110 



of the nutriment of the species. It is dependent on this circum- 

 stance also, that in the grallatoricil bird (Ibis), which the Apteryx 

 most resembles in the structure of its beak, and conseąuently in the 

 nature of its food, the ceeca have nearly the šame relative size ; but 

 as regards the Gralla, taken as an order, no one eondition of the 

 c(Bca can be predicated as characteristic of them. In most they are 

 very small ; in many single. 



" What evidence, v/e next ask, does the generative system afFord of 

 the affinities of the Apteryx ? A single, well-developed, inferiorly 

 grooved, subspiral^ intromittent organ attests uneąuivocally its rela- 

 tions to the struthious group ; and this structure, with the modifi- 

 cations of the plumage, and the peculiarities of the skeleton, lead me 

 to the šame conclusion at ^hich I forraerly arrived*, from a study 

 of the extemal organization of the Apteryx, viz. that it mušt rank as 

 a genus of the cursorial or struthious order ; and that in deviating 

 froin the type of this order it manifests a tendency in one direction, 

 as in the feet, to the gallinaceous order ; and in another, as in the 

 beak, to the Grallce ; but that it cannot, -vvithout violation of its na- 

 tūrai affinities, be classed M-ith either." 



A living specimen of the Gymnotus electricus, from the Amazon, 

 was exhibited by Mr. Porter. 



August 28th, 1838. 

 No meeting took place. 



• Art. Joes, Cycl. of Anat. and Phys., i. 1836, p. 269. 



