78 
Mr. Wonror did not think the question could be satisfactorily 
answered. He knew an instance in which a female rook was killed by 
the other birds because a hen’s egg (which had been purposely put 
there) was found in her nest ; but then it was a fact that birdcatchers 
made a practice of laying up for males in the same spots ; for as soon 
as one male was taken another one was soon found to mate with the 
female. 
Mr. Moore believed the weak and sickly birds were always 
killed, in all probability that they might be eaten by the others. 
Mr. DENNET considered this was so in many cases, 
The PRESIDENT pointed out that this was one of Nature’s laws 
in respect to birds and animals, that the old and sickly should be 
killed off. 
ELEPHANT OR WHALE BONE. 
Mr. R. GLAISYER exhibited what some believed to be a unique 
specimen of part of the thigh bone of a fossil elephant (Z/ephas 
primigenius) which was dug up at Rottingdean, and which, by the 
kindness of the gentleman on whose estate it was found, had been 
forwarded to him for exhibition. 
Mr. SCOTT questioned whether it was an elephant bone. Pro- 
fessor Andrew Ramsay had seen it and had expressed his opinion that 
it was a whale bone, in which opinion he concurred. 
Mr. WONFOR hoped geologists would endeavour to settle this 
question ; it would be most interesting and important to know if it 
was the bone of a whale which was found in the Elephant bed. If it 
was the bone of an elephant it must have been a most gigantic one; 
but he thought it was most likely to be a whale bone. 
Mr. BENJAMIN LOMAX thought it might possibly be determined 
by a careful microscopical inspection. 
LOCAL GEOLOGICAL STRATA. 
Mr. F. E. SAWYER drew attention to the excavations being made 
in Russell-street, Brighton, and recommended the members to make a 
point of seeing the strata there laid bare before the place was walled 
Se a 
