iQoi] Halkett — African Dipnoid Fish. 187 



Previous to dissolving the capsule of mud, that object pre- 

 sented a hard and baked appearance, and had seemingly been 

 firmly attached to the dried up bed of the river or pool in which 

 the fish had previously carried on its ^ill-breathing function; and 

 had been broken off by the collector. In this capsule the fish had 

 coiled itself up : a circular opening communicating between its 

 interior and the outer atmosphere, enabling the dipnoid to breathe. 

 The opening was rounded at the entrance, and led inwards by a 

 zig-zag channel. On dissolving the mud the capsule was found 

 to be intermixed with vegetable fibres, which tended to support 

 the capsule. 



Protopterus annectcns is said to attain a length of six feet. 



Bird Migration. -A bird migration of exceptional magnitude 

 was noticed by many people during the night of October 15th. 

 Several smallpox guardians who were questioned by the writer 

 informed him that birds had passed south in great numbers for 

 several nights previous to the 15th, but that on that night there 

 seemed to be millions of them The writer's observation covered 

 from about ten o'clock until nearly daylight, and during the whole 

 of that time an unbroken stream of birds passed over the city at a 

 very low altitude. Two distinct kinds of bird-note could be distin- 

 guished, one the chippering of small birds, the other the calls of 

 plover, snipe, etc. It was this last sound which attracted general 

 attention, but the other was just as distinct, and could be easily 

 separated from the shorter call of the larger birds. All were 

 probably waders. Doctor Oscar Klotz, who carefully noted the 

 course of the birds, says that it was about southeast. The night 

 was very cloudy and on that account the birds could fly at a low 



altitude without being seen. 



J. M. M. 



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