Q. 26. Describe the structure and course of the uriniferous tubules, illustrating your answer by appropriate diagrams. What is the chief physiological purpose of the various parts of such tubules?

The first part of this question was satisfactorily answered by most candidates. The second part presents some difficulties, and was only seriously attempted by comparatively few. What was desired was the distinction in function between the glomerular and the convoluted portions. Q. 27. Describe the nervous and muscular structures which are concerned in producing the respiratory enlargement of the thorax. Where is the respiratory centre situated, and what circumstances arouse its activity?

Fairly well answered by most candidates as regards the first part, but the second part was only answered satisfactorily by few. The respiratory centre in the medulla is aroused by two agencies: (1) the increased venosity of the blood which circulates through it, (2) the arrival of nervous impulses up afferent nerves.

Q. 28. Describe the structure of the retina. What parts of this tissue are those which primarily respond to the action of light? Give reasons for any statement which you make on this subject. Well answered by a considerable number of candidates, and thus calls for no special remarks.

Report on the Examination in General Biology.

SECTION 1 OF STAGE 1.

Results: Passed, 82; Failed, 109; Total, 191.

The candidates continue to reproduce, often in copious detail, the information supplied in class, but the majority are practically untrained in observation or experiment. Drawing from the object needs to be

practised.

Q. 1. How would you illustrate the effect of dissolved food upon the growth of young seedlings? Methods which have actually been tried should be mentioned.

Q. 2. What experiments prove that a green plant draws nourishment from the air?

The methods were described with insufficient detail; in bad cases all the information was supplied by the syllabus. Indications that the candidates were describing experiments which they had actually seen were the exception.

Q. 3. Make an enlarged drawing of some winter bud cut lengthwise; introduce a piece of the stem and an old leaf-base.

The drawings were usually poor. Axillary buds were rarely mentioned or drawn.

Q. 4. Describe the life-history of some moth or butterfly; mention the food plant, and give the dates at which pupation and the emergence of the winged insect may be expected.

Well done on the whole.

Q. 5. Draw in side-view a tadpole in which the limbs are just appearing. The drawing should be about three inches long.

The drawings were very poor. The dorsal and ventral tail-fins were generally omitted.

Q. 6. Describe a bird's wing, and point out some of the arrangements which render it effective in propelling the body through the air. The muscles of flight were not noticed. The rotation of the quills was often omitted.

Q. 7. Give a short acccount of the foot of a fowl or any other common bird.

No one mentioned the extensor tendons, and few knew of the flexor tendons. The spur was often called a digit. The tissues were often inaccurately described; thus the foot was said to be "covered with cartilage," or "with bony scales," or with hard flesh tissue," or to be provided with "muscular pads."

Q. 8. Name some common animal which lives in societies, and show how the members of the same society co-operate for one another's advantage.

The rabbit was often said to raise its tail as a danger-signal.

Q. 9. Point out some of the differences between the eye of a sheep and the eye of a cat.

The form of the pupil of the sheep's eye was unknown to many candidates.

Q. 12. Illustrate by drawings and explanations the structures, peculiarities and uses of the feather supplied.

The candidates showed little power of observation; for example, the aftershaft was generally left out. On the other hand, the barbules, which could not be seen without a microscope, were carefully described and drawn. Only a few of the drawings were successful.

WHOLE OF STAGE 1.

Results 1st Class,; 2nd Class, 17; Failed, 51; Total, 68.

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Q. 21. Try to account for the fact that the frog has practically no neck and no tail; show that the statement is not exactly true.

No one attempted to explain why the tail is lost during transformation.

Q. 22. Mention some peculiarities of the stomach and lung of the frog. The structure of the frog's lung was not described moderately well by any candidate.

Q. 23. Show that a frog's skin is adapted to aid in respiration.

The skin was believed by many candidates to admit air by pores.

Q. 25. Why should the frog's blood be kept moving? To what extent is the circulation in a frog a double one? What is the advantage of the double circulation?

The term "double circulation" was not generally understood.

Q. 27. What proofs can be given that sepals and petals are peculiar kinds of leaves? Is there any part of a flower which is a peculiar kind of stem?

Many candidates said that the style or the pistil was a prolongation of the stem.

Q. 32. Illustrate by drawings and explanations the structure and uses of the feather supplied.

The same faults were remarked as in Section 1., Q, 12,

STAGE 2.

Results 1st Class, 22; 2nd Class, 38; Failed, 35; Total, 95.

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Many of the candidates wrote too much, filling page after page with irrelevant matter.

Q. 41. Show that the circulatory system of the frog agrees in its general plan with the circulatory system of the dogfish, and indicate the chief points in which it differs.

Candidates do not realise that they must themselves point out the resemblances and differences. Many described the circulatory system of each animal in turn, without attempting any comparison.

Q. 42. Describe the iris and pupil of a sheep's eye, and make a diagram to show the relative position of the cornea, lens, and iris.

Most of the candidates cannot have seen a sheep's eye for themselves; its pupil was usually described as circular.

Q. 45. Describe the air-spaces of a leaf.

How can it be made evident that they communicate with the stomates and with one another?

The second half of this question was answered poorly.

