in the Island of Java. 105 



at no great distance from the side of the road at the foot of the 

 Djienz, and they constantly emit smoke." — Fahr. 52°. 



In the 8th volume of the proceedings of the Batavian Society 

 of Arts and Sciences, Dr Horsefield of the East India House, 

 gives a description of the mineral constitution of the different 

 mountains of Java. He examined several parts of the chain of 

 hills, and states that he heard of this valley, but that he could 

 not prevail on the natives to shew him where it was. I have 

 sent the Doctor a copy of the above extract.*" 



Remarks on the Serrature of the Middle Claw, and the irre- 

 gvlar Denticulation of the Beak, in certain Birds. By W. 

 Macgillivray, a. M., &c. Conservator of the Museum of 

 the Royal College of Surgeons, &c. Communicated by the 

 Author. 



The serrature of the middle claw of certain species of birds, is 

 a circumstance which must have attracted the notice of every 

 person accustomed to look somewhat minutely to birds. The 

 results of my observation on this subject may be briefly stated 

 as follows. In different birds, the claws are of various forms : 

 sometimes nearly circular in their transverse section, and more 

 or less curved, as in hawks and owls ; sometimes flat and ex- 

 panded, as in grebes; sometimes they have two small sharp 

 margins, and sometimes one of the margins is enlarged. In all 

 birds, the inner margin of the third or middle claw is larger than 

 the outer, and that claw is more or less curved outwards. Claws 

 with small margins, or such as are strong, with a thick margin, 

 are never serrated, as in eagles, pheasants and geese. Claws 

 which have the inner margin dilated, but rather strong, are 

 sometimes undulated, not merely on the edge-line, but along 

 the whole plane of the inner slope, as in some ducks and gulls. 

 In the shearwater and some other birds, the margin, which is 

 dilated, and rather thin, is undulated with irregular serratures. 

 In the herons, in which the middle claw has a thin margin, the 

 serrature is regular ; but in the storks and Balearic crane, in 

 which the claw is thicker, the margin is entire. In the genera 



