TftANSACriONS OF THE SECTIONS. 163 



When the author removed the mamibrium at its base, he found that on now irri- 

 tating- any part of its own substance the apex endeavoured to curve down towards 

 the seat of irritation. Similarly, if only a portion of the manubrium were removed, 

 the pointing action of that portion resembled the pointing action of the entire 

 organ, while the stump that remained in situ would continue to move over as far 

 as it could towards any point of imtation situated in the bell. Hence there can 

 be no doubt that every part of the manubrium is independently endowed with the 

 capacity of localizing a seat of irritation either in its own substance or in that of 

 the bell. And in this we have a very remarkable fact ; for the localizing function 

 which is so very efficiently performed by the manubrium of this Medusa, and which, 

 if any thing resembling it occurred in the higher animals, would certainly have 

 definite ganglionic centres for its structural correlative, is here shared equally by 

 every part of the exceedingly tenuous contractile tissue that forms the outer surface 

 of the organ, ^^"e have thus in this case a general diti'usion of ganglionic function, 

 which is coextensive with the contractile tissues of the organ. 



Poisons. — The author has conducted a number of experiments with reference to 

 the effects of the various nerve- and muscle-poisons on the primitive nervo-muscular 

 tissues. He has tried chloroform, ether, morphia, caflein, nitrate of amyl, alcohol, 

 nicotiu, strychnia, veratrium, digitalin, atropia, curare, cyanide of potassiiun, &c., 

 &c., and he finds that in the main all these poisons exert precisely the same eftects 

 on the Medusae as they do on the higher animals. A vast number of other obser- 

 vations were detailed which do not admit of being briefly abstracted. Those who 

 are interested in the subject are therefore referred to the ' Philosophical Trans- 

 actions,' where a full account of the research is to be found. 



New Researches on the Electrical Phenomena consequent on Irrltaiiou of the 

 Leaves of the Fhj-trap (Dionsea muscipula). B'l Prof. Ijdedon Sandeksox, 

 F.R.S. 



Oil the Nervous Ajiiiuratus of the Lungs. By Ur. William Stikling. 



An Account of Finger-muscles found in the Greenland Right Whale. 

 By Prof. Stetttheks. 



An Account of Dissections of the supposed Rudimentary Hind Limb of the 

 Greenland Right Whale. By Prof. Struiitees. 



On the Structure of the Placenta in relation to the Theory of Evolution. 

 By Prof. W. Tukxeh, F.R.S.E. 



On tJie Effects of the Mineral Substances in Dnnlcing- Water on the Health of 

 the Community. By J. A, Wanklyn. 



