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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VoL IX. 



we know already, that upon the different elevations of the 

 hilly zone of Ceylon, different forms are found which are 

 not to be met with in the low country, and which represent 

 probably similar endemic forms, as for instance amongst 

 the lizards in Ceratophora or Cophotis. It is not the 

 place here to enter into our anatomical and histological 

 examinations of these animals, as they are of too special a 

 scientific interest ; but we may mention that a considerable 

 portion of our labour was directed towards the examination 

 of the vascular system of the rain-worm, which we tried to 

 investigate physiologically. 



A result of more general importance, which we obtained by 

 histologically examining the skin of Epicrium in Pera- 

 deniya, and that of the rain-worm in Nuwara Eliya, is the 

 following : — 



The body of every animal, with the exception of the lowest 

 order, as the animalculae, &c, is surrounded by a more or less 

 thin layer, the so-called epidermis : it is not homogeneous, 

 as glass for instance, but composed of innumerable very 

 small corpuscules, the so-called cells, which are arranged 

 like paving stones. Just under this epidermis the finest 

 branches of the blood vessels are spread like a net. The 

 same is the case in the lungs, and as here the blood comes to 

 a very near contact with the air, it absorbs oxygen and 

 returns carbonic acid ; that is the process we call breathing. 

 As the blood is separated from the outer air by the above- 

 mentioned fine skin, the epidermis, the receiving of oxygen 

 and returning of carbonic acid was explained as possible by 

 the physical law of diosmose. But further it was observed 

 that the different cells of the epidermis do not adjoin each 

 other, but that between them a number of cavities exist, and 

 the cells themselves are connected with each other by 

 exceedingly fine communicating filaments. The outer layer 

 of the body was found therefore to be not solid. In the 

 Epicrium we observed that from the finest vessels just under- 

 neath the epidermis, little tubes ascended outwards, which 



