66 Miscellaneous. 



Ranunculus auricomus : pollen-grains round and smooth, and 

 -g-jLjyth of an inch in diameter. 



R. acris : pollen-grains round and smooth, and ^^th of an inch 

 in diameter. 



R. rcpens : pollen-grains round and smooth, and -^^ th of an inch 

 in diameter. 



R. bulbosus : pollen-grains round and smooth, and y^yth of an 

 inch in diameter. 



R. hirsutus : pollen-grains smoothish, with three depressed scars, 

 and y-»rt th of an inch in diameter. 



R. arvensis : pollen-grains round, rough, and so much larger than 

 those of the other species as to measure q-f^th of an inch in diameter. 

 The roughness remains when the pollen-grains are treated either with 

 dilute acids or water. 



Hence the roughness and comparatively large size of the pollen- 

 grains of R. arvensis are very evident, and this curious difference is 

 certainly constant in our plants. It may be easily seen under a 

 magnifying power of fifty diameters. When much more magnified, 

 some inequalities may appear on the surface of the pollen-grains of 

 the five preceding species. An examination of the pollen of R. parvi- 

 fiorus would be interesting. 



On the Feathers of Dinornis robnstus, Owen. 

 By W. S. Dallas, F.L.S., Keeper of York Museum. 



The acquisition by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society of a spe- 

 cimen of Dinornis robustus, Owen, in so perfect a state of preserva- 

 tion that it retains even portions of the muscular and integumentary 

 svstems, enables me to describe at least a part of the structure of the 

 feathery covering of this remarkable bird, and thus to throw some 

 further light upon its affinities among birds with which we are ac- 

 quainted in the living state. The general condition of the skeleton 

 was described by Mr. Allis in a paper read before the Linnean Society 

 in June last ; and Professor Owen has since made use of one or two 

 portions of it for the completion of his description of the species, in a 

 paper communicated to this Society ; but the fact of the occurrence 

 of the feathers, however imperfect, of a bird which, as far as our in- 

 formation goes, has long been extinct, seems to call for some special 

 notice. 



At first sight, indeed, it would seem that the fresh condition of 

 many parts of this skeleton, and the preservation of traces of the soft 

 parts, might warrant us in supposing that many years have not 

 elapsed since the bird to which it belonged wandered over the hills 

 of Otago ; but all possibility of drawing from these circumstances 

 any conclusions as to the period of its death is set aside by the fact 

 that other parts of the skeleton are in a state of decay which would 

 apparently require a free exposure to the weather for many years for 

 its production. 



The portion of skin which bears the remains of feathers covered 

 the greater part of the flat, rhombic region of the pelvis immediately 

 above the commencement of the tail, and extended, on the left side, 



