78 Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



primary coil consisting of 250 feet of thick copper wire, the vibra- 

 tions are moderate in size and the sound of medium pitch. When 

 a core of iron wire is placed in the centre of the copper coil, the 

 vibrations become larger and the sound more bass. If this primary 

 coil is surrounded by a secondary coil consisting of 4000 feet of fine 

 wire, having the ends closed, and the core of iron wire is absent, the 

 vibrations become very small and the pitch of the sound very high, 

 these variations occurring although the current remains unchanged. 

 It was found that if a battery of greater intensity be employed 

 (say one of twenty Smee's elements), these remarkable effects were 

 not produced. The inference drawn by Mr. Gore from these experi- 

 ments was, that voltaic electricity, like heat and light, may be 

 viewed as consisting of vibrations, which are ordinarly inappre- 

 ciable, but which, under certain conditions, such as these described, 

 may be gradually increased so as to become visible. These results 

 are evidently worthy of the most attentive examination; their 

 value as tending to elucidate the nature of voltaic electricity, can 

 hardly be overrated, although it is evident that a sufficient number 

 of facts are not yet accumulated to prove the inference that has been 

 deduced. 



On the Existence op Posterior Lobes in the Brain of Quadru- 

 mana. — Mr. W. H. Flower communicated some additional observa- 

 tions on the existence of the posterior lobes of the cerebrum in 

 various genera of Quadrumana, as Cercopithecus, Macacus, and Cebus. 

 These lobes also exist in Presbytes and Hcvpale, between the brain of 

 the last and that of man, which are at opposite ends of a very exten- 

 sive series, there is a gradual gradation, although in both posterior 

 lobes exist which present certain characters in common. In the 

 Lemur the recent brain presents the sylvian fissure, median lobe, 

 calcarine sulcus, and general characters of convolutions, which prove 

 that the brain of animals of this family is formed on the same general 

 type as that of the higher Quadrumana. The gradation from the 

 brain of Homo to Hapale is regular and gradual. The Lemurs are 

 not, however, in the same line of degradation, but form a sub-series, 

 which is parallel to the lower part of the larger group, this sub-series 

 being distinguished by the shortness of the posterior lobes, the large 

 size of the olfactory bulbs, and the inferior development of the 

 cerebellum. 



ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.— January 13. 



Intelligence of Burke's Exploring Expedition. — In the absence 

 of Lord Ashburton, Sir Roderick I. Murchison took the chair. In 

 opening the meeting he read the address of condolence which had 

 been presented by the president and council of the Society to her 

 Majesty on the occasion of the lamented death of H. R. H. the Prince 

 Consort. He then proceeded to say that by the mail of that morning 

 he had received two deeply-interesting communications — one respect- 

 ing Australia, and the other concerning explorations on the coast of 

 Eastern Africa. 



