400 Miscellaneous. 



right, and two in the left auricle. He considers it to be a new spe- 

 cies, to which he gives the name of 



Filaria cordis Phocce. 



Adult female. Body whitish, filiform, 15 to 20 centimetres in length, 

 attenuated and recurved like a hook at its posterior portion. 

 Head obtuse, without papillae ; mouth none ; aims none. Integu- 

 ment finely striated transversely, presenting under the microscope 

 interlaced fibres like those of the skin of Mermis, and covering an 

 internal tube formed of longitudinal fibres or lamellae. 



Male unknown. 



The female described was stuffed throughout its length with ova 

 and embryos lodged in a tubular ovary, with very delicate diaphanous 

 walls, without any apparent trace of organization. The ova nearest 

 the tail resembled small, irregularly elliptical or spherical masses. 

 Those of the middle of the body contained an embryo rolled upon 

 itself in the manner of those of Gordius, described by Grube. In 

 the anterior third of the body there were innumerable free embryos, 

 0'60-U*70 mill, in length, and 0*00 1 mill, in diameter, pressed and 

 interlaced together like a tangled knot of microscopic snakes. The 

 development of the ovary was so enormous, that all the other organs 

 of the body had entirely disappeared, and the animal formed an ovi- 

 ferous and embryoniferous tube, justifying to a certain extent the 

 singular remark of Jacobson, who asks, whether the Guinea-worm 

 (^Filaria Medinensis) " may not be only a tube or sheath filled with 

 vermicles." 



The author then remarks upon the number of FilaricB found in all 

 parts of fishes, which constitute the food of the Seal, and also upon 

 the fact that all the true Filai'icB jnsciian hitherto observed have 

 been destitute of sexual organs. Hence he concludes, that these 

 Filarice are introduced with the prey into the stomach of the Seal, 

 and after the digestion of the prey, find their way into the blood- 

 vessels, and thus into the heart. From the comparatively large size 

 of the embryos, the author does not consider that they could circu- 

 late with the blood thi'ough the capillary vessels, like the Filarice of 

 the blood of the Dog ; but he adds, that it might be advisable to 

 examine the entire sanguiferous system of dogs with worms in their 

 blood, in order to see whether similar parent Filarice may not also 

 occur in them. — Comptes Rendus, February 22, 1858, p. 403. 



Osteological Museum in Let/den. 



The Dutch Government, with their usual attention to science, 

 have been building a new gallery for their magnificent osteological 

 collection. The entire quadrangle of the older Museum has been 

 heightened another floor and lighted by skylights, which is to be 

 devoted to the osteological collection ; the larger specimens, as the 

 Giraffe, Elephant, and Rhinoceros, being placed in erect separate 

 glass cases down the centre of the gallery. — J. E. Gray. 



