Sept. 9, 1875] 



NATURE 



413 



dozens, all going on in exactly the same way as their predecessors, 

 each trying to find out the same facts for himself ; so that they 

 were almost at a standstill, especially on the subject of the 

 migration of birds. Observers were content not to do anything 

 more than had been done by Gilbert White, forgetting that he 

 had had to prove or disprove the fact of migration, about which 

 there was no question now. We wanted to know something of 

 the causes of migration and of the faculties by which it was 

 performed. Hundreds of records of dates of arrival of birds 

 would bring us no nearer to these discoveries. He thought a 

 digestion and collation of the immense mass of facts on these 

 subjects already existing in Great Britain was wanted, such as 

 had already been prepared for Germany ; but one thing that 

 would itot come of it, he was persuaded, was an answer to the 

 questions he had indicated. There was great want of information 

 as to the routes taken in migration, and also as to the facts of 

 partial migration. He thought they must look in this direction 

 for the solution of the larger question. It would be very 

 enlightening if they could know something of the reasons which 

 induced the migration of the majority of individuals of a species, 

 leaving some behind. It had been suggested by Dr. von Mitten- 

 doriT that probably birds in their migrations were guided by a 

 knowledge of the situation of the magnetic pole ; and however 

 much they might disbelieve that, they had really no facts which 

 could controvert that or any other wild theory on the subject. 

 As to birds learning the way by experience, and by the teaching 

 of those who had traversed the route before, that would not 

 explain migrations which took place by night, or over a thousand 

 miles of sea. The laws of plumage and of moulting were little 

 known, and might with advantage be studied by those who 

 had constant access to zoological gardens, such as those at 

 Clifton. The duration of the periods of incubation of birds was 

 almost unknown, as well as the reasons for the variations. 

 Nothing was known for certain as to the effect of variations of 

 atmospheric temperature or other conditions in shortening or 

 lengthening the period. Out of more than 200 species of British 

 birds, the duration of incubation was known in only about 

 twenty ; and of foreign birds even less was known. He could 

 mention other branches in which knowledge was deficient, but 

 perhaps what he had said would be sufficient to induce some of 

 those who had not adopted any special branch of study to pro- 

 secute some of the inquiries he had recommended. The good 

 workers at present labouring were fully occupied with important 

 subjects. He could not expect that they would be able to divert 

 their attention from their chosen departments. — In the discussion 

 which followed, Canon Tristram remarked on the ease with 

 which many who go abroad for the winter or summer might 

 make valuable records of the time of arrival or the latest time of 

 seeing migratory birds. Mr. Ehves urged on country clergymen 

 the valuable service they might easily render by taking ornitho- 

 logy as a recreation ; much was lacking in regard to osteology 

 4nd nidification ; skins were too much attended to. Mr. 

 3ettany urged the study of Mr. Parker's papers on all orni- 

 thologists who could make themselves capable of compre- 

 hending them, in order to prepare the way for a better under- 

 standing of the genetic affinities of birds in the future ; and also 

 mentioned the service that might be done to such men as Mr. 

 Parker by any naturalist who would collect a series of specimens 

 from the earliest to the adult stage of any single species, and 

 preserve them for study by such an authority. 



On the reading of the report on the Zoological Station at 

 Naples, which we have abstracted elsewhere, Mr. Spence Bate 

 said it was greatly to be desired that such schools of study should 

 be established in Great Britain. He did not think they should 

 have to go to Naples lor one. They should be attached to the 

 various aquariums now being established. 



Dr. C. T. Hudson read an able paper, the result of many 

 years' study, on the classification and affinities of the Rotifera. 

 It was illustrated by a large number of beautiful magnified draw- 

 ings of their anatomy, bearing testimony to the industry and 

 ability of the author. He commenced by discussing Ehrenberg's 

 classification, and showed that its fundamental principles were 

 erroneous, for it was based on a supposed structure of the trochal 

 disc which did not really exist, on a forced interpretation of the 

 term lorica, and on the presence, absence, and number of certain 

 red spots, which Ehrenberg took for granted as eyes, but which 

 were not always so. Moreover, those that really were eyes were 

 often present in the young animal, but invisible in the adult 

 Ehrenberg's symmetrical system brought together widely dis- 

 similar forms, and separated those that were intimately connected. 

