TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. Ill 



Ulnar, internal cutaneous, and muscular branches to the pectoralis major and to the 

 panniculus. 



The median nerve, accompanied by the brachial artery and vein, passes through 

 a large supracondyloid foramen. The same arrangement is found in the Thylacine 

 and Phascogale. 



The musculo-cutaneous nerve appears to be a purely motor nerve. It is distri- 

 buted to tho biceps, coraco-brachialis, aud brachialis anticus. 



Researches on the Life-history of the Simplest Organisms. 

 By the Rev. W. H. Dallingee. 



The author stated that he had worked out the life-histories of six Monads, and 

 then proceeded to give the results of numerous experiments in connexion with the 

 same. Motion was, perhaps, nowhere so universal as in the most minute forms of 

 life, and here it was that we often found movement of the most graceful kind. It 

 had now been made quite certain that the degrees of ease and force of motion of 

 these animals depended upon the number of their flagella, which, so far as investi- 

 gation had yet gone, ranged from one to four. With regard to the most minute 

 forms of life, the author considers that the study of their life-histories shows that 

 these forms were perfectly complete and definite ; there was no mutation nor any 

 thing unnatural. The results of his experiments with certain life-germs showed 

 that when ordinary air was charged with given germs, any nutritive fluid receiving 

 these germs would produce monads, while when the air was kept perfectly pure 

 the same fluid would not produce a single monad. With the air at a temperature 

 of 310° Fahrenheit and charged with germs, the fluid produced no monads. The 

 author stated that he is a perfect convert to the theory of the " survival of the 

 fittest." At a temperature of 46° the six monads with which he had been experi- 

 menting were found to live and flourish, and they covdd bear a sudden increase of 

 temperature up to 60° without exhibiting any signs of inconvenience ; but if, upon 

 reaching this point, the temperature was suddenly increased by five degrees, the 

 monads showed a faintness. The temperature might, however, by a slow process 

 be increased to 127° degrees, in which the monads would live, and multiply even 

 more rapidly than in a temperature of 45°. The results of similar experiments 

 also seemed to show that it took a much longer time to produce a modification in 

 the ovum than to produce a modification in the parent. 



On Transcendental Anatomy, w a Geometrical Investigation of the best possible 

 number of Limbs for Terrestrial and Aquatic Animals. By the Rev. Pro- 

 fessor Hatjghton, F.R.S. 



Treating of the swimming powers of the numerous members of the Naiad family, 

 the author explains their various abilities of exercising muscular and fibrous force 

 in different directions. The two-limbed Naiad is, he considers, related to our pre- 

 sent Rays and Skates, whilst the three-limbed Naiad finds close representatives in 

 some of the fossil fishes. Odd-limbed Naiads all possess advantages over the even- 

 limbed ones. A fish is nothing more nor less than a one-limbed Naiad ; but the 

 Medusa is, in spite of its sluggish disposition, perhaps the most beautiful of swim- 

 ming animals. The system of vortex rings (the form of force which passes through 

 water with the least resistance) produced by these creatures in swimming is the 

 secret of their easy locomotion. 



An Improvement in the Marshall-Hall and Sylvester Methods of Artificial 

 Respiration. By Dr. B. Howard. 



On the Physiological Action of the Substitution Compound of Ohinoline and 

 Pyridine. By Prof. M'Kendeick and Dr. W. Ramsay. 



