I REPORT — 1839. 



Coryne — Tentacula scattered, of one kind ; no tube. 

 Hermione — Tentacula scattered, of one kind ; tube. 

 Eudendrium — Tentacula of one sort, regular ; branched tube. 

 Tubularia — Tentacula of two sorts, regular ; simple tube. 

 Ellisia — Tentacula of two sorts, regular ; deciduous tube. 



Mr. W. R. Wilde exhibited three drawings of a Peruvian mummy, 

 showing its different states of development. 



Mr. Lankester made some observations on the preparation of fishes 

 for museums. He exhibited several specimens, which, after having 

 taken aAvay one side, he had allowed to dry, and assume their natural 

 state, and then placed them on paper. The process consisted in dry- 

 ing the fish, then taking away their soft parts, then drying the skins, 

 keeping them in shape by pieces of stick and cork, and, finally, var- 

 nishing them with mastic varnish, by which they become stiffened, 

 and their colours preserved. 



On the Follicular Stage of Dentition in the Ruminants, with some 

 Remarks on that Process in the other Orders of Mammalia. By 

 John Goodsir, Esq. 



Mr. Goodsir commenced by stating, that since the last Meeting he 

 had detected the follicular stage of dentition in the pig, rabbit, cow, 

 and sheep, but that he had not had an opportunity of examining it in 

 those animals in which observations would have been most valuable. 

 He had been able to verify, what at that time he stated as probable, 

 viz. that all the permanent teeth, with the exception of the first molar, 

 which does not succeed a milk tooth, are developed from the internal 

 surface of cavities of reserve, and that the depending folds of the sacs 

 of composite teeth are formed by the lips of the follicles advancing 

 inwards, after closure of the latter. He then described the progress 

 of development of the pulps and sacs of the teeth in the cow and 

 sheep, from their first appearance, as minute as possible, on the full 

 surface of the membrane of the mouth, or on the internal surface of 

 the cavities of reserve, till they have acquired their ultimate configu- 

 ration. In the course of this description he announced the fact, that 

 at an early period of the embryonic life of these animals, they possess 

 the germs of canine and superior incisive teeth ; the former existing as 

 developed organs in two or three genera only of ruminants, the latter 

 being found in the aberrant family of camels. Mr. Goodsir stated, 

 that these germs presented themselves under the form of slight dimples 

 in the primitive groove, and that after the closure of the latter, they 

 remain for a short time opaque nodules imbedded in the gum, in the 

 course of the line of adhesion. The existence of germs of canines and 

 superior incisors in the cow and sheep is highly interesting, as it shows 

 l»ow general the law of unity of type is within certain limits. Geof- 

 froy St. Hilaire was the first to announce the existence of tooth germs 



