94 PROF. GULLIVER ON THE RED CoRPUSCLES [Feb. 25, 
Shape of the Red Corpuscles of Apyrenematous Vertebrates. 
The red corpuscle is a circular, flattened, biconcave disc, rounded 
at the margin. The flatness of the corpuscle was first clearly proved 
by Hewson,—though the old error of its spherical or spheroidal figure 
prevailed for years afterwards, and was particularly supported by 
Mr. Hunter. The biconcave form was inferred by Dr. Young, and 
proved by Dr. Hodgkin and Mr. Lister. This concavity causes the 
central spot so long mistaken for a nucleus. 
There are certain exceptions, regular and irregular, to the circular 
and biconcave shape. The Camelide, as will be more particularly 
explained in the proper place, have oval corpuscles. And when we 
consider how pliant and elastic the Mammalian corpuscle is, and 
what a delicate endosmometer it may be, how it will be taking in 
and giving out fluid according to the relative density of the liquor 
sanguinis and contents of the corpuscle, we might expect rapid 
variations in its shape within certain limits; and such is the fact. 
Accordingly, the corpuscles may be either swollen, puckered, or 
shrunk into a variety of figures, flat, tumid, like a shallow circular or 
oval cup, stellate, notched, granulated, mulberry-shaped, crescentic, 
angular, lanceolate, fusiform, comma-shaped, and other figures, defy- 
ing definition. In certain Cervide, to be noticed presently, the 
angular, crescentic, and lanceolate corpuscles are in unusual abun- 
dance. Dr. Richardson has well depicted a number of forms pre- 
sented by the corpuscles in connexion with disease. 
Relative Sizes of the Red Corpuscles of Apyrenematous Vertebrates. 
The knowledge of this subject was very vague before my observa- 
tions. It was the prevailing statement, after Hewson, that the size 
of the corpuscle is not at all connected with that of the animal, since 
he found them alike in the ox, cat, ass, mouse, and bat. But, 
while confirming the accuracy of his statement as to animals of such 
different orders, I soon found that, in a really natural family, other 
things equal, the largest corpuscles will be generally found among the 
large species, and the smallest corpuscles among the small species, of 
that family. See, for examples, the drawings of the corpuscles of 
Rodentia and Edentata, orders characterized by large corpuscles ; and 
those of Ruminantia, an order, on the other hand, characterized by 
small corpuscles. There are many exceptions to an exact relation 
between the sizes of the species and corpuscles ; but these will pro- 
bably fall into order as our knowledge extends. In the Ass, for 
instance, the corpuscles are slightly larger than in the Horse, as 
might be expected from the comparative muscular and respiratory 
activity of these two animals; in the Mouse and the gigantic Rat 
the corpuscles scarcely differ in size; in the Noctule they are just 
appreciably smaller than in some of the more diminutive Bats. To 
enumerate the exceptions, which are commonly but slight, would be 
tedious and unnecessary, as some of them may be seen in the wood- 
cuts, and numerous others, as well as those just mentioned, in my 
‘Tables of Measurements,’ published in the ‘ Proceedings’ of this 
