154 Miscellaneous. 



from Trichinopoly. The greater part of those from Pondicherry 

 appear to be undescribed forms. Accompanying the very remarkable 

 assemblage of molluscan genera at the latter locality was a single 

 vertebrata of a Saurian, which Professor Owen regards as most nearly 

 resembling that oi Monosaurus, 



Mr. Kaye presented to the Society a series of the fossils from the 

 several beds, all in the most beautiful state of preservation. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



On the production of Animalcules in great numbers in the Stomach 

 and Intestines dtiring the digestion of herbivorous and carnivo- 

 rous Animals. By MM. Gruby and Delafond *. 



In 1685 Leuwenhoeck first discovered three species of microscopic 

 animalcules in the excrements of frogs \ ; Bory de Saint Vincent, 

 Miiller, and Ehrenberg have also ascertained the presence of animal- 

 cules in the excrements of salamanders |. Leuwenhoeck relates that 

 he saw three species of infusoria in the excrements of pigeons, of 

 chickens, and even of man ; but a doubt was thrown upon this last 

 discovery by other observers, and particularly by Ehrenberg. 



Up to the present time no observer has proved the existence of 

 living animalcules in the stomach and during the digestion of the 

 superior animals. We shall now present to the Academy the ob- 

 servations which we have been making upon this subject for more 

 than a year, reserving the communication of fuller details until we 

 shall have the honour of laying before it the numerous researches 

 which we have made concerning digestion. 



1. The ruminating animals have, during the act of digestion, four 

 species of living animalcules in the first and second stomachs. 



First species. — Form long and flattened ; the body provided with 

 a granulated carapace v.'hich is convex above, flattened beneath, and 

 indented tou-ards its posterior part ; head distinct ; a girdle of vibra- 

 ting cilia near the middle of the body ; a long, conical, and mobile 

 tail ; motions of the vibrating cilia rapid ; motions of the Ijody slow ; 

 length nearly \\h of a millimetre ; width ^t\\ of a millimetre. This 

 animalcule has no analogy with those already known. 



Second species. — Form ovoid ; body covered with a carapace in- 

 dented anteriorly and posteriorly ; a conical tail ; a circlet of vibra- 

 ting cilia at the anterior part of the body ; movements very distinct ; 

 length 2\jth of a millimetre, breadth Jjjth. This species has some 

 analogy with the Bracliionus polycantlius of Ehrenberg §. 



Tlm-d species. — Form elongated and cylindrical ; a smooth cara- 

 pace ; no tail ; vibrating cilia around the mouth ; movements very 

 rapid; length J^th of a miUimetre, breadth jo^^^- 



* From the Comptes Rcndus dc rAcadeniie for Ucc. 11, 1843. 



t Anat. et Contempl., 1G85, p. 38. 



X Die Infusioiisthicvchen, p. 331 ; Leipzig, 1838. 



§ Ehrenberg, loc. cit. p. 501, 



