446 



Mr. Sedley Taylor. Note. 



[May 23, 



kidney in Amphibia, and consider it only necessary to call attention 

 to the similarity, amounting almost to identity, between our account of 

 the metamorphosis of the anterior part of the Miillerian duct in the 

 bird and the italicised part of our description (taken from Fiirbringer) 

 of the changes in the open extremity of the segmental duct in the 

 Amphibia, which results in the formation of the head-kidney. 



In this connexion, there is only one point we desire to call 

 attention to, and that is the presence in Amphibia of a peculiar body, 

 usually spoken of as the glomerulus of the head-kidney, which is 

 develojDed at about the same time as the head-kidney. We believe, 

 though we have not fully satisfied ourselves on the point, that we have 

 found an homologous body in the chick. 



In reference to the identity in the position between our head-kidney 

 in the bird and that in Amphibia, we have only to say that one of us* 

 has already, on other grounds, attempted to show that the abdominal 

 opening of the Miillerian duct in the bird is the homologue of the 

 abdominal opening of the segmental duct in Amphibia, Elasmobranchii, 

 &c, and that we believe that this homology will be admitted by most 

 anatomists. Should the interpretation we have given of the pecu- 

 liarities of the abdominal opening of the Miillerian duct in birds be 

 accepted, a further proof of this homology will be afforded. 



We may say, in conclusion, that we trust soon to be in a position to 

 publish a fuller account of our observations, with illustrations. 



XL " Observations on Arctic Sea-water and Ice." By Surgeon- 

 Major E. L. MOSS, M.D. Communicated by Captain Sir 

 George Nares, K.N., K.C.B., F.R.S. Received May 3, 1878. 



[Publication deferred.] 



" Note to Mr. Sedley Taylor's ' Experiments on the Colours 

 shown by thin liquid Films under the Action of Sonorous 

 Vibrations.'" (''Proceedings," vol. xxvii, 1878, pp. 71, seq.) 

 Communicated by J. W. L. Glaisher, F.R.S. Received 

 May 20, 1878. 



The failure to obtain steady resultant-forms for two component 

 sounds, mentioned at p. 74, proved, on further inquiry, to be due to 

 the imperfect mode of experimenting there described. I stated this 

 fact in a note, written upon the final revise of my paper ; but, by some 

 inadvertence for which I am not responsible, the paper appeared 

 without it. 



The Society adjourned over Ascension Day and the Whitsuntide 

 Recess to Thursday, June 20. 



* Balfour, loc. tit. 



