290 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Ichthyomys. It is less specialised for an aquatic, piscivorous life in 

 shape of brain-case and structure of incisors, but more so in the loss of 

 ear-conch, character of fur, and peculiar build of muzzle. This entire 

 suppression of the external ear-conches is an almost unique character in 

 Muridas, the only forms in which it is found being the mole-rats EUobius 

 and Myospalax (Siphneus). 



Wild Cat in Ireland.* — R. F. Scharff has collected satisfactory 

 evidence from various sources as to the former existence of wild cats in 

 Ireland. In particular, he has examined a large collection of cat remains 

 from certain caves near Ennis, in County Clare. There can be no doubt, 

 he says, that a wild cat did exist in comparatively recent times in Ireland, 

 which, however, was not identical with the European Felis catus, but 

 with the African Felis ocreata Grmel., which had not a bushy tail. From 

 this species, it would appear, the majority of domestic cats in Ireland 

 have been derived. 



Original Type of CanidaB.f — Albertina Carlsson investigates the 

 problem as to whether Otocyon caffer is the original form of the canine 

 race or not. A negative answer is given, and in support of it no less 

 than thirty-two structural facts are adduced to show that it is less 

 primitive than other living Canida3. Of features which might be brought 

 forward for the opposite view, seven tooth characters are enumerated. 



Interlocking of Primary Feathers in Flight.! — C. C. Trowbridge 

 shows that when hawks are killed in coasting flight, a large percentage 

 of the emarginate primaries are found firmly interlocked. The webs 

 show well-defined " notches " where the edges of the interlocked webs 

 have rested against one another. The interlocking of the primaries 

 makes the end of the wing more rigid when the wing is employed as an 

 aeroplane in coasting flight, produces a curvature of the wing which 

 gives the bird better control in the air, and keeps the primaries partly 

 extended without muscular exertion on the part of the bird. 



Relation of Wind to Bird Migration. § — F. Smith describes an 

 unusual flight of sparrow-hawks in Michigan, which appears to have been 

 initiated and whose direction was probably determined by a north-east 

 wind. 



Antarctic Birds. || — W. Eagle Clarke reports on the birds of the 

 South Orkney Islands, etc., collected by W. S. Bruce on the ' Scotia ' 

 Antarctic Expedition. The series of bird-skins is one of the most im- 

 portant ever made in the Antarctic Seas, and, with 143 specimens, 

 represents 16 out of the 18 species now known to frequent the South 

 Orkneys and their vicinity. Some interesting descriptions are given of 

 the penguin rookeries, and of the behaviour of the birds in courtship 

 and in caring for the young. The ringed penguin, hitherto regarded 

 as being nowhere an abundant species, was found to have its metropolis 



* Proc. Roy. Irish Acad., xxvi. (1906) pp. 1-12 (1 pi.). 



t Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst., xxii. (1905) pp. 717-54 (16 figs.). 



% Amer. Journ. Sci., xxi. (1906) pp. 145-69 (19 figs.). 



§ Bull. Michigan Ornithol. Club, v. (1904) pp. 77-8 (1 fig.). 



II Ibis, vi. (1906) pp. 145-87 (11 pis.). 



