 with respect to the supply of air and of food. 



3. Tliat during exposure for examination of the animals, the 

 whole series should be opened the same length of time and to the 

 same extent. 



