14 



dian corn bruised, bread, raw potato, and onion, with a small quan- 

 tity of water, which in drinking it partly lapped and partly sucked 

 up. It was very sensible of cold ; for when a candle was placed near 

 the bars of its cage, it readily acknowledged the little warmth given 

 out by turning its side and sitting still to receive the full benefit of 

 the rays of heat. I am inclined to think that the female does not 

 produce more than two young ones at a time, from having observed 

 in several instances but two following the old ones. Its name at the 

 Cape is the Dasse, which is, I believe, the Dutch for a badger." 



Mr. Martin's Notes of the dissection of the specimen of Hyrax 

 Capensis, presented to the Society by Mr. Rudston Read, were then 

 read. 



" The dissection of the Hyrax by Mr. Owen (' Proceedings of the 

 Committee of Science, &c.'. Part II. p. 202.) is to be regarded as a 

 confirmation of the anatomical details of this animal as given by 

 Pallas, while at the same time it communicates several additional 

 facts of great value. The present notes give nothing absolutely 

 new; but may be of use as substantiating previous observations 

 ■with regard to some very remarkable points of structure. 



" The animal in question was young and of the male sex : its total 

 length was 1 foot 4 inches, that of the head being 3-J- inches. On 

 removing the skin, the panniculus carnosus was observed to be very 

 strong, especially about the shoulders ; and on opening the body, the 

 smaUness of the volume of the chest compared with that of the ab- 

 domen was very strildng. The abdominal viscera presented them- 

 selves in the following order. The liver barely advanced from the 

 right hypochondriac region as far as the epigastric, its left portion 

 covering the cardiac portion of the stomach. Below the liver and 

 to its left the stomach was seated, and below this were the caca, of 

 large dimensions, covering the small intestines, over the whole of 

 which was spread an extensive omentum, arising from the great cur- 

 vature of the stomach. 



" The stomach measured in length about 4 inches, and was con- 

 tracted in the middle : a fleshy sphincter of great thickness closed 

 the pyloric orifice, and was distinctly to be felt. On inverting the 

 stomach, with a view to preserve it thus in spirits, the extent of the 

 cuticular lining of the cardiac portion was found to be 2^- inches : 

 it was irregularly corrugated, and terminated abruptly. Near its 

 edge, towards the great curiae of the stomach, were three or four 

 open glands with orifices capable of admitting the tip of a quill. The 

 pyloric portion was lined with the usual aoUous membrane. 



" The liver consisted of four lobes and a lobulus Spigelii : it was 

 healthy. There was no gall-bladder ; but a biliary duct of H inch 

 in length was found to enter the duodenum half an inch below the 

 pylorus : the origin of this duct is on the inner aspect of the liver 

 at its base, a separate duct emerging from each lobe to form it by 

 their mutual union. 



