TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 113 
which have lately had much consideration :—one, as to the coagulation of that 
fluid, whether owing to the escape of ammonia? the other, whether the blood in a 
healthy state contains the volatile alkali? Referring to the first question, he stated 
his reasons for answering in the negative. The second question is, he thinks, 
more difficult to answer. The conclusions which he thinks are warranted by the 
results of varied experiments which he has made, are the following :— 
1. That they are confirmatory of the inference that the coagulation of the blood 
is not owing to the escape of ammonia. 
2. That they are favourable to the conclusion that the blood generally contains a 
minute portion of ammonia. 
3. That the ammonia which is found in the air expired in respiration, and in the 
insensible cutaneous perspiration, is derived from the blood, and is yielded in union 
with carbonic acid. 
4, That the proportion of the volatile alkali is greater in venous than in arterial 
blood, and in ths Flood of the Batrachians and of other animals in which the aéra- 
tion of this fluid is less perfect than in birds and Mammalia of higher temperature. 
Notes on certain Parts of the Anatomy of a Young Chimpanzee. 
By Dr. Emsreron. 
In these notes, a general description of the young male, with dimensions of the 
trunk and extremities, and of the alimentary canal, is given. The dentition, ver- 
tebree, and ribs are noticed. The muscles of the leg below the Imee, and of the 
foot, are described. 
The different parts of the encephalon, and the relation of the posterior lobes of 
the cerebrum to the cerebellum, are reviewed. 
The conclusions drawn are in conformity with the deductions of Prof. Huxley, 
namely :—1. That the posterior extremity of the Chimpanzee is a foot, and not a 
hand. 2. That the posterior lobes of the cerebrum in the Chimpanzee are deve- 
loped so as fully to overlap the cerebellum, both laterally and posteriorly ; and that 
all the parts of the human encephalon are represented in that of the Chimpanzee. 
On the Reciprocal Action between Plants and Gases. By R. Garver, F.L.S. 
In this paper the author brought forward the subject of the natural inhalations 
and exhalations of plants, and of the effects on vegetation of certain contaminations 
of the atmosphere, such as occur in coal and mining districts, consisting for the 
most part of sulphurous and hydrochloric acids and of ammonia. As regards the . 
first question, he denied any power in ordinary plants to absorb watery vapour or 
water through the leaves, as exemplified by immersing the tops or leaves of droop- 
ing shoots in water, or by exposing them to a moist atmosphere. He noticed, too, 
that the avidity which water has for carbonic acid explains the facility with which 
it is taken in by the roots, or withdrawn by the juices of the leayes from the air. 
He guarded against this avidity in his experiments by covering the surface of the 
water in the bell-glasses containing his plants with a stratum of oil; and thus it 
may be clearly proved that growing plants or plucked leaves rapidly absorb in the 
sun a large amount of carbonic acid, though an atmosphere containing one quar- 
ter or one half of the same has in a short time an ee influence on them. 
With respect to their exhalation of oxygen in the sun, he found that about 160 
square inches of the upper and lower surface of young holly-leaves gave off in a 
long summer day 1} in. of oxygen, or a holly-bush about breast high 40 in. in the 
same time. Plants, even if heaithy and growing, give off carbonic acid in the dark, 
so did the petals of plants even in sunshine, though in some cases no gas at all. 
Autumnal leaves appeared to absorb oxygen. With respect to the second point— 
the injurious effects of certain vapours upon plants—he observed that those men- 
tioned above appear to act as corrosives. That they all are given off in the districts 
in question is shown from the a nee of sulphur and muriate of ammonia to be 
seen upon the scoriz of the mine-heaps. Phosphorus and coal-gas are less preju- 
dicial than those above-mentioned ; pure hydrogen, nitrogen, and the vapour of 
chloroform still more innocuous. In fact, plants having no nervous centre are not 
1863. 
