xciv. PRESIDENT'S ADDksss. 



From experiments made with earthworms, its usual food, it 

 appears that the Apteryx possesses a strong sense of smell, 

 being able to locate and pick out with its bill both living and 

 dead worms buried in earth. Our English birds are well 

 protected, but it is to be feared that at no distant date some of 

 the more beautiful species of tropical birds will be exterminated, 

 as, in spite of Bird Protection Societies, the number imported 

 into England and France alone reaches the enormous total of 

 ij millions. South America is, fortunately, making protection 

 laws, and it is extraordinary that there are none in India, as is, I 

 believe, the case. A defect, termed " barring," in ostrich 

 feathers has lately been causing considerable loss on the Cape 

 farms ; the cause is uncertain, but seems to be connected with 

 nutrition, or possibly parasites, doubtless also with the semi- 

 artificial conditions of domestication. More specimens of the 

 okapi and African forest-pig have been obtained. The former 

 is said to be solitary in its habits, to frequent marshes, and to be 

 exceedingly shy and quick of hearing. The success of an open- 

 air lion cage has caused others to be made at Clifton, and the 

 lions flourish in them, like the open-air caged monkeys, more 

 than under the old system. To pass to more general subjects, 

 the great value of finger-prints as a means of identification is 

 shown by the City Police records, in which, out of about 

 1,000 individuals apprehended, more than a quarter, not other- 

 wise recognised, were found by a comparison of their finger- 

 prints to have been old offenders. I think that it is a common 

 belief that the children of clever fathers are not, as a rule, noted 

 for talent ; but the researches of Dr. Galton have shown that 

 able fathers have able children in a much larger proportion than 

 the generality. 



BOTANY. 



In Botany a new order of plants has been discovered in 

 Mexico and Peru and named Julianiacea. It consists of two 

 genera and five species, which are resiniferous, deciduous, 



