404 



NATURE 



[August 25, 1892 



would revolutionize our ideas of the universal prevalence of the 

 solitary habit. The paper was illustrated with a number of large 

 painted figures. 



(2) Prof, A. Crum Brown, F.R.S., on a Use of the External 

 Ear. The form of the external ear enables us to find the alti- 

 tude of the source of sound by rotating the head about a hori- 

 zontal right and left axis. 



(3) Prof. Lloyd Morgan, the Method of Comparative 

 Psychology. The object of this communication was to show 

 that our interpretation of animal intelligence is necessarily based 

 on a double or two-fold process of observation : ist, the activities 

 of animals have to be carefully observed as objective phenomena ; 

 and, our own mental processes have to be carefully observed and 

 cautious inductions drawn from them. Finally the objective 

 phenomena reached by the first process have to be interpreted 

 in terms of conclusions obtained through the second. In the 

 higher animals there is abundant evidence of ability to sense or 

 feel relations, but little or none of the perception or cognition of 

 the relations of introspection or of reflection, and possibly 

 herein we have a limit to animal intelligence. 



{4) Mr. J. E. S Moore, on the Relationships and Role of the 

 Archoplasmic Body during Mitosis in the larval Salamander. 

 The author has extended the discovery of the archoplasmic 

 body in the spermatocyte of the salamander to the somatic 

 cells of both the larva and adult, and especially to the cells of 

 the germinal blastema and the leucocytes. He demonstrated 

 for this vertebrate a distribution and functional activity of the 

 archoplasmic body identical with that recorded by Platner for 

 the invertebrate Helix ; and concluded that the archoplasmic 

 body is the sole agent in the formation of the achromatin 

 spindle-fibres. 



(5) Prof. J. C. Stewart exhibited with remarks an abnormal 

 fore foot of a horse, in which two large digits and vestiges of 

 others were present. 



(6) Dr. G. Mann read a paper on the Origin of Sex, in which 

 he contended that any sexual cell might be transformed into 

 either a male or female cell, according to the facilities of ac- 

 quiring and assimilating food material. 



(7) Dr. J. Beard, on Larvas and their Relations to Adult 

 Forms. The author attempted to show that all metazoa above 

 coelenterata developed through the intermediation of a larva 

 (often disguised by the presence of food yolk), and, in fact, 

 upon the latter. He urged that the recapitulation theory was 

 no explanation of the phenomena of embryology ; at best it 

 held good to a limited extent for the ontogeny of certain organs. 

 The views of the author led him to regard metazoon develop- 

 ment as a sort of alternation of generations, 



(8) Professor W. A. Herdman, F.R.S., on the Exploration 

 of the Irish Sea to the south of the Isle of Man now being car- 

 ried on by the Liverpool Marine Biology Committee. 



On Saturday, August 6th, the section did not break up into 

 departments. The following papers were read : — 



(i) Prof. McKendrick, F.R.S., demonstrated by means of 

 a new form of myograph a method of recording and project- 

 ing simultaneously upon a screen, through the aid of lime light, 

 curves of muscular contraction. He also showed a method of 

 measuring and recording the time occupied by short voluntary 

 movements, such as those of the fingers in writing, or the move- 

 ments of the tongue. 



(2) Prof. G. Fritsch (Berlin), on the Origin of the Electric 

 Nerves in the Torpedo, Gymnotus, Murmyrus, and Malapterurtis. 

 Prof. Fritsch pointed out that there are two kinds of electric 

 organs found, the one being modified muscles, as is the case in 

 Torpedo, Gymnotus, Mormyrus, and Raia, while the other be- 

 longs to the cutaneous system, and is probably transformed gland 

 cells of the skin, as in Malapterurtis. In electric organs origi- 

 nating from muscles there are many ganglion cells, but in those 

 derived from skin organs there are only two ganglionic cells, 

 one on each side, and only one nerve fibre belonging to each 

 cell, which fibre is formed by a combination of protoplasm- 

 processes at a certain distance from the gigantic ganglion cell. 



(3) Prof. Miall, F. R. S , gave an account of the leaf of the 

 water plant Victoria regia, illustrated by lantern slides, in which 

 he described the peculiarities of its structure, and the way in 

 which it is modified to suit its special environmental conditions. 



(4) Dr. J. Musgrove, the Blood-vessels and Lymphatics of 

 the Retina. The author pointed out that the distribution of the 

 vessels in the retina was as regular as that occurring in the arm 

 or the leg. The blood-vessels of the retina of the ox may be 

 divided into three sets. There are upper and lower sets of 



NO. 119 1, VOL. 46] 



branches of large vessels, and there is an intermediate zone 

 entirely free from large vessels except in so far as it is traversed 

 by the main stems of artery and vein in their course to the upper 

 part of the retina. This intermediate zone the author regards 

 as the homologue of the yellow spot found in the human retina. 

