70 Miscellaneous. 



the tentacles turned towards the mouth is not vibratile. It pre- 

 sents from i)lace to phice little projecting organs, about 0-025 millim. 

 in length, sharp-pointed, slightly recurved, and endowed with no 

 movement. Besides, this epithelium contains nematoci/sts, whilst 

 there are none in the epithelium of the wide canals. But, on the 

 other hand, their presence approximates the epithelium of the ten- 

 tacles to the tissue which fills (but does not line, as has been stated) 

 the small nutritive canals (Jchine !Saft-KandIe of KoUiker). These 

 canals are entirely- filled up by a granular substance individualized 

 here and there into cells. These cells are irregular, polyhedral by 

 reciprocal pressure, accumulated in the canals. They are more 

 finely granular and more transparent than those of the vibratile 

 epithelium, and have a small nucleus of a rose-colour, with ill-defined 

 although very distinct contours. We find among these cells (and 

 consequently in the heart of the coenenchyma) nematocysts exactly 

 like those of the epithelium of the tentacles. 



This peculiarity, in conjunction with the extension of the funda- 

 mental substance of the cceneuchj^ma into the polypes, and the ex- 

 tension of the muscles of the polyjies into the heart of the coenen- 

 chyma, establishes between them such an analogy of structure that 

 it is not possible, in general anatomy, to distinguish them, or to find 

 other than morphological diff"erences between these parts. — Comptes 

 Rendus, Nov. 22, 1869, tome Ixix. pp. 1097-1099. 



Observations on the Nasal Glands of Birds, By M. Jobeet. 



The secretory apparatus which occupies the greater part of the 

 frontal region in birds, and which opens into the nasal fossaj, is 

 more complex than has been supposed. It consists of two pairs of 

 glands, closely applied to each other, but organically very distinct, 

 and each having a distinct secretory duct : these two ducts run at 

 first side by side ; but in the nasal fossae their course becomes very 

 different, and their orifices are very wide apart. The author de- 

 scribes the structure of these glands and their anatomical relations. 

 — Comptes Rendvs, November 15, 18G9, tome Ixix. p. 1016. 



On Remains of the Beaver in New Jersey. 

 By Mason C. Weld. 



I take the occasion of the recent discovery of a very interesting 

 and novel fact to me to communicate with you. It is the finding of 

 a genuine beaver-meadow on the very top and near the brink of the 

 Palisades. The edge of the meadow is about 175 paces from the 

 " steep rocks," which are, I suppose, about 500 feet above the tide- 

 water in the Hudson river, and which rises so abruj)tly that a stone 

 may in some places be thrown from the top into the water. 



Stumps gnawed off by beavers were found by workmen getting 

 out swamp-muck on the land of Mr. Charles Nordhoff", and in the 

 rear of his residence. The trench in which they were found (6 or 

 7 feet below the surface) is about 10 feet deep ; and though it was 



