2;74 AYERS. [Vol. VI. 



note corresponds. Our author sent as many as 352 shocks per 

 second into a nerve, and hence sent 352 pulses along the nerve, 

 and got the note 352 V^ per second, which equals F on lowest 

 treble clef. He could not get higher notes than this, only- 

 noise. 



Bees' wings go at rate of 460 vibrations per second ; h^nce 

 their muscles contract the same number of times per second ; 

 this would give us A in treble clef. 



Rutherford says if his theory was accepted, it would lead to 

 a reconstruction of the physiology of the other sense organs. 



Pritchard states his views of the function of the rods of Corti 

 and of the parts of the ear in the following manner. After say- 

 ing, " It appears evident that those investigators had not sus- 

 pected, much less discovered, the fact that the rods are most 

 exquisitely graduated ; for otherwise they could surely never 

 have doubted that as beautiful and suitable an apparatus could 

 have any other ostensible purpose than that of appreciating the 

 various sounds," our author concludes that "this uniform gradu- 

 ation of the rods presents to my mind so plausible and reason- 

 able a key to their use that there can scarcely be a doubt as to 

 their real function. I consider that the cochlea as a whole 

 represents a finely constructed musical instrument, similar in 

 nature to a harp or musical box, the strings of one and the 

 teeth of the other being represented by the rods of Corti. The 

 spiral, bony lamina is nothing more nor less than a natural 

 sounding-board, in connection with the end of which are 

 arranged the rods." The course of the vibratory stimuli from 

 the endolymph to the brain is, according to Pritchard, the sub- 

 joined. The vibrations are taken up from the endolymph by 

 the rods of Corti, and transmitted to the nerve end cells, which 

 he considers are present in the form of the so-called Deiters's 

 and Corti's (as well as others) cells. P'rom these the motion 

 makes its way down the nerve to the brain. After entering the 

 ear from without, Pritchard thought all sounds were perceived 

 by the vestibular portion of the labyrinth, but merely as sounds, 

 the direction discovered by the semicircular canals ; but the 

 pitch and timbre, or, as he says, the " note," of the sound is 

 perceived by the cochlea alone. Here the motion, after passing 

 through the fluid of the cochlea, " probably strikes the lamina 

 spiralis, which, acting as a sounding-board, intensifies and trans- 