Report on the Examination in Zoology.

STAGE 1.

Results 1st Class, 8; 2nd Class, 40; Failed, 10; Total, 58.

Q. 1. Give an account of the habitation and mode of life (feeding, locomotion, self-protection) of a crayfish. How is a crayfish enabled to enlarge notwithstanding its hard skin?

The candidates showed a fair knowledge of the structure and habits of the crayfish. The most frequent mistakes were :-(1) no mention was made of the vegetable food of the crayfish, (2) the swimmerets were described as of practical importance in swimming, and (3) the carapace was said to split lengthwise during the moult.

Q. 4. What is the use of the cloudy masses attached to opposite sides of the yolk of a fowl's egg?

The answers were very poor in all cases.

Q. 6. Mention points in which a Hydra resembles a plant, and other points in which it resembles an animal.

The tentacles on the inhalent aperture were repeatedly described as cilia, and the position of the two apertures was often reversed.

Q. 7. Show how a full-grown frog is enabled to live either in air or in water.

The ingestion of solid food as a characteristic of animals was often left

out.

Q. 8. Give short definitions of birds, amphibians and fishes.

The answers dwelt too exclusively upon the respiratory adaptations of the frog.

Q. 9. Mention a number of common Arthropods which live in water. Show that they do not all belong to one class.

Little was known about aquatic insects and arachnids.

Q. 10. To what classes do the following animals belong :-snake, eel, slug, bat, pigeon? Give reasons in each case,

Q. 11. Name the chief divisions of the mollusca, and give examples of each.

Q. 12. What peculiarities distinguish feathers which aid in flight from feathers which merely prevent loss of heat?

These were often answered well.

STAGE 2.

Results 1st Class, 4; 2nd Class, 16; Failed, 19; Total, 39.

Q. 21. Show that the lower jaw is differently connected to the skull in a mammal and a bird.

The mobility of the bird's quadrate was not mentioned.

Q. 25. To what divisions of the animal kingdom would you refer the following animals :

(a) A segmented animal with lateral appendages and tentacles
on the head; a true coelom surrounds the alimentary
canal.

() The body naked and provided with one pair of gills not
in communication with the alimentary canal; the
mouth armed with pointed jaws and a rasping tongue.
(c) Compound animals breathing by perforated pharynx; the
nervous system greatly reduced.

No candidate got all three right; (a) was often thought to be an arthropod, and (c) a sponge.

Q. 26. Show by a zoological comparision of the equatorial forests of Africa and America that similarity of climate does not necessarily bring with it similarity in the animal life.

There was much theorising, and too few facts were mentioned.

Q. 27. Trace the chief stages in the life history of a stalked barnacle.

Q. 30. Describe the structure, origin and contents of the ephippium of Daphnia.

Such knowledge of the special types as would be gained by actual dissection was rarely to be found.

STAGE 3.

Results 1st Class, 3; 2nd Class, 4; Failed, 3; Total, 10.

Q. 32. What structures in the larva of Chironomus indicate that its progenitors breathed air in the larval stage?

No candidate got any marks on this question.

Q. 35. Describe the large intestine of the rabbit, and give illustrative sketches. Discuss the uses of some of the peculiar structures to be remarked in it.

There was little or no indication of such knowledge as would be gained by actual dissection.

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Q. 37. Identify the five animals contained in the tube and refer them as nearly as you can to their place in the system. Some are microscopic size.

The animals were:-Ephyra of Aurelia, recognised by 8 out of 9 candidates; Ascidian tadpole, by 1; Daphnia, by 5; Zoaea of crab, by 7; Bugula, by 4. It is evident that several candidates did not know by sight all the animals nared in the syllabus.

Q. 38. A piece of skin armed with calcareous teeth is supplied. Remove and mount several teeth, and draw them with aid of the microscope.

The calcareous teeth were not removed in the best way, but usually scraped off. Most of the drawings were poor.

HONOURS.

No candidate attempted the Honours paper.

Report on the Examinations in Botany.

EVENING EXAMINATION.

The work on the whole shows an improvement on that of last year, but there is still a noticeable deficiency in definiteness in the answers. Many candidates appear to think that lack of knowledge can be compensated for by diffuse writing; but it should be remembered that a short clear answer that really grapples with the points raised in the question set will always secure the highest marks. Too little attention is also paid to the desirability of illustrative sketches.

STAGE 1.

Results 1st Class, 159; 2nd Class, 344; Failed, 150; Total, 653.

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Q. 1. Refer the specimen placed before you to its natural order, giving your reasons; describe it, taking its organs (when present) in the following order :

The specimen set was Scilla nutans. As might have been expected, it was commonly correctly assigned to Liliacea, but the features for the correct description of which care was needed were too often overlooked.

Q. 2. Describe carefully the arrangements of the flowers and fruits of either the wallflower or the wild mustard. Explain as fully as you can the use to the plant of the arrangement in the example you select.

This question was very often taken, and usually rather badly done. Much time was devoted to description of the structure of the flowers and fruit and no attention paid to their arrangement. Few appreciated the significance of the terminal grouping of the flowers, or the method by which they are kept well above the fruits.