522 Devon and Cornwall Natural History Society. 



Esq.; Robert Stevenson, Esq., F.R.S.E.; David Milne, Esq., F.R.S.E.; 

 John Stark, Esq., F.R.S.E. 



Met in the University, on the 12th of Dec., Professor Traill in 

 the Chair, when there were read interesting notes of an expedition 

 to the Sutledge and in the Himmalehs, by Mr. Jameson, assistant- 

 surgeon in the Honourable Company's Service, and nephew of the 

 Professor of Natural History in the University. — A paper on the 

 frozen soil of North America, by Dr. Richardson, of Arctic celebrity. 

 It appears that, during the past years, 1838 and 1839, pits were dug 

 at the different fur stations of the Hudson's Bay Company, and the 

 temperature tried with thermometers sent from England. Near York 

 Factory the soil was found frozen to the great depth of seventeen 

 feet ; but the average yearly freezing at most of the stations does not 

 exceed two or three feet. 



Mr. Goodsir read a paper • On certain peculiarities in the struc- 

 ture of the Short Sun-fish (Orthagoriscus Mola)." 



The author first described a tough, white tissue, which envelopes 

 the whole body of the animal, and which is converted into gela- 

 tine by boiling. Under the microscope it is seen to be composed 

 of a congeries of primitive cells, with nuclei and nucleoli. No 

 true dermis can be seen, and the gelatinous vesicular tissue, which 

 varies from half an inch to six inches in thickness, and which con- 

 tains in its substance the peripheral parts of the cartilaginous ske- 

 leton, must be looked upon as the true skin, or more correctly, 

 as a mass of the primitive vesicular tissue of the embryo- fish which 

 has never been converted into fibrous tissue. The author next al- 

 luded to the peculiar tail of the Sun-fish, and explained the arrange- 

 ment of the skeleton upon which this depends, viz. the stunting of 

 the spinal column, which terminates in simple coccygeal vertebrae, 

 each of the caudal fin rays being supported upon free interspinous 

 bones, the whole arrangement exhibiting a natural analysis of the 

 tail in the class of Fishes. He then adverted to the total deficiency 

 of the lateral muscles of the spine and of the muscles of the abdomen, 

 and showed that the want of the former was supplied by the enor- 

 mous development of the muscles of the dorsal and anal fins. Lastly, 

 the author alluded to the embryonic condition of the tissues in the 

 order of Fishes to which the Orthagoriscus belongs, and to the exist- 

 ence of certain general teleological laws, viz. the progressive deve- 

 lopment, and the arrest of development, of tissue in the animal series, 

 and the subordination of tissue to form. — Dr. Traill laid on the table 

 some large and beautiful specimens of carbonate of baryta, from a 

 new locality, in North Wales. This mineral is found in considerable 

 veins, traversing the clay-slate which lies below the carboniferous 

 limestone, between Holywell and Denbigh, and it is worked for the 

 purpose of being mixed up with white-lead paint. 



DEVON AND CORNWALL NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



The Members of the Devon and Cornwall Natural History Society 

 met for the first time on Monday evening, the 4th of January, in 

 their new rooms, at the Royal Union Baths, Plymouth. There was 

 a. crowded attendance of Members and their friends, amongst whom 



