109 



spots, -whicli were somewhat darker than those of the mother ; and 

 the hair of the legs was of a deeper fawn colour. It sucked some 

 warm cow's-milk from a bottle with avidity, and once or twice uttered 

 a low, gentle grunt or bleat, something between that of a fawn 

 and a calf. The young creature made several efforts to stand, raising 

 itself on the fore knees ; and was able to support itself on its va- 

 cillating and outstretched legs, about two hours after its birth. 



" No one could have seen the young Giraffe," says Professor 

 Owen, " without being struck with its large size, compact figure, 

 and strength of limb. The condition or purpose of the long gesta- 

 tion is, evidently, to bring into the world the young Giraffe of a 

 stature and strength suitable to the exigencies of a denizen of the 

 desert — the birthplace, likewise, of the Lion and other destructives." 

 The length of the animal, measuring from the muzzle to the root of 

 the tail, was six feet ten inches ; the girth of the trunk was two 

 feet nine inches ; from the tuber ischii to the patella was one foot 

 four inches ; from the patella to the apex of the hind hoof three 

 feet ; from the olecranon to the carpus was one foot ten inches ; 

 from the carpus to the end of the fore hoof was one foot eleven 

 inches. These segments of the fore leg were thus nine inches 

 longer than the corresponding ones of the hind leg ; and as this dis- 

 proportion does not exist in the adult, it offers another instance of 

 the precocious developement of the anterior extremities in the mam- 

 miferous foetus. 



She would not yield her milk to, or even suffer her offspring to 

 come near her. The young Giraffe was nourished by warm cow's 

 milk. It gamboled actively about when one day old, and continued, 

 without appearance of illness, till the 28th of June, when it was at- 

 tacked by convulsions, and died. 



A paper was read " On the polarizing property of living animals 

 and animal substances upon the rays of transmitted light," by Mr. 

 J. F. Goddard. 



In this communication Mr. Goddard first alluded to the double 

 refractory (polarizing property) exhibited by the ^lenses of the eyes 

 of fishes and several other animal substances, an account of which 

 was published in 1816 by Sir D. Brewster. 



On repeating these experiments, Mr. Goddard, after observing 

 that the scarf skin of the human subject, sections of human teeth, 

 the finger nails, bones of fishes, and other substances, possessed the 

 same property, was led to examine some living objects, when he 

 discovered that among others, the larvae and pupae of a gnat (Co- 

 rethra plumicornis) possessed this property in an eminent degree. 

 The extraordinary transparency of this little insect is such, that the 

 whole of its internal stnicture is beautifully displayed, and when 

 viewed by polarized light, presents the most splendid appearance ; 

 the peculiar interlacing of the muscles of the body, dividing it into 

 regular parts, present (as the insect changes its position with regard 

 to the plane of polarization) the most varied hues and brilliant co- 



