TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. 757 



two cells, or isophagy, aa Ralph believed, but feeding of the starving cell on the 

 surplus nourishment of the overfed cell, with no digestion of the living achromatic 

 plasm, whether this be in a non-specialised condition as endonucleolar or archo- 

 plasmic matter, or in the specialised condition forming the frameworks of the 

 Huclear and other organs. 



7. Larvce and their Belations to Adult Forms. 

 By J. Beard, M.Sc, Ph.D. 



Starting from the fact that two common types of development have hitherto 

 heen recognised — viz., larval, with metamorphosis, and festal, or direct — the author 

 attempted to show that all Metazoa above Coelenterata developed through the 

 intermediation of a larva, and, in fact, upon the latter. This was indeed known to 

 be the case in a great many forms, and in others traces of a larva could always be 

 detected. The great influences which led to the disguising of the larva wei-e 

 shown to be either the lading of the larva with food-yolk, or its acquirement of a 

 parasitic life within the parent form. The former adaptation led to a loss of 

 motor and some other organs on the part of the larva, while the latter tended to 

 its degradation and degeneration, as in all fixed internal parasites. 



Even in mammals traces of a larva might be met with in the amnion and yolk- 

 sac placenta, and additional reasons were adduced for a belief that here also the 

 development took place upon a larva. This was rendered more probable by the 

 reflection that a fixed internal parasite never could and never did develop to a higher 

 organisation, such as that which the mammal attained, but that the parasitic larva 

 might become degenerated and yet give rise to the higher organism which 

 developed upon it. 



The researches of Kleinenberg {Lopadorhynchus) and Kennel (Peripatus) were 

 cited, and their views on the mode of development of some invertebrates were 

 stated to be in close agreement with those enunciated by the author. 



It was urged that the recapitulation theory was no explanation of the phe- 

 nogiena of embryology — at best, it held good to a limited extent for the ontogeny 

 of certain organs. 



The views of the author led him to regard Metazoan development as a sort of 

 alternation of generations. 



8. The E.vploration of the Irish Sea to the South of the Isle of Man. 

 By Professor W. A. Herdman, F.E.S. 



SATURDAY, AUGUST 6. 



The following Papers and Reports were read : — 



1. On a Myograph for the Projection of Muscle Curves, and on a Method of 

 Becording the Time of Voluntary Movements. By Professor John G. 

 M'Kendrick, M.D., F.B.8., F.B.S.E. 



o 



0)1 the Origin of the Electric Nerves in the Torj^edo, Oymnotus, Mormyrus, 

 and Malopterurus. By Professor Gustav Fritsch. 



The author directed attention to the organisation of the electric fishes, with the 

 purpose of throwing some more light on certain general questions relating to the 

 functions and structure of the elements in the nervous system. 



There are two kinds of electrical organs found hitherto, one originating from 

 modified muscles, as in Torpedo, Gymnotus, Mormyrus, and Raja; the other 



