1164 General Notes. [November, 
tench, rudd, roach and chub have been successfully introduced 
into waters at from 1000 to 1700 meters in altitude. Gobius 
viatilis has ascended the Po to the confines of Switzerland, and 
Blennius cognata occurs in abundance in Lake Maggiore and in 
the Lake of Bourget in Savoy. 
Mammatls.—MM. Pouchet and Beauregard have been led by 
the examination of a portion of the “case” containing the sper- 
maceti of the cachalot, to emit the supposition that the “roots” 
of this case may be the analogue (homologue?) of the posterior 
region of the right nasal fossa, while the reservoirs situated ante- 
tiorly may represent the smooth part of the same nasal cavity, 
separated from the spouting sacs or opening into them only by 
an extremely reduced orifice. The walls of the part of the case 
examined cunsisted of mucous membrane fifteen ‘millimeters 
thick, with the surface raised into convolutions separated 
sures in such a way as to recall the surface of the brain. The 
secretion is thus non-glandular and approaches, physiologically, 
the secretion of wax by the bee. The structure of the case 
the cachalot does not recall any organ present among mam 
PHYSIOLOGY." 
Tue Puystorocy or Rumination. — As is well beckon 
stomach of a ruminant animal is a complex organ consisting o she 
distinct chambers. Of these the last, that opening direch dre" 
intestine, corresponds functionally to the single stomac h 
vertebrates, the other chambers of the herbivorous pee gh sor 
ably only being concerned in the preparation of peek na 
to digestion. The feeding of ruminants is characteri2 eee 
fact that the food when first swallowed passes only aa re enor 
first and largest division of the stomach, the pa ‘a ceased 
mous quantities may be laid up. When the anima urgitati 
feeding it seeks a position of rest and then begins oh, where iti 
by piecemeal of food from the paunch into the mout h it is swal- 
thoroughly masticated, “ chewing the cud,” after wile It is this 
lowed into the “fourth stomach” for final digestion. 
process of rumination which Professor Luchsinger 933 
studied in the goat. nation is it 
Attention is called to the fact that the act of deere The 
terrupted if the animal is disturbed in the slightest sia, whic 
goats experimented on were narcotized with gee action — 
numbs painful sensations but interferes little we to assure 
After appropriate operations, the author was ena f the paun 
himself that pressure with the hand upon the bo: f rumination 
brought about in perfectly normal manner the act di -to cloe 
there was first a movement of the vocal cords tending - upo? 
the glottis, then the diaphragm contracted so as w a 
1 This department is edited by Professor HENRY SEWALL, of Ann Arbor, | 
. 
