Remarks on Torn-off Digits in Man. 27 



bird the ovary showed at the lower part, eggs the size of 

 rapeseed, but a considerable part of the organ was darker 

 in colour than usual, and harder in texture, apparently from 

 disease. 



I am not aware of any instance of the female capercailzie 

 assuming the plumage of the male having previously been 

 recorded as occurring in Britain. 



Wednesday, January 28, 1863. — David Page, Esq., President, in the 



Chair. 



Alexander Edrnonston, Esq., publisher, and John Sadler, Esq., were 

 elected members of the Society. 



The following donations to the library were laid on the table, ana. 

 thanks voted to the donors : — 



1. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London. Vol. IV., Part 

 1861. 2. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1861, 

 Part 2, March, June. — From the Society. 3. The Canadian Naturalist 

 and Geologist, and Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Mon- 

 treal. Vol. VII., Nos. 2, 3, 4, April, June, August, 1862. — From 

 the Society. 4. (1.) Memorias de la Real Academia de Ciencias de 

 Madrid. Tomo III , Ciencias Fisicas, 1859. Tomo IV. Ciencias Natu- 

 rales, 1859. Tomo V., Ciencias Naturales, 1861. (2.) Resumen 

 las Actas de la Real Academia Ciencias de Madrid, 1853, 1854, 1855, 

 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859— From the Royal Academy of Sciences of 

 Madrid. 



The following Communications were read : — 



I. Remarks on Torn-off Digits in Man, with Reference to Analogous 

 Injuries in the Lower Animals. By A. M'K. Edwards, Esq., 

 F.R.C.S.E. (Specimens were exhibited.) 



The subject I am about to bring before you, though perhaps 

 an unusual one for the Koyal Physical Society, is, I think, 

 an interesting one. Perhaps those members acquainted 

 with the accidents which happen to wild animals may give 

 us some information which may throw light on that very 

 curious class of injuries, — the tearing away of limbs or 

 portions of limbs. I intend confining myself to the tearing 

 away of digits (and would first of all lay before the Society 

 this specimen, No. 1). 



This subject was brought before the notice of the French 

 Academy so long ago as 1753, when a large number of cases 

 were published in the Memoirs of that society. 



