xiv Proceedings. {February <?th, 1915. 



Societe Mathematique d' Amsterdam ; and "The British Marine 

 Annelids, Vol. TIL, Part L—Polychaeta? by W. C. Mcintosh 

 (fol., London, 1915), published by the Ray Society, purchased. 



Mr. D. Thoday, M.A. and Mr. E. L. Rhead, M.Sc.Tech., 

 F.C.S., were nominated Auditors of the Society's accounts for 

 the session 1914-1915. 



Dr. T. Graham Brown read a " Note on the physio- 

 logy of ' walking ' with especial reference to its 

 occurrence in the unborn foetus of the cat." 



The author stated that various reflexes have been examined 

 in cat foetuses. 



The red nuclei seem to be capable of stimulation and evoke 

 their characteristic movements of the fore limbs. 



The limb reflexes are very similar to those of the adult cat. 

 The ipsilateral flexion-reflex and the contralateral extension- 

 reflex have thus been observed. In the former reflex an exten- 

 sion rebound effect has been seen. Reflex inhibition may be 

 observed on pitting one reflex against another. 



If the foetus is shelled out of the uterus without delay into 

 warm physiological salt solution it may be regarded as still 

 un-born. In these circumstances unmistakable movements of 

 progression may be obtained on producing asphyxia by pressure 

 upon the umbilical cord. They may sometimes appear to 

 arise spontaneously. 



This observation shows that the mechanism for coordinate 

 progression develops during intra-uterine life, and that the co- 

 ordination of the mechanism is not conditioned after birth by a 

 process of "learning." 



The observation also shows that the rhythmic activity may 

 be evoked by the general stimulus of asphyxiation before it has 

 been evoked or conditioned by any rhythmic self-generated 

 peripheral stimuli such as those which play an important part in 

 normal progression, but have been shown not to be its intrinsic 

 factors. 



It thus also gives another demonstration of the similarity 

 between the respiratory mechanism and that for progression. 





