1894.] ON THE PUPILS OP THE PELID^E. 481 



appear, according to Hoffman. (' Bronn's Amphibia '), to be normal, 

 or at any rate very frequent, in Pipa, Pelobates, and Dactylethra 

 (Xienopus), 



EXPLANATION OP PLATE XXXIII. 



Figs. 1-15 illustrate the abnormal vertebral column of E. mugiens, and were 

 drawn by my wife, to whom my thanks are due. 



Fig. 1. The vertebral column, ventral view: natural size. A, B, 0, D, E, F, the 

 six movable vertebral pieces. The Roman numerals indicate the 

 corresponding vertebrae of the two sides. 

 Fig. 2. The vertebral column, dorsal view : natural size. Lettering as in 

 fig. 1. 



Figs. 5, G, 9, 10, 14, 15 are drawn twice the natural size. 

 Figs. 3-6 represent the first vertebral piece, A, from above, below, and from 

 each side. 



x. The deep notch on the right side between the neural arch and 

 the articular cup for the occipital condyle. 

 y. The minute intervertebral foramen. 

 Figs. 7-11 represent the second vertebral piece, B, from above, below, the two 

 sides, and in front, a, b, o. The three neural spines, tr.p. The 

 transverse processes, which are supposed to be cut short, in fig. 9. 



The dotted lines in fig. 8 represent the lines of union, but are more 

 strongly marked than in the specimen. 

 Figs. 12-15 represent the fifth vertebral piece, E, from above, below, and from 

 each side, d, e. The two neural spines. 



The transverse processes are represented as being cut short. 

 Fig. 16. Bufo panthcrinus, ventral view of terminal region of the vertebral 

 column, natural size. 9. The foramen for last spinal nerve, c. Car- 

 tilage. 



6. On the Pupils of the Felidce. 

 By George Lindsay Johnson, M.D., F.R.C.S., F.Z.S. 



[Received May 81, 1894.] 



There has been considerable controversy with regard to the 

 shape of the pupils of tbe eye of the Felidae. In the text-books 

 the statements vary : some say that all the Felidae have more or 

 less vertically oval (or oat-sbaped) pupils, others, again, state that 

 the pupil is round in some and oval in others. Most naturalists 

 merely refer to the domestic cat, and some go so far as to divide 

 all domestic cats into two classes, viz. those with round and those 

 with oval pupils. 



In the course of my investigations on the ophthalmology of the 

 Mammalia I have had abundant opportunities of noticing the 

 shape of the pupils in the Felidse. As a knowledge of the shape 

 of the pupils of animals and of the comparative anatomy of their 

 irides may contribute to our knowledge on accommodation 

 generally, and clear up some important questions connected with 

 Astigmatism, the observations I am about to record may have 

 some practical value. 



I will first refer to domestic Cats, 180 of which, comprising the 



