Royal Society. 223 



more or less at the different stations ; for instance, the south-west and 

 north-west winds of Bombay blowing in the summer months in Cal- 

 cutta incline rather to be south and north winds, than south-west and 

 north-west winds ; but the author observes that to be enabled to speak 

 with any precision upon this branch of the meteorology of India, and 

 indeed upon most other branches with a comprehensive and philoso- 

 phical object, hourly observations are necessary, — simultaneously 

 taken with previously compared instruments by zealous observers ; 

 and having the records in a form common to all the observers, so 

 as to admit of rigid comparisons: — when this is done, not only in 

 India but in Europe, meteorologists will be in a better condition 

 to generalize and propound normal conditions, than the state of our 

 knowledge at present would justify. 



The author states that he is indebted to that very able and zeal- 

 ous meteorologist, Dr. Buist of Bombay, for the protracted curves 

 of pressure of the barometer appended to his paper. 



A paper was also read, entitled " On the Structure and Use of the 

 Ligamentum rotundum Uteri, with some observations upon the 

 change which takes place in the structure of the Uterus during 

 Utero-gestation." By G. Rainey, Esq., M.R.C.S.E., Demonstrator 

 of Anatomy, St. Thomas's Hospital. Communicated by Joseph H. 

 Green, Esq., F.R.S. 



The author first refers to the discovery of the difference which 

 exists between the two classes of muscles; the voluntary, or those 

 with striped fibres, and the involuntary, or those with unstriped 

 fibres. He then notices that the opinion which is entertained re- 

 specting the round ligaments being composed of the unstriped variety 

 of muscular fibre is incorrect, these organs consisting chiefly of the 

 striped muscular fibre. 



In support of the accuracy of this assertion, the author alleges 

 the following facts : — 



First, that the round ligament arises by three tendinous and fleshy 

 fasciculi ; one, from the tendon of the internal oblique, near the 

 symphysis pubis, a middle one from the superior column of the 

 external abdominal ring, the third from the inferior column of the 

 same : from these points the fibres pass backwards and outwards, 

 and uniting form a rounded cord — the round ligament ; after which, 

 traversing the broad ligament, they go to be inserted into the angle 

 of the uterus. 



The striped fibres are principally situated in its centre, and extend 

 from its origin to within an inch or two of the fundus uteri ; as they 

 approach which, the fibres gradually lose the striated character and 

 degenerate into fasciculi of granular fibres of the same kind as those 

 of the Dartos muscle ; both these fibres presenting similar micro- 

 scopic characters when acted upon by glycerine. 



The author then states that the round ligament does not pass 

 through the external ring to be lost in the labia and mons veneris ; 

 and argues from the fact of their consisting mainly of striped fibres, 

 &c, that their use cannot be merely mechanical or subservient to 

 the process of utero-gestation, and therefore he concludes that its 



