Notes and Extracts. 507 



As regards the scientific importance of this famous Museum, 

 see our remarks in this Journal for 1899 (p. 654). 



Can Birds smell? — Dr. Alex. Hill, of Cambridge, writing 

 in 'Nature' (vol. 71, p. 318, Feb. 2nd, 1905), maintains that 

 the sense of smell must be but little developed in Birds. 

 "The olfactory bulbs are small." But he a>ks for more 

 information about Apteryx, in which Owen has stated 

 that the turbinated bones are extensive and complicated. To 

 this question Professor Benham, of Otago ("Nature/ vol. 72, 

 p. 64), replies that several points concerning the structure 

 and habits of the Kiwi suggest that its sense of smell is 

 highly developed. The nostrils, instead of being at the base 

 of the beak, are at the extreme tip and on the under-surface. 

 The olfactory sacs, with their complex of turbinals, extend 

 so far back as to project into the orbits, the eyes being sepa- 

 rated by them instead of by a thin bony interorbital septum, 

 The eves of the bird are small and inefficient, notwithstanding 

 its nocturnal habits, and observers state that the Kiwi seeks 

 its food by its sense of smell or hearing. In searching for 

 food the bird thrusts its beak into moss, piles of leaves, or 

 holes in the ground, and assumes an attitude suggestive 

 of trying to obtain evidence of the presence of food either 

 by smell or by listening for the sound of movements made 

 by a worm. These statements suggest the probability of 

 a well-developed sense of smell is the Kiwi, and Prof. Benham 

 hopes to have experiments carried out on Apteryx, Ocydromus, 

 and Stringops, in order to obtain further evidence upon the 

 matter. 



The Systematic Position of the Eurylaemidse. — At the 

 Meeting of the Zoological Society of London on Mav 3rd 

 last, Mr. W. P. Py craft, F.Z.S., read a paper on the Osteology 

 of the Eurylttmidce, and briefly discussed the question of the 

 systematic position of that group. While agreeing with the 

 general consensus of opinion as to the primitive character 

 of these birds, he held that the isolated position which 

 they are supposed to occupy with regard to the remaining 