 Not a single Rotifer, as far as the author could find, properly 



came under Ehrenberg's Monotrocha. A new Melicerta had been 

 found, that did not make a tube ; and his Sorotrocha included 

 every form of head. There was no such thing really as a Holo- 

 trochous form. The systems of Leydig and Dujardin were then 

 examined and shown to be inferior to Ehrenberg's, though it 

 was pointed out that each naturalist had contributed a happy 

 idea, the former having brought into prominence the gieat value 

 of the foot as a characteristic for classification, the latter having 

 the thought of classifying the Rotifers by their mode of locomotion. 

 Dr. Hudson then proceeded to offer a natural classification, 

 using the best results of preceding observers, based on the habits, 

 teeth, water, vascular and nervous systems. There were four 

 great groups, subdivided into families. (i) Rhizola, the perma- 

 nently attached forms, all having teeth of the same pattern, 

 including the Floscularina and Melicertidx ; (2) Bdelloida, those 

 that swim and creep like a leech, including the Philodinida.', 

 the lowest and most worm-like forms ; (3) Ploima, or free- 

 swimmers, including BrachionidEe, Pterodinida: (a new genus 

 aad species of his own), Euchlanidre, and Notommatina ; (4) 

 Scirtopoda, or jumpers, including Pedalionida>, and Synchoetidoe. 

 As to the affinities of the Rotifers, while giving up Philodinidae 

 to the Vermes, he advanced numerous reasons for believing that 

 the other Rotifers were allied to Entomostracans, and ought to 

 be classed with them. He claimed to have destroyed some of 

 the arguments of Professor Huxley on this point, by finding male 

 forms which had been previously unknown, and among them 

 the male of Laciniilaria socialis, the very species taken as the text 

 of Professor Huxley's remarks on the whole class. The 

 resemblance of Pedalion to some Entomostracous larvre was 

 insisted on, as also its connection by other aberrant rotifers with 

 those of typical form. — Mr. Spence Bate spoke highly of the 

 labour and skill which Dr. Hudson had spent upon this class, 

 but he must say that in regard to the affinities of Rotifera the 

 evidence brought forward had been such as to convince him 

 most conclusively that they were 7iot related to the Crustacea. 



0)1 the Primary Divisions of ike ChitonidiC, by P. P. Carpenter, 

 B.A., Ph.D., Montreal. — He divided them into articulated or 

 perfect, and non-articulated or imperfect ; each of these were 

 naturally divided into regular and irregular. The Palaeozoic 

 Chitons were all imperfect, and culminated in the Carboniferous 

 period ; very few are now living. The Neozoic epochs gradually 

 developed perfect Chitons which culminate at the present time. 

 The writer sought information as to unusual forms, recent or 

 fossil, to be posted to 508, Guy Stieet, Montreal. 



Department of Anatomy and Physiology. 

 Address by Professor Cleland, M.D., F.R.S., Vice- 

 President. 



1 shall not venture to occupy the time of the Section with 

 any resumJ ol the work done in anatomy and physiology during 

 the past year, as such information is readily accessible in the 

 pages of journals and year-books, I shall content myself with 

 making some comments on the condition of anatomy at the pre- 

 sent time in a few important particulars. 



I had intended to speak also of some subjects connected with 

 physiology ; but I find that I cannot do so without lengthening 

 my remarks to a greater extent than might be desirable. I shall 

 be content, therefore, so far as that science is concerned, to 

 mention that, although experimental physiology is probably 

 less cultivated in this country than in any other in which biol(^y 

 is studied, it has been practically decided by Parliament that it 

 is quite time to put some check on investigation in that direc- 

 tion ; for, as everyone knows, a Royal Commission has been 

 appointed to inquire into vivisection. In the scientific world all 

 are agreed, whatever opinions may prevail in other sections of 

 the community, that the man who would wantonly inflict pain 

 on a brute beast is himself a brute, and deserving to be roughly 

 handled ; and because there is no difference of opinion on that 

 subject, and bjc^use no experimental science can well prosper 

 if one man is to judge for another what experiments are justifi- 

 able to institute or to repeat, or are likely to give important 

 results, I do deplore the clamour which well-meaning persons 

 have raised, and regret that it has been so far yielded to. 



In anatomy the most important progress in recent years 

 has been made in those departments which abut most closely on 

 physiology, namely, the microscopy of the tissues and develop- 

 ment. Tlie whole conception of the nutrition of the body has 

 become altered in comparatively recent years by the additions to 

 our knowledge of the nucleated corpuscles, which are the living 



