1879. | Zoblogy. 395 
tions of Drs. Chapman and Parker of Philadelphia. Dr. Chap- 
man dissected a young gorilla which belongs to the Museum of 
the Academy of Natural Sciences, and a young chimpanzee 
which had been living in the Zodlogical Gardens of that city. 
The observations on the gorilla relate chiefly to the muscular and 
circulatory systems. Dr. Chapman found in the anterior limb a 
distinct extensor primi internodii pollicis muscle, but no trace of 
flexor longus pollicis. e also observed an artery not previously 
described, which is given off from the femoral from the middle of its 
course, and accompanies the long saphenous nerve and vein to the 
inner aspect of the foot. While admitting that this vessel may 
be anomalous, its size and importance, and presence on both sides, 
lead Dr. Chapman to propose for it the name of the long saphen- 
ous artery. The same writer, in his observations on the brain of 
the chimpanzee, finds that the posterior lobe of the cerebral hem- 
isphere does not cover the cerebellum, in accordance with the 
view of Professor Owen. Dr. Parker's investigations lead him 
on the other hand to the opinion that the posterior lobes do 
cover the cerebellum as stated by Prof. Huxley. 
On A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RANA ESCULENTA AND OTHER 
SPECIES OF BATRACHIANS.—In July, 1877, while engaged in a 
series of experiments on the effect of dry and moist heat on 
animals previously subjected to various operations, I found that 
not one of my frogs responded to dry heat applied to any portion 
of the skin. The application was made with a red or white-hot 
metal rod. This was so surprising a result that it seemed very 
probable that it depended on some peculiarity of the Batrachians 
experimented upon. The observations were made on the Rava 
clamitans and its ally, R. pipiens, and were continued unconnectedly 
until June, 1878, up to which time I had not found a frog in whom 
the heated rod acted as a sensory irritant. Burning the sensory 
nerves failed to produce any movements, the motor nerves how- 
ever were excitable for this method of irritation. 
After my return to Geneva, in July, these experiments were 
continued on the Rana esculenta with the same result. In August 
remained when the heated rod was applied underneath the skin. 
The nerves also were very readily excited by dry heat. At the 
Same time the Rana esculenta from the same locality were so 
insensible to dry-heat that they would allow themselves, though 
ree to move, to be burned to a crisp in the reducing flame. The 
these animals jumped away as soon as the heat became uncom- 
ttable. These observations were found to hold good of animals 
without as well as of those with brain and medulla oblongata ; of 
_ those in whom the skin had been dried as well as in those in 
_ Which this organ was moist; in females as well as in males. 
VOL, XII.—No vi. 28 
