150 NATURAL SCIENCE [September 



remains, is now collecting in Christmas Island, but before setting 

 out on this expedition he left for publication a paper which has just 

 appeared in the Ibis (July), dealing with the most remarkable 

 of these other Madagascar birds. Those here described are mainly 

 carinate and were associated with Ac. hildebrandti of Burckhardt, in 

 a marly layer indicating an old lake bottom at a depth of 1 2 to 1 5 

 feet. Above the marl comes a coarse gravel consolidated with 

 carbonate of lime and containing rolled and broken bones, which may 

 mark a volcanic outburst accompanied by hot springs charged with 

 that mineral. Above this deposit is another of black earth from 

 5 to 6 feet in thickness, in which bird bones occur though rarely. It 

 is interesting to note that Ac. hildebrandti does not occur in the black 

 earth, but remains of the smaller Ac. mutteri were found together 

 with well-preserved bones of Mullcrornis agilis. 



The most important of Dr Major's discoveries as described by Mr 

 Andrews may be briefly enumerated. A large Anserine bird, having 

 resemblances to Chcnalopex pugil, from Lagoa Santa, Brazil. This 

 has been called Ccntromis majori. Another Anserine is closely 

 allied to Chenalopcx acgyptiacus, but the numerous slight differences 

 between the fossil and the recent species induced Mr Andrews 

 to term it C. sirabensis. He however thinks it possible that when 

 further remains are found, it may turn out to be Sarcidiomis 

 mauritianus, an extinct bird described by Newton and Gadow from 

 Mauritius. A new rail, Tribonyx roberti, is described from a 

 pelvis ; while a well-preserved tibia is also referred to this species. 

 Ardea, Platcdea, Astur, and Plotus, are among the other remains 

 discovered, but at present the material is not of a sufficient quantity 

 to justify further description. It may be as well to note, however, 

 that Ccntromis is described from remains of four or five individuals ; 

 and the Chenalopcx from a large collection of bones, many of which 

 were found associated. 



The Origin of the Edentate Mammals 



The phylogeny of the edentate mammals has long been a standing 

 puzzle to palaeontologists, and this gap in our knowledge has 

 rendered it impossible to come to a full understanding of the 

 South American fauna. So far as the typical or American forms 

 (sloths, ground-sloths, ant-eaters, and armadillos) are concerned, the 

 problem has been solved by the labours of Dr J. S. Wortman, of 

 the American Museum of Natural History, of which an illustrated 

 account has appeared in the Bulletin of the Museum (vol. ix. pp. 

 59-110). A valuable illustrated article on the same subject, by 

 Prof. 0. C. Marsh, has also been published in the American Journal 

 of Science (vol. iii., 1897, pp. 137-140). 



