94 MR. GULLIVER ON THE BLOOD-coRPUSCLES. [Feb. 10, 
between these corpuscles of Moschus moschiferus and those of Cer- 
vus nemorivagus will appear by a comparison of fig. 2 in the above 
woodcut with fig. 7 in the ‘ Proceedings’ of the Zoological Society 
above cited. In M. moschiferus uone of the blood-corpuscles pre- 
sented those curious and irregular shapes which I have described 
and figured in certain Cervidee (Lond. and Edin. Phil. Mag. Nov. 
1840, and Proc. Zool. Soc. Feb. 25, 1862, fig. 7). 
Tragulus.—The average diameter of the blood-disks of T. javani- 
: : 1 . . 1 
cus and T. meminna 18 x35; of an inch, and the extreme sizes Ties 
and 5656 of an inch; and of 7. stanleyanus the average size of the 
corpuscles is a of an inch. These measurements of the smallest 
known blood-disks of Mammalia are here quoted from my Tables 
for comparison. 
Orycteropus capensis.—Not long after the death of the true Musk- 
deer died an Orycteropus and Ailurus; and I am also indebted to 
Prof. Flower for an opportunity of examining the blood of these two 
animals. We made a cursory examination together of their blood- 
disks, and easily saw that those of Orypteropus were much the 
largest. But the power of the instrument then used was insufficient, 
and I completed the examination at home. 
After my discovery of the large size of the red blood-corpuscles of 
Myrmecophaga and Bradypus (Proc. Zool. Soc. June 11, 1844, and 
Jan. 24, 1854), the similar magnitude of the corresponding cor- 
puscles of Orycteropus was expected ; and they are certainly among 
the largest known in Mammalia. From many measurements the 
average diameter of the red blood-corpuscles of Orycteropus capensis 
proves to be no less than 3,55 of an inch, with many gradations 
between the few two extremes of one-third smaller and one-third larger 
than the average size. Such varieties of size are common in the 
blood-disks of single species throughout the Vertebrate subkingdom. 
The red blood-corpuscles of Orycteropus are so nearly of the same 
size as those of the Elephant and Myremecophaga that it would be 
difficult to distinguish these three animals by their blood-disks, as 
will appear by comparing fig. 4 of the above woodcut with figs. 6 
and 9 in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society for Feb. 25, 1862. 
Ailurus fulgens.—The average size of the blood-disks is 4757 
of an inch, thus nearly corresponding with those of Procyon, Nasua, 
and Meles; but its next neighbour, Cercoleptes, in the zoological 
systems, has blood-disks so much smaller as to indicate that it may 
be but an aberrant member of that family which includes Adlurus. 
Import and Relations of the Size of the red Blood-corpuscles.— 
Previously to my researches it was commonly said, after Hewson, that 
the size of the blood-disks has no relation to that of the species—and 
truly, if regard be had only to such different animals as the Mouse 
and Horse. But my measurements clearly proved that there is so 
far such a relation in Mammalia of one natural order or family that 
the smallest blood-disks occur in the small species and the largest 
blood-disks in the large species of that order or family. Among 
Rodents, e. g., I discovered the largest blood-disks in the great 
