THE COASTS OF SAINTONGE. 283 



were the lateral appendages which were placed on 

 each ring like so many vertical fringes ; were they 

 simple cutaneous folds, as had been affirmed by 

 Cuvier, De Blainville, and all their successors ? 

 were they the respiratory organs, as Rudolphi and 

 Savigny appear to have conjectured them to be after 

 the inspection of a single specimen ? If this were 

 the case the Branchellion would be a leech with 

 branchiae, that is to say, an animal of an exceptional 

 kind, not only in respect to the family to which it 

 belonged, but also in respect to the neighbouring 

 groups. If we are to accept the principles of which 

 I have already spoken in their strictest sense this 

 would be as singular as if we were to meet with a 

 mammal without lungs; and although we may observe 

 in the lower animals very considerable deviations 

 from their assumed normal types, this would be a 

 most extraordinary deviation. Yet I learned from 

 direct observation that such was actually the case, 

 and repeated experiments fully confirmed this result. 

 When seen under the microscope these broad 

 membranous laminae, which appear to be so thin and 

 of so simple an organisation, showed that they were 

 protected by cutaneous strata, moved and kept open 

 by muscular and ligamentous fibres, and animated by 

 nerves. I further discovered ramified canals giving 

 origin to a network permeated by a perfectly colour- 



Leydig have led me to think that there may be two species of 

 Branchellion, although only one species has yet heen recognised. 

 I brought the preparations with me to Paris which are necessary to 

 demonstrate the exactness of all the essential facts which I obtained 

 from my investigations. 



