of Edinburgh, Session 1881-82. 
629 
There are several points to he carefully considered, such as the 
most satisfactory way of protecting the internal junction from 
currents produced by change of pressure, convection currents arising 
from the lowering of the maximum density point, and the possible 
change of specific heat, which prevent us yet from giving quantita- 
tive results. So far as we have gone, our results agree fairly with 
those of Professor Tait {ante, p. 204). 
Monday, 1st May 1882. 
Mr MILNE HOME, Vice-President, in the Chair. 
The following Communications were read - 
1. On some Points in the Meteorology of Madeira, both 
Absolute and Comparative. By the Astronomer-Eoyal 
for Scotland. 
2. On the Anatomy and Histology of Pleurochceta Moseleyi. 
By F. E. Beddard, B.A., New College, Oxford. 
{Abstract.) 
This earthworm, which is an inhabitant of Ceylon, is 28 inches 
in length, and consists of about 260 segments. The setse, instead 
of being arranged in continuous lines round the body as in Peri- 
chcetci, fail for a short space both dorsally and ventrally. This 
peculiarity serves to distinguish the genus Pleurochceta from other 
Oligochceta. The intestine is provided with two sets of specialised 
glands ; the anterior, occupying from segments twenty-two to forty- 
four, consists of a double series of deeply excavated dorsal pouches 
on the wall of the intestine, provided with a large development of 
glandular epithelium ; the posterior glands are solid and kidney- 
shaped, about the size of a grain of wheat. They lie on the dorsal 
surface of intestine, occupying from the eighty-fifth to the one 
hundred and first segments ; in all, fifteen pairs. They open into 
intestine by ducts. 
