Page:Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Vol 1.djvu/61

Rh containing a frigorific mixture in water: by this means he has fre- quently obtained a pellucid coating of ice on the outside of the vessels, of considerable thickness, and, by adapting the form of the vessel, of any figure that might be required.

The head of this animal, or rather foetus, for it was not born alive, was disproportionately small, and had no resemblance to the natural form except in the external ears, which were contiguous, and placed on the front part of the head. Between them was an opening, which proved to be the common passage to both the cesophagus and the trachea here wanting; there being neither eyes, nose, nor any of the appa ratus belonging to the mouth: the cranium was formed into a hard bone, bearing a near resemblance to the head of a tortoise, and about the size of a plover's egg.

On dissecting this singular production, it was found that the whole cerebrum and all its nerves were wanting. It is hence inferred that the formation and growth of animals in the uterus are independent of All the organs which are usually found on the face were influence from those parts of the brain which properly belong any to sensation. The author regrets that this animal did not live to show the phenomena of volition directed to its limbs and other parts, with- out that intelligence from the organs of the senses which regulate the actions of perfect animals. A careful observance of such circum- stances, he thinks, might lead to discoveries of the greatest import- ance in that part of physiology which is still enveloped in much ob- scurity

An opportunity having lately offered of examining a living rhinoceros, and of dissecting it after death, Mr. Thomas availed himself of the favourable incident; and in this paper affords us all the in- formation he could gather concerning that curious animal. Dr. James Parsons having, upwards of fifty years ago, laid before the Society some account of the external parts of a rhinoceros, a re- capitulation is here given of what is contained in that paper; but on the other hand, the description of the internal parts, and of some of the organs, is the more ample, and, together with some observations on its habits, will probably prove equally satisfactory to the anatomist and the physiologist.

Without entering into the technical part of this description, we shall only notice here certain peculiaritics concerning the eye, in