440 



Scientific Intelligence. 



the higher animals, and performing for the sponge precisely the same 

 functions that are exerted from Actinophrys Sol upwards, through every 

 gradation of animal existence, to man and the rest of the most elabo- 

 rately constructed animals. This extraordinary substance, designated in 

 Actinophrys Sol as sarcode by Kolliker, and in the higher animals 

 known by anatomists as the mucous lining of the intestines, is apparently 

 an organ of very much more importance in the process of digestion than 

 has been generally conceived. In the Spongiadae there is every reason 

 to believe that the imbibition of the molecules by this substance is pre- 

 cisely in the manner described by Kolliker in Actinophrys Sol, — and 

 from the examination of the mucous membranes of animals of every 

 class, the author feels persuaded that the mucous lining in such animals 

 is truly the homologue of the sarcode in the Actinophrys Sol and in 

 the Spongiadae. 



11. Gar-pikes. — Mr. J. E. Gavit exhibited to the American Associa- 

 tion at Albany a vase containing young gar-pikes 4 to 6 inches long from 

 Lake Ontario, which called forth some remarks from Prof. Agassiz. The 

 point of special interest in these representatives of the ancient Ganoids, was 

 the occurrence of an upper lobe to the caudal fin containing the prolonged 

 vertebral column. It was placed directly above that fin, was of equal 

 length and had a lanceolate form ; it moreover had a peculiar rapid vi- 

 bratile motion. The vertebral column was continued in it quite to its 

 extremity. These young fishes therefore were essentially indentical in 

 their tails with the Palaeozoic species, and in one genus of the Old Red 

 Sandstone, named Glypticus, as stated by Prof. Agassiz, the tail was simi- 

 lar in the form of the lobes. This supernumerary lobe disappears as the 

 fish grows older. Prof. Agassiz observed that this was among the many 

 facts which show that the order of succession of animals in past time is 

 exemplified now in the development of individuals. He also remarked on 

 the fact that these Ganoid fishes resemble reptiles in the power of moving 

 the head on the back bone (owing to the ball and socket joint of the 

 vertebrae), and in the quasi tail. 



IV. ASTRONOMY. 



1. New Planets. — The number of asteroidal planets now known is 

 forty -two. 



Harmonia (40) was discovered Mch. 31, 1856, by Mr. Hermann Gold- 

 schmidt, at Paris. In apparent brightness it equaled a star of the 9-1 0th 

 magnitude. 



The following elements of this planet are computed by Mr. C. F. Pape, 

 of Altona. 



Epoch, 1856, May 1,45198 M. T. Berl. 

 Mean anomaly, - 193° 8' 43"-3 



Long, of perihelion, - - 10 45 38 -2 ) Mn. Eqnx. 



" " asc. node, - 93 8 17 -6 j Jan. 0, 1856. 

 Inclination, - - , - 4 17 3 -2 



Angle of excentricity, - 2 45 11 



Log. semi-axis major, - - 0*355603 



Log. mean daily motion, - 3*016603 



[Astr. JVach., No. 1022. 