 The capillary vessels on a transverse section of the retina are 

 seen to lie chiefly in the nerve cell layer, the inner molecular 

 layer, and the inner nuclear layer. Only rarely are capillaries 

 found beyond the inner nuclear layer, and they never extend as 

 far as the outer nuclear layer, so that the outer layers (the rods 

 and cones, &c. ) are entirely free from vessels. 



(5) Mr. PI. O. Forbes exhibited a recently discovered series 

 of sub-fossil bones of extinct birds of New Zealand and the 

 Chatham Islands, and made remarks upon the localities where 

 they had been found and upon their distribution. From the 

 Chatham Islands the specimens were in a remarkably fine state 

 of preservation, and included the species described under the 

 nz.raes oi Aphanapteryx hawkinn, Fulica newtoni, and Corvus 

 viorio7-uni, along with portions of Nestor and Harpa. From 

 New Zealand, Bizttira, Cereopsis, Cygnus, and the type speci- 

 mens of Cnemiornis gracilis, Forb., were exhibited, and also 

 the larger part of the skull of Harpagornis vioorei, Haast. 



(6) Dr. J. Clark, on the Natural Relations between Temperature 

 and Protoplasmic M ovements. The author showed that the 

 minimum temperature for protoplasmic movements depended 

 on the nature, habits, and natural surroundings of the plants, 

 and that change of conditions of growth induced change of 

 minimum. 



(7) Dr. J. Clark, Experimental Observations on the Functions 

 of the Nucleus in the Vegetable Cell. By divesting the vegetable 

 cell of its wall, and also by mechanically separating the proto- 

 plasmic contents of a cell into two equal parts, the author tried 

 to show the relations between the nucleus and cell- wall forma- 

 tion, and between mechanical stimulus and nuclear activity. 



(8) Dr. Francis Warner, Co-ordinationof Cellular Growth and 

 Action by Physical Forces. The facts accumulated in a report 

 on 50,oco children observed by the author appear to show that 

 defects in development of the body are largely co-related with 

 defects of the nerve system in its power of co-ordination and 

 mental function. 



(9) M. Louis Olivier, La Canalisation des Cellules et la Con- 

 tinuite de la Matiere vivante chez les Vegetaux et les Animaux. 

 The author has for some time recognized, even in highly 

 differentiated tissues, the canalization of the cell wall and the 

 free passage of protoplasm ; and lately he has obtained evidence, 

 photographic and otherwise, that in highly organized forms, such 

 as Dicotyledons, the protoplasm is continuous from the extremity 

 of the roots to the tips of the leaves. 



(10) Dr. John H. Wilson, some Albucas and their Hybrids. 

 The author has formed crosses between hybrids and the parent 

 forms in several species of the African liliaceous genus Albuca. 



On Monday, Section D was occupied in the forenoon by a 

 discussion on " Sea-Fisheries " : — 



(1) Prof. Mcintosh, F.R.S., opened the discussion by a 

 paper entitled "A Sketch of the Scotch Fisheries, chiefly in 

 their scientific aspects, during the past decade, 1882-92,'" in 

 which he gave an interesting account of the condition of the 

 fisheries, and of the investigations which have been carried on 

 by the Fishery Board of Scotland, and at the St. Andrews 

 Marine Laboratory, and elsewhere. 



(2) Prof. Ewart followed with a general paper on our sea- 

 fisheries, in which he showed that some of our valuable fishes 

 are becoming scarce, and discussed various remedial measures 

 which have been suggested. He considered that fish-hatching 

 was not of much practical use if the young were merely returned 

 to the sea when hatched. 



(3) Mr. E. W. L. Holt read a paper, drawn up by himself and 

 Messrs. W. L. Calderwood and J. T. Cunningham, of the 

 Marine Biological Association, on the Destruction of Immature 

 Fish, and a discussion of remedial measures. In this paper the 

 authors dealt chiefly with the protection of immature fish by the 

 imposition of a size limit. It was contended that the size limits 

 proposed at the conference at Fishmongers' Hall last February 

 are altogether too small, and that no limit can be useful which is 

 not based upon the size at which a fish is for the first time able 

 to reproduce its species. Tables were given showing the varia- 

 tion which exists in this respect in the different districts. The 

 authors gave figures showing the immense destruction of im- 

 mature fish on certain grounds lying on the east side of the North 

 Sea, and the opinion was expressed by Mr. Holt, who has had 



