640 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1884. 



was taken to Piiris by M. F. Fauqne, the chief of a scientific mission to 

 Sumatra, sent by the French minister of public instruction. The bird 

 is api)arently almost as large as a turkey, but on account of the pecu- 

 liar disposition of its breathing apparatus and the large airsacs it is 

 remarkably light; its weight scarcely exceeds 1,500 grammes. {Comptes 

 Rendus Acad. Sc. Paris, Kovember 17; Nature, xxxi, p. 95.) 



Two Swans from one egp. — A remarkable case of the development of 

 two birds from an egg with two yelks has been recorded by Mr. Albert 

 A. C. le Souef, of Melbourne. A black-necked swan of Australia had 

 commenced sitting on three eggs, but one of them was broken and not 

 replaced by another, leaving only two behind. Nevertheless, to the 

 astonishment of Mr. le Souef and the keeper, three cygnets came forth 

 from the two eggs. At first the cygnets were nearly of a size, but in a 

 very short time oue commenced to grow much faster than the other two, 

 and at the age of seven months one of them was as large as tbe parents, 

 but the other two very much smaller, although unequal in size, and the 

 smallest was a queer little fellow, and although apparently quite healthy 

 remained covered witb down and looked as if it were only two months 

 old. (Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1884, p. 390.) 



Mammals. 



Tuberculosis in Menagerie Animals. — It has been asserted that a very 

 large proportion of tropical animals, and especially of the monkeys, die 

 in the menageries from consumption — phthisis tuberculosis. The sub- 

 ject-matter has been investigated by Mr. J. B. Sutton, lecturer on com- 

 parative aiuitoury in the Middlesex Hospital Medical College, aud his 

 conclusions contradict the views generally current. On a superficial 

 examination, indeed, he says, " it would seem that half the animals dying 

 in the Society gardens succumb to this affection. It so frequently hap- 

 pens that if the lung presents a spotted appearance or on section shows 

 caseous spots of any descriiJtion, the condition is set down as 'tubercu- 

 losis.' " But after careful inquiry, the conclusion was forced on Mr. 

 Sutton that " tubercle is by no means so common among animals as is 

 generally sui^posed. Three diseases are especially liable to be con- 

 founded with consumption, and the latter must be diagnosed carefully. 

 The precision afforded by microscopical examination of diseased tissues 

 has led to a more rigid definition, aud consequent restriction, of the term 

 ' tubercle ' from such appearau(;es as the lungs j)resent in lobular pneumo- 

 nia, or lung-tissue consolidated by pneumonia, which, instead of resolv- 

 ing, ends in suppuration, and, lastly, encj'sted parasites. If these three 

 morbid conditions be excluded, then tuberculosis is very uncommon. The 

 larger carnivora (lions, tigers, and leopards) are exceedingly vulnerable 

 to attacks of ]»nenMH»iiia, and bears frequently die from this affection, 

 due to the sup[)urati()n of the consolidated portion of the lung. The 

 ^jojiti [Nasua) is very liable to sufler i'rom cavities in its lungs due to 



