Zoological Society, 229 



Thal. Wagleri. <!rff:Tftf) f)fr 



Hab. The hilly regions of Brazil, particularly Minas Geraes. 

 Thal. eriphile. 



This species also inhabits Brazil, and is generally sent in collec- 

 tions from Rio. 



Thal. refulgens, n. sp. 



A species very like furcatus in colour, but nearly as large as 

 Watertoni. The under tail-coverts are steel-black ; crown of the 

 head velvety black ; breast and shoulders beautiful purplish blue ; 

 tail black and considerably forked ; wings purplish brown ; throat 

 rich metallic green. 



Hab, ? 



. . January 27, 1 852.— Professor Bell, F.R.S., in the Chair. ^. 



1. Notes on the Eggs and Young of the Apteryx, and 6n 

 ^' the casts of the Eggs and certain Bones of^Epyornis. 

 v; By Professor Owen, F.R.S., F.G.S., F.Z.S. 

 'The Secretary placed upon the table casts of two eggs and of por- 

 tions of the leg-bones of a gigantic bird of the Island of Madagascar, 

 which had been presented by the Administration of the Garden of 

 Plants in Paris to the Zoological Society of London, and on these 

 Professor Owen made the following observations. 



The casts were beautifully made and coloured, and were exact 

 representations of the originals, which the Professor had examined 

 during a visit to Paris in July last. These were received at the 

 Garden of Plants in January last, and were described this day twelve- 

 month (January 27th) in a communication made by M. Isidore 

 Geoffroy-St.-Hilaire to the Academy of Sciences *. They had been 

 obtained by the master of a merchantman at the Island of Madagascar 

 in 1850, from the natives, who stated that one of the eggs had been 

 found, entire, in the bed of a torrent, amongst the debris of a 

 land-slip : a second egg, with some fragments of bone, was subse- 

 quently found in a formation which is stated to be alluvial : a third 

 egg, which the natives had perforated at one end, and used as a 

 vessel, was also obtained. This egg was fractured in the carriage ; 

 the other two eggs arrived entire. 



They are nearly of the same size, but differ in shape, one being 

 shorter but a little thicker, and with more equal ends than the other. 

 The following are admeasurements of these eggs and of an Ostrich's 



, v.; r-i Mpyornis. Ostrich. 



Ovoid t^g. Ellipsoid egg. jjrj 



Greatest circumference : ft. in. lin. ft. in. lin. ft. in. lin. 



Lengthwise 2 10 9 296 160 



Breadthwise 2 43 25 6 146 



Extreme length in a straight <-^ijlV a/H'T 



line 1 8 10 5 0^4 



M. Isidore Geoffroy estimates the larger of the two eggs to con- 

 * A translation of this communication appeared in the Annals for March 1851. 



