420 Scientific Intelligence. —Comparative Anatomy. 
an absorbent one, or, if nervous, that the nerves are hollow. 
Poli, in his well known work, when treating of the Pinna no- 
bilis, conjectures that these parts are very probably absorbent 
vessels. Professor Chiaje, when he commenced his anatomical 
investigation of the avertebral animals, believed with Cuvier, 
and most anatomists, that the organs in question were true 
nerves; and it was not until after numerous injections, that 
he could admit the plausibility of Poll’s opinion. These state- 
ments are so remarkable, that we hope they will ere long be 
brought to the test of experiment by our comparative anato- 
mists. 
24. On the Semidecussation of the Optic Nerves. — In a let- 
ter to us from a distinguished philosopher in Germany, the fol- 
lowing remarks occur : “ I do not understand how it happens 
that the labours of the Germans, and even of other nations, 
in comparative anatomy, are so little known in England. Many 
observations and opinions, which are considered as new in 
your country, have been long known to us in Germany. In 
proof of this I may mention, that, in the thirty-fourth num- 
ber of the London Journal of Science, there is an extract 
from a memoir on the “ Semidecussation of the Optic Nerves f 
in which the illustrious author, from a pathological appearance 
he observed infers a partial crossing of the optic nerves, with- 
out appearing to know, not only that many authors, from simi- 
lar grounds, have come to the same conclusion, but also, that 
this kind of crossing had been observed in the eye of the hu- 
man species by Vicq d’Azyr, Caldani, the brothers Went- 
zei and Chiasmon, and by G. R. Treviranus in the eye of the 
Simia Aygula. (Vide Verm. Schrftin , von G. R. S L. C. Tre- 
viranus, Th . iii. p. 168.)' 1 
25. Discovery of a particular Organic System in the Cepha- 
lopoda. — Dr G. Sangiovanni of Naples has discovered, in cepha- 
lopodous animals, a new organic system, which he names Cromo- 
fero, or Color fero. An account of his observations has been 
lately laid before the Royal Academy of Science of Naples, and 
an abstract of them published in the Salzburg Journal. The 
following are the principal facts contained in that abstract : 
The whole surface of the cephalopoda, and particularly that 
1 
