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elements of the seminal fluid ; and that the spermatozoa are essential 
to prolific semen seems now to be generally allowed. IJ merely 
mention the subject in connection with the statement of Sir Everard 
Home (Lectures on Comp. Anat., vol. v.; well commented on in 
Dr. Davy’s Researches, vol. i. p. 339), that the seminal animalcules 
have no real existence, and especially that he and Mr. Bauer had 
searched for them in vain, and with the best instruments and oppor- 
tunities, in the seminal fluid of the fallow deer during the season of 
the rut. 
I now exhibit to the Society drawings of the spermatozoa-of the 
fallow deer, wapiti, and red deer, and shall be happy to show my 
preparations of the animalcules to any one who may be curious 
about them. I have repeatedly had opportunities of examining the 
spermatozoa of the fallow deer, and though they are most abundant 
at the time of the rut, they may be found commonly enough at other 
seasons. After the rut was passed in January and February, I found 
the spermatozoa plentiful in the red and fallow deer at Windsor. 
The animalcules were even then in various stages of development ; 
some coiled up two or three together, in cells, with granular matter ; 
others were still more rudimentary; many appeared just ready to 
escape from the cells, while a still greater number were free and 
lively in the seminal canals. In the body of the spermatozoon of the 
red deer there is occasionally an appearance of internal granules or 
vesicles, as shown in the drawing. , 
As the Camelide, like the oviparous Vertebrata, have oval blood- 
corpuscles, it was interesting to ascertain the form of the sperma- 
tozoa of this ruminant family. In the dromedary I found that the 
seminal animalcules were much like those of other Mammalia, and 
so nearly resembling the animalcules of the Cervide, that there was 
a difference only uf size, the spermatozoa of the dromedary being 
slightly smaller than those of the deer. 
Chemical characters of the spermatozoa.—It is remarkable that the 
spermatozoa of Mammalia are but little or not at all affected by 
many chemical agents which quickly act on various other animal 
matters. These spermatozoa preserve their form and appearance 
when treated severally with nitric, muriatic, acetic, oxalic, tartaric 
and citric acids ; with concentrated solutions of earthy, alkaline, and 
metallic salts; and with liquid ammonia. 
But the spiral spermatozoa of birds are quickly dissolved, destroyed, 
or reduced to the most minute particles, by the acetic and other 
vegetable acids, while these animalcules are not much affected by 
muriatic acid, nor by caustic ammonia and saline solutions. Yet the 
cylindrical or club-shaped spermatozoa of birds are more nearly 
allied in chemical characters to the spermatozoa of Mammalia. The 
seminal animalcules of the common swift (Cypselus Apus), for exam- 
ple, remain perfectly entire and distinct after having been subjected 
to the action of citric or acetic acid. It may be incidentally men- 
tioned that the spermatozoa of the snake (Natrix torquata) are not 
affected by acetic acid. 
The matter in the seminal canals of Mammalia and Birds, when it 
