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Show 1874.] MR. ST. G. MIVART ON THE STRUTHlONlDyE. 607 taste and smell about them. When boiled, the thin membrane that covers the albumen is of a lead-colour ; but when the yolk and albumen are beat together and made into an omelette, as I have seen our cook do, it is not to be known from the common fowl's egg. At New Britain the natives brought them off also in great quantities, like the Savu natives ; in fact one saw the bluejackets eating them all day long or as long as the eggs lasted. There must have been a great many thousands consumed in two days at both islands. At Treasury Island I obtained four, but I broke two in blowing ; I send one. I also send a very young bird taken from a New-Britain egg. When at San Christoval I was shown an egg that Perry, a white man living there these last five years, said was laid by the ' Wild Fowl;' and upon my visiting him a few days after, he had just obtained another from the nest of his domestic fowls. He being in bad health at the time, I did not press him to let me have it; and for two days I traversed the mountains with guides to try and obtain specimens of the bird, but without success. " In 1865 a young Megapode was brought on board the 'Curacoa' by the natives of Golfe Island (See 'Brenchley's Cruise of the Curacoa' p. 392, also Brazier, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 528, and Sclater, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 529). Dr. Bennett also gives some notes, P. Z. S. 1862, p. 247, where he alludes to the occurrence of this form in Zanna and Sandwich. I am of opinion that species of Megapodius exist upon every island in the Solomons; but, through the kidnapping that has been carried on for some time past, it is far from safe to land upon some of the finest islands in the Pacific." Mr. Bowdler Sharpe, F.Z.S., exhibited two Megapode's eggs which had been brought from the south-western portion of New Guinea by the Rev. M . Wyatt Gill, B.A. The point where they had been obtained was exactly opposite the Cape-York peninsula of Australia; but unfortunately no birds were procured. The eggs were, in M r . Sharpe's opinion, referable to species of Talegalla and Megapodius, the latter being apparently inseparable from eggs of M. tumulus; but that of the Talegalla appeared to differ from specimens of T. lathami and T. cuvieri, both of which were represented in the museum series, and, he suspected, would belong to an undescribed species. He declined to found a specific name on an egg; hut the occurrence of Megapodes in this unknown portion of New Guinea seemed to be an event of some interest, though not one to be much wondered at. Mr. St. George Mivart, F.R.S., read a memoir on the axial skeleton of the Struthionidae, in continuation of a previous memoir on the same subject published in the Society's 'Transactions.' This paper, which treats of the axial skeleton in Rhea, Dromaus, Casuarius, Apteryx, and Dinornis, will be likewise published in the Society's 'Transactions.' The following papers were read :- |
