284 Mr. F. E. Beddavd on the 



GeorgetoAvn Museum, Demerara, kindly interested himself in 

 the matter^ and forwarded in strong spirit a large number of 

 eggs, nestlings, and adult birds, which arrived in England a 

 few months ago"^. Mr. Sclatcr, with great generosity, handed 

 over to me the whole of the material, requesting me to 

 furnish him with a report thereon. Some of the results of 

 my study are embodied in the present paper. 



The collection contained 9 adult birds, 12 chicks of various 

 ages, and 28 eggs. A few of the latter were addled, but 



Fitr. 1. 



Opisthocomus cristatus. 

 Young t^xlracted from tLe egg : to show position in egg, continuous down- 

 feathers, and the knob on the bill which serves to break the shell f. 



from the greater number I was able to extract chicks, all of 

 which were in an advanced stage of development, for the most 

 part ready to leave the egg. 



A paper upon the anatomy of Opisthocomus, which forms 

 the most recent contribution to our kuoulcdge of the struc- 

 ture of this bird, has been lately published by Dr. C. G. 

 Young I . This paper contains some new facts of interest 

 with regard to the structure of the wing, which will be referred 

 to in detail presently ; the account of the habits of the bird 

 is not without interest, but the general description of its 

 anatomy cannot be regarded as of any value. In the first 

 place tbere is absolutely not a single reference to the litera- 



* SeeP.Z.S. 1889, p. 57. 



t It is important to note whether this structure is present or absent ; 

 although usually present, Prof. T. J. Parker finds that it is not developed 

 in Apteryx (Proc. Roy. Soe. vol. xliii. p. 497). 



X " On the Habits and Anatomy of Opisthocomus cristafns, Illig.," 

 Notes from the Leyden Museum, vol. x. p. 109. 



