457 



at last cease entirely, without reaching the anterior end of the vertebral 

 column. On the other hand, Branchiostoma lubricum shows us the op- 

 posite extreme ; the chorda passes beyond the anterior end of the skull, 

 beyond the mouth and the eyes, far into the extremest end of the snout. 



" This remarkable fact, first observed by Sundevall, was very surprising 

 to me, since in consequence of my studies up till that time, I regarded 

 the existence of three vertebrae in the proper cerebral cranium as certain, 

 at least I considered the assumption of a fourth ethmoidal vertebra to be 

 uncertain and undemonstrated. 



" For now I saw at once, that it was undoubtedly possible that the 

 cephalic vertebral column might extend further forwards. There need not 

 always be three cranial vertebrae developed in the head ; in birds, reptiles, 

 and fishes, the most anterior vertebra is abortive, and is even entirely 

 wanting in some families ; but, in the Mammalia and man, three cranial 

 vertebras are without exception discoverable in the basis cranii, either in 

 the foetus, or in many cases even in young or middle-aged animals the 

 occipitale basilare, sphenoideum basilare, posterius and anterius ; these also 

 occur in fish. How far the chorda primitively extends in Mammalia is 

 not yet made out ; but even although it should not reach through the 

 whole basis cranii, this, from the reasons which have been stated, would 

 be no good argument." Joh. Muller, Bericht. cclxviii-ix., Miiller's 

 Archiv, 1843. 



" Report of the Joint Committee of the Royal Society and the 

 British Association, for procuring a continuance of the Mag- 

 netic and Meteorological Observatories." With Appendix, 

 containing Letter of General Sabine to the Committee. 

 Communicated by order of the President and Council. 



At the Meeting of the British Association which was held at 

 Dublin, in August 1857, a resolution was adopted, proposing the 

 continuance of the system of magnetical observations which was 

 commenced under the auspices of the Royal Society, and of the 

 British Association, in 1840 ; and a Committee, consisting of the 

 President of the Association, the Rev. Dr. Robinson, and Major- 

 General Sabine, was appointed, to request the cooperation of the 

 President and Council of the Royal Society in the endeavour to 

 attain this object, and to take, in conjunction with them, such steps 

 as may appear desirable for that end. 



The Committee thus appointed accordingly held a meeting in Lon- 

 don, on the 5th of November last, at which it was agreed to recom- 



