58 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, [March, 



Dr. Mohindra Lai Sircar ; proposed by Baboo Rajendra Lala Mitra, 

 seconded by Mr. Blanford. 



The Hon'ble Nawab Sir Sherif-ul omrah Bahadoor, K. C. S. I. 

 Member of the Legislative Council of Madras ; proposed by Moulavi 

 Abdool Luteef Khan Bahadoor, seconded by Dr. Fayrer. 



The receipt of the following communications was announced — 



1. From D. Waldie, Esq., Experimental Investigations connected 

 with the water supply to Calcutta, Part III. 



2. From Dr. C. Macnamara, through Dr. Fayrer, on the intimate 

 structure of muscular fibre. 



3. From W. Scott, Esq., On the reproductive Functional Relations 

 of several species and Varieties of Verhascums. 



4. From Baboo Gopee Nath Sen, Abstract of the Hourly Meteoro- 

 logical Observations made at the Surveyor General's Office in Novem- 

 ber, 1866. 



At the request of the President, Dr. Macnamara read his paper " On 

 the intimate structure of muscular fibre," of which the following is 

 an abstract. 



il The muscular system, whether voluntary or involuntary, is composed 

 of an homogeneous substance, the characteristic features of which are, 

 that it contracts in obedience to the nervous force, direct, or reflex. The 

 elements of the contractile tissue, under all circumstauces, are arranged 

 so as best to fulfil the mechanical purposes for which it is intended. 



" In voluntary muscles there are no such elements as have been de- 

 scribed as sarcous particles, but the contractile tissue consists of bundles 

 of contractile fibres, each fibre being composed of two longitudinal bands 

 running continuously from one end of the muscle to the other end,' 

 and connected throughout their length by spiral transverse bands, the 

 whole being encased in a sheath of homogeneous tissue. A voluntary 

 muscle therefore consists of a matrix of fibrous tissue, the interstices 

 of which are filled up with contractile fibres such as I have just de- 

 scribed ; the larger vessels and veins ramifying in the fibrous matrix, 

 but giving off numerous branches which are brought into immediate 

 contact with the contractile tissue. 



"It is evident that bands of elastic tissue could not perform the 

 functions required of a muscle : the increase in breadth of the muscles 



