786 MR. SCLATER ON THE AUSTRALIAN LuNG-FIsH. — [Nov. 17, 
young born in 1895-96 was a persistent droop of the eyelid 
observable. 
“In April 1896 I took twelve of the young and divided the 
cervical sympathetic nerve in these, and in all on the left 
side. 
“The droop of the eyelid was thus again experimentally 
established in these twelve, and they were allowed to inter- 
breed. 
“Tn their young, born in the summer and autumn of 1896, no 
persistent droop of the left eyelid has been observable. 
“My original stock of six Guinea-pigs has multiplied to over 
sixty, and the experiment has proved absolutely negative. 
“T am able to exhibit to the Society one member of the original 
stock, two members of the first generation, and four members of 
the second generation. In the first three the droop of the eyelid 
experimentally induced is perfectly obvious, and in the last four 
no such droop is apparent. It remains for me to suggest a possible 
source of error in Brown-Sequard’s observations. 
“ Just a day or two before Dr. Romanes’s death two Guinea-pigs 
were born, in both of which a partial closure of the left eye was 
observable, that is to say on the same side as the lesion in the 
parents. Unfortunately these Guinea-pigs lived only a few days. 
This case I briefly reported in the columns of ‘ Nature’ after the 
death of Dr. Romanes. 
“Since then I have seen many young Guinea-pigs which have 
exhibited a partial closure of the eye for some time after birth. 
This phenomenon is entirely due to conjunctivitis, and is in no 
sense hereditary ; for the right eye and the left eye are equally 
often affected. The conjunctivitis occurs when the weather is 
hottest, and may be so severe as to lead to the destruction of the 
eye. In cold weather the conjunctivitis and the droop of the 
eyelid are absent. The droop of the eyelid disappears when the 
conjunctivitis terminates, and is not therefore persistent. Lastly, 
I have actually observed the birth of the young guinea-pigs. 
“ On birth no inequality of the eyes is observable. After birth 
the new-born lie on the ground, and while the parent licks off 
the membranes, dirt collects into the eyes from the floor of the 
cage, and thus the conjunctivitis is established.” 
Mr. Sclater exhibited (on behalf of the Hon. H. 8. Littleton) a 
coloured life-sized model of the Australian Lung-fish (Ceratodus 
forsteri), prepared by Mr. A. Alder, taxidermist, of Brisbane; and 
read a letter from Mr. D. O'Connor, of Oxley, Brisbane, offering to 
supply living specimens of this Fish. 
