188 
TAIL-SLIP. 
the foot, and to reside in the lips, or one of the lips. The snout 
and moveable bone of the hog, the central prolongation of the 
upper lip of the rhinoceros, the short proboscis of the tapir, and 
the prolonged and wonderfully constructed one of the elephant, 
are illustrations of this, which you observe with considerable 
interest, when you visit the gardens of the Zoological Society 
of London. 
Reptiles and Fishes . — In reptiles the sense of touch evidently 
resides in the feet, the fingers of all of which are well calculated 
to seize and to examine objects in every direction. Some fishes 
have organs of touch round the mouth. The barbs of the cod, 
the surmullet, the carp, and the barbel, are familiar instances of 
this ; others have fingers projecting from some part of the body — 
all of them have fins serving the double purpose of propelling 
them through the water, and advising them of the existence of 
near objects ; and in all that have scales, it is probable that this 
coat has a double function, not only to protect from external 
injury, but the scales, being connected with nervous papillae at 
their base, like the nail or the hoof on the foot of the quadruped, 
they give quick notice of contact with other bodies, although 
not of their nature or form. 
Of the sense of touch in invertebrated animals, I will not 
detain you. You have observed them in the antennae of insects 
and the tentacula of snails. In the delicacy of this sense they 
seem far to surpass all larger animals. It is interesting to observe 
the complete manner in which, by means of his feelers, the insect 
explores the state and condition of an object which he is thinking 
of selecting for his habitation or his food ; but this delicacy of 
touch is in him limited to particular qualities, and confined 
within narrow bounds, and cannot for a moment be compared 
with the more extensive and perfect organs of touch which we 
possess. — And now, gentlemen, having detained you far longer 
than I am accustomed to do, or, probably, shall do again for a long 
time to come in mere physiological inquiry, I should proceed to 
consider the pathology of the nerves of sensation — but that this, 
although necessarily defective and incomplete, contains too much 
important matter to be duly considered in the little time that 
now remains. It will form the subject of the next lecture. 
TAIL-SLIP — alias PERICARDITIS & HYDROTHORAX. 
By Mr. W. Young Swinton, of Old Monkland , N.B. 
On January 25th, 1836, I was requested by Mr. Ferguson, of 
Wester Camp, Old Monkland, to visit a cow that had been ill 
since the 22d, and now refused her food, did not cud, and 
