452 Miscellaneous . 



the microscope, it was seen to consist of a great number of flat dia- 

 mond-shaped cr3'stals of different sizes, in the midst of which were 

 interspersed some very small amorphous granules, collected together 

 here and there in clusters, and exhibiting in many parts of the field 

 a distinct molecular movement. My friend Dr. J, W. Griffith, who 

 analysed this compound, assured me that its crystalline portion was 

 composed of llthlc acid; the amorphous part he believed to be lithate 

 of ammonia, but its quantity was so small tliat he could not be po- 

 sitive — the former statement he is certain is correct. Bearing in 

 mind that this substance was found in a part of the alimentary canal 

 posterior to the insertion of the hepatic vessels, and that it is ex- 

 tremely improbable that it should have been secreted from the mu- 

 cous lining of the intestine itself, there can be little doubt that it 

 was discharged into the latter from the above tubes, and thus the 

 fact becomes one of interest from its throwing light upon the much- 

 disputed function of these organs. I regret at the time having 

 omitted to examine also the contents of the tubes, but I am con- 

 firmed in my present view of their uriniferous office by the observa- 

 tions of other naturalists, among whom V. Audouin, in the fifth vo- 

 lume of the 'Ann. des Sciences Xat.,' has described two calculi 

 as obstructing the biliary canals of a female " Cerf-volant," and 

 which, being treated by the usual chemical methods, were proved to 

 be composed of uric acid. This WTiter does not, however, allude to the 

 presence of its characteristic crj^stals. I would here take the oppor- 

 tunity of observing, that the analysis of the different secretions 

 throughout the Articulated animals, and the Invertebrata generally, 

 offers a wide field of research to those engaged in the study of or- 

 ganic chemistry. 



1 Arthur Street, Gray's-Inn-road. Alfred Tulk. 



ALCHEMILLA COXJUXCTA AND A, FISSA. 



At page 74 of the present volume of these ' Annals,' Mr. W. C, 

 Trevelyan refers the A. conjuncta (Bab.) to A. fissa (Schumm.) on 

 the authority of ' Fl. Danica,' pi. 2101. That plate is far from good, 

 the silver}' underside of the leaves being very imperfectly represented, 

 but still it seems to be intended to represent A. conjuncta. So far 

 so good. But if now we examine the synonyms quoted in ' Fl. Dan.' 

 we shall find that they belong to a very different plant, which is so 

 closely allied to A. vulcjaris as to have been considered as a variety 

 of that species bj' many botanists. Wimmer and Grabowski (' Fl. 

 Siles.' i. 13G) take particular care to distinguish it from A. vulgaris, 

 and describe the leaves as " reniformia circumscriptione orbicular! 

 7 — 9-loba, fissura ad folium medium pertinente lobis in folio com- 

 planato se ■vdx tegentibus basi integerrimis quum in A. vulyari lobi 

 ad basin usque serrati sint, inciso-dentatis .... totis glabris margine 

 tantum undique ciliatis." This is the work usually quoted as the 

 authority for this plant ; its authors quote Mertens and Koch, but 

 not having that book at hand, I refer to Koch's ' Synopsis ' (ed. 2. 

 p. 257), where the description belongs to the same plant and not to 

 A. conjuncta. Koch and the ' Fl. Dan.' refer to A. minor (Tauscb), 

 published in his ' Plantce Selectee;' and the specimen contained in 



