204 RErORTS OF MEETINGS. 



short and, pcrliaps, disjointed records wore ont of place 

 and not acceptable. Dr. Burder then read a most interest- 

 ing communication on the " History of the Potato." This is 

 printed at page 16.5. 



On April 2nd, Prof. Lloyd Morgan, P.G.S., read a paper 

 on the " Senses and Sense Organs of Insects," which will be 

 found at page 178. 



At the last general, which wii.s ii,lso the 2.')th annual, 

 meeting, the Report of the Council was read by Prof. 

 Ramsay, the balanco-ahoet was presented, and officers for 

 the ensuing season were appointed. Prof. Loipnor then 

 read some notes by Prof. Lloyd Morgan, F.G.S., on the 

 following specimens from West Africa: (1) CalamoicMhys 

 Calaharicus, a Ganoid fish, one of the Polypteridoa, resem- 

 bling many of the fossil fish of tlio Old Rod Sandstone and 

 carboniferous rocks. (2) M-alapterurus Electricus, the 

 electric cat-fish, one of tlio Siluridce. In it the electric 

 orn-an extends over the whole body, but is thickest on tlie 

 abdomen. It consists of rhomboidal cells which contain a 

 rather firm gelatinous substance. The nerve-supply seems 

 to bo peculiar ; and it is of interest to note that in tlic three 

 electric forma — the Torpedo, the Electric Bel {Gymnotus), 

 and this Electric Cat-fish — each has a different mode of 

 innervation for the " battery." In the first the supply is 

 cranial in origin, each organ receiving one brancli from the 

 "trigeminal" nerve, and four branches from the "vagus." 

 In Gymnotus the apparatus is supplied with more than two 

 hundred nerves, whicli are spinal in origin. In Malaptoruriis 

 the nerve is spinal, and consists of a single enormously 

 strong primitive fibre, which distributes its branches in the 

 electric organ. This difference of norve-supply seems to 

 show a diffciront origin for the elcc;trio organs, similar as 

 they are in ultimate structure in these different forms. (.5) 



