﻿278 
  

  

  Letter 
  from 
  Mr. 
  R. 
  Mallet. 
  

  

  [Feb. 
  25. 
  

  

  The 
  results 
  of 
  these 
  experiments 
  show 
  that 
  cobra-virus 
  must 
  be 
  regar- 
  

   ded 
  as, 
  to 
  a 
  certain 
  extent, 
  a 
  poison 
  to 
  protoplasm, 
  seeing 
  that 
  it 
  arrested 
  

   with 
  rapidity 
  the 
  movements 
  in 
  Infusoria* 
  (vide 
  Experiments 
  XXX., 
  

   XXXI., 
  and 
  following). 
  Still 
  it 
  cannot 
  be 
  regarded 
  certainly 
  as 
  a 
  very 
  

   powerful 
  one, 
  for 
  the 
  cilia 
  of 
  the 
  freshwater 
  mussel 
  continued 
  to 
  move 
  

   for 
  many 
  hours 
  in 
  a 
  strong 
  solution 
  of 
  cobra-poison 
  ; 
  though 
  in 
  other 
  

   experiments 
  the 
  action 
  was 
  apparently 
  arrested 
  even 
  in 
  weaker 
  solu- 
  

   tions 
  of 
  the 
  poison. 
  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  cilia 
  from 
  the 
  frog's 
  mouth, 
  the 
  

   results 
  were 
  more 
  definite, 
  but 
  action 
  was 
  not 
  invariably 
  destroyed. 
  The 
  

   results 
  of 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  poison 
  on 
  the 
  amoeboid 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  

   blood-corpuscles 
  are 
  not 
  very 
  definite. 
  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  Vallisneria, 
  the 
  

   circulation 
  in 
  the 
  cells 
  went 
  on 
  with 
  undiminished 
  vigour 
  after 
  the 
  

   application 
  of 
  the 
  poison 
  for 
  two 
  hours. 
  

  

  February 
  25, 
  1875. 
  

  

  JOSEPH 
  D 
  ALTON 
  HOOKER, 
  C.B., 
  President, 
  in 
  the 
  Chair. 
  

  

  The 
  Presents 
  received 
  were 
  laid 
  on 
  the 
  table, 
  and 
  thanks 
  ordered 
  for 
  

   them. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  Communication 
  from 
  Mr. 
  Robert 
  Mallet, 
  P.R.S., 
  was 
  

   read 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Offices, 
  7 
  Westminster 
  Chambers, 
  

  

  Victoria 
  Street, 
  London, 
  S.W., 
  

  

  6th 
  February, 
  1875. 
  

  

  G. 
  G. 
  Stokes, 
  Esq., 
  Secretary, 
  Royal 
  Society. 
  

  

  Dear 
  Sir, 
  — 
  The 
  large 
  Mercator 
  Chart 
  of 
  the 
  World, 
  which 
  accom- 
  

   panies 
  this 
  communication, 
  is 
  that 
  upon 
  which, 
  in 
  time 
  past, 
  I 
  and 
  my 
  

   eldest 
  son, 
  Dr. 
  J. 
  W. 
  Mallet, 
  laid 
  down 
  the 
  distribution 
  over 
  the 
  surface 
  

   of 
  our 
  globe 
  of 
  earthquake 
  occurrence, 
  based 
  upon 
  the 
  great 
  Earthquake 
  

   Catalogue 
  of 
  the 
  British 
  Association 
  compiled 
  by 
  us. 
  

  

  The 
  method 
  upon 
  which 
  the 
  map 
  was 
  prepared, 
  which 
  includes 
  both 
  

   frequency 
  and 
  intensity, 
  has 
  been 
  fully 
  described 
  in 
  my 
  Reports 
  upon 
  the 
  

   Pacts 
  and 
  Theory 
  of 
  Earthquakes, 
  published 
  in 
  successive 
  volumes 
  of 
  the 
  

   Reports 
  of 
  the 
  British 
  Association. 
  The 
  map 
  itself 
  is 
  more 
  particularly 
  

   referred 
  to 
  and 
  described 
  in 
  the 
  fourth 
  of 
  these 
  Reports, 
  published 
  in 
  

   1856. 
  This 
  map 
  has 
  remained 
  in 
  my 
  possession 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  — 
  

   a 
  reduced 
  copy, 
  very 
  far 
  from 
  perfect 
  and 
  printed 
  in 
  chromo-lithograph, 
  

   having 
  alone 
  been 
  published 
  by 
  the 
  British 
  Association. 
  

  

  As 
  this 
  map, 
  therefore, 
  is 
  unique, 
  was 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  very 
  great 
  labour, 
  

   and, 
  from 
  the 
  system 
  upon 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  prepared, 
  may 
  hereafter 
  prove 
  

  

  * 
  Is 
  this 
  accounted 
  for 
  by 
  the 
  existence 
  of 
  a 
  rudimentary 
  nervous 
  system 
  diffused 
  

   throughout 
  these 
  two 
  forms 
  of 
  life, 
  and 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  poison 
  could 
  act 
  ? 
  

  

  