466 Prof. Reid on the Vogmarus Islandicus. 
downwards, were about half an inch in length, were very imper- 
fectly developed, and could scarcely be distinguished in the 
strong fibrous membrane attached to the vertebree along the line 
of junction of these processes with the bodies of the vertebrae and 
uniting all the transverse processes of the same row together. 
These two strong fibrous lamine passed down on each side of the 
kidneys, and converged along their lower edge so as to form 
a canal inclosing them. There were no ribs present. The in- 
ferior spinous processes of the vertebre were slender and quite 
flexible, presented the appearance of cartilage to the unaided 
eye, were united together by a dense fibrous membrane, and 
were directed obliquely backwards. The longest were situated 
opposite to the vent, and were more than two inches in length. 
About two-thirds of the cavity between each pair of vertebre 
formed by the junction of the cup-shaped excavations before and 
behind, was filled up by a white gelatinous substance, of the 
shape of a double cone like the cavity containing it, the apices 
of which were attached to the bottoms of the cup-shaped exca- 
vations, and in fact extended along a canal traversing the centre 
of the bodies of the vertebrae, so that in this way the white 
gelatinous-looking substance was continuous along the whole 
length of the spinal column, and formed alternate bulgings and 
contractions,—the bulgings corresponding to the widest part of 
the bi-conical cavity between each pair of vertebree, the contrac- 
tions to the canal perforating the centre of the body of each ver- 
tebra. This gelatinous substance was of the same structure as 
that found in the corresponding position in other fishes, but it 
was solid throughout, and contained no cavity in its interior for 
holding fluid. It possessed little elasticity, was soft and readily 
compressed, and could be broken down or torn into fragments 
by the exertion of a very moderate force. On making a trans- 
verse section of the body of one of the vertebre (fig. 3), a 
number of narrow bands, generally eighteen in number, are seen 
radiating from a point near the centre to the circumference, 
and one of these runs to each of the longitudinal ridges on the 
external surface of the body of-the vertebra. These radiating 
bands begin at the outer edge of a ring surrounding the white 
gelatinous substance occupying the centre of the body of the 
vertebre like the pith in the centre of the trunk of a dicotyle- 
donous tree; and the radiating bands may be compared to the 
medullary rays passing from the pith towards the circumference 
in the tree ; but they differ in this, that the radiating bands in 
the vertebre are composed, as we shall point out afterwards, of 
a structure of a very different character from that constituting 
the central gelatinous substance. Fig. 3 is a representation of 
eed og putes 
sa aa ae Cre oneetrt ett oe ee 
