114 



mark, in passing, upon the striking similarity which exists be- 

 tween the ostrich and the young of the domestic fowl) — a second 

 beginning with the pelican, and ending with the Gallinula, a 

 wader; a third beginning with the hawks, and ending with the 

 singing-birds ; a fourth beginning with Rhamphastos, and ending 

 with the parrot ; another beginning with the Buceros, and ending 

 with the swallow and humming-bird. 



In Reptiles, there seems to be but one series, — snakeS, lizards, 

 and turtles ; the snakes moving by the dorsal column, and having 

 head, neck, trunk, and tail united ui one 'continuous body, are 

 analogous to the whales, and the Sirenoids. The lizards, pro- 

 vided with a distinct neck, trunk, and tail, and with legs, are 

 analogous, the lower ones, the Anguiformes, to the seals, the 

 higher, to Lutra and Marten. In the turtles, the distinction of 

 parts is carried still farther ; the head and neck are very free, 

 the trunk which, in lizards, assists in locomotion, is scarcely used 

 for this purpose, and the four legs are the locomotory organs. In 

 the class of Batrachia we have again the same series. Cascilia 

 is snake-like, and wholly analogous to the snakes and to whales. 

 Icthyoids and Salamanders, provided with small or well-developed 

 legs, are wholly analogous to lizards, and the frogs and toads to 

 turtles.' In frogs and toads also, the four legs are the only 

 organs of locomotion, but the neck and head are not as free as 

 in turtles. This goes far to prove that the class of Batrachians 

 ranks lower than that of Reptiles, 



January 21, 185T. 

 The President in the Chair. 

 Dr. Henry Bryant read the following paper, entitled — 



A LIST OF BIRI>S OBSERVED AT GRAND MANAN AND AT YAR- 

 MOUTH, N. S., FROM JUNE 16 TO JULY 8, 1856. 



In the early part of last summer I made an excursion, in 

 company with J. E. Cabot, Esq., to the island of Grand Manan 



