548 
Proceedings of the Royal Society 
the only two muscular coats of the body. There are no lateral 
fissures. The circulatory system consists of two great lateral 
trunks. The proboscis has externally a double elastic layer, a thick 
longitudinal coat, and internally a glandular layer. 
The Family of- the Cephalothricidce deviates still more from the 
typical group. The arrangement of the ganglia differs, and the 
commissures are separated by a considerable antero-posterior inter- 
val, The lateral nerve-cords lie between the longitudinal layer 
and an isolated inner band of fibres having the same direction. 
The proboscis is supplied with acicular papillae, and seems to 
have an external circular and an internal longitudinal coat. Snout 
devoid of fissures. Circulatory system composed of two great 
longitudinal trunks, which communicate anteriorly and posteriorly. 
Oviparous : the young undergoing no true metamorphosis, although 
they possess eyes, whereas the adults are generally eyeless. 
4. On the Alkaloids contained in the Wood of the Bebeeru 
or Greenheart Tree ( Nectandra Rodioei , Schomb.) By 
Douglas Maclagan, M.D., F.R.S.E., Professor of Medical 
Jurisprudence in the University of Edinburgh, and 
Arthur Gamgee, M.D., F.R.S.E. 
When the wood of the bebeeru tree is subjected to a process 
similar to that recommended in the British Pharmacopoeia for the 
separation of bebeerine from the bark, a mixture of several alkaloids 
is obtained. 
In this memoir the authors specially describe the properties of 
one of these alkaloids, to which they have assigned the name 
Nectandria and the formula C 20 H 23 NO 4 . (Bebeerine, according to 
Y. Planta, has the formula C 1& H 21 N0 3 ). Nectandria is obtained by 
treating the mixed alkaloids obtained from the wood with chloro- 
form, in which it is abundantly soluble. 
From the chloroform solution it is obtained in the form of a 
fawn-coloured substance, which is quite amorphous. It differs 
from Bebeerine in being almost absolutely insoluble in ether, and 
in fusing when placed in boiling water. By treating the solution 
of the hydrochlorate of this base with animal charcoal, and then 
precipitating the solution with ammonia, the authors succeeded in 
