94 PROF. GULLIVER ON THE RED CORPUSCLES [Feb. 25, 



Shape of the Red Corpuscles of Apyrencematous Vertebrates. 



The red corpuscle is a circular, flattened, biconcave disc, rounded 

 at the margin. The flatness of the corpuscle was first clearly proved 

 by Hewson, — though the old error of its spherical or spheroidal figure 

 prevailed for years afterwards, and was particularly supported by 

 Mr. Hunter. The biconcave form was inferred by Dr. Young, and 

 proved by Dr. Hodgkin and Mr. Lister. This concavity causes the 

 central spot so long mistaken for a nucleus. 



There are certain exceptions, regular and irregular, to the circular 

 and biconcave shape. The CamelidcR, as will be more particularly 

 explained in the proper place, have oval corpuscles. And when we 

 consider how pliant and elastic the Mammalian corpuscle is, and 

 what a delicate endosmometer it may be, how it will be taking in 

 and giving out fluid according to the relative density of the liquor 

 sanguinis and contents of the corpuscle, we might expect rapid 

 variations in its shape within certain limits ; and such is the fact. 



Accordingly, the corpuscles may be either swollen, puckered, or 

 shrunk into a variety of figures, flat, tumid, like a shallow circular or 

 oval cup, stellate, notched, granulated, mulberry- shaped, crescentic, 

 angular, lanceolate, fusiform, comma-shaped, and other figures, defy- 

 ing definition. In certain CervidtB, to be noticed presently, the 

 angular, crescentic, and lanceolate corpuscles are in unusual abun- 

 dance. Dr. Richardson has well depicted a number of forms pre- 

 sented by the corpuscles in connexion with disease. 



Relative Sizes of the Red Corpuscles of Apyrencematous Vertebrates, 



The knowledge of this subject was very vague before my observa- 

 tions. It was the prevailing statement, after Hewson, that the size 

 of the corpuscle is not at all connected with that of the animal, since 

 he found them alike in the ox, cat, ass, mouse, and bat. But, 

 while confirming the accuracy of his statement as to animals of such 

 different orders, I soon found that, in a really natural family, other 

 things equal, the largest corpuscles will be generally found among the 

 large species, and the smallest corpuscles among the small species, of 

 that family. See, for examples, the drawings of the corpuscles of 

 Rodentia and Edentata, orders characterized by large corpuscles ; and 

 those of Ruminantia, an order, on the other hand, characterized by 

 small corpuscles. There are many exceptions to an exact relation 

 between the sizes of the species and corpuscles ; but these will pro- 

 bably fall into order as our knowledge extends. In the Ass, for 

 instance, the corpuscles are slightly larger than in the Horse, as 

 might be expected from the comparative muscular and respiratory 

 activity of these two animals ; in the Mouse and the gigantic Rat 

 the corpuscles scarcely differ in size; in the Noctule they are just 

 appreciably smaller than in some of the more diminutive Bats. To 

 enumerate the exceptions, which are commonly but slight, would be 

 tedious and unnecessary, as some of them may be seen in the wood- 

 cuts, and numerous others, as well as those just mentioned, in my 

 'Tables of Measurements,' published in the 'Proceedings' of this 



