Zoological Society, 449 



June 11. — William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 

 Mr. Bucknell exhibited his Eccaleohion, or machine for hatching 

 eggs; and having broken eggs in every stage of incubation, explained 

 the nature and incidents of the process. Mr. Bucknell stated that 

 the period of incubation in the common fowl, w^hich was, on an aver- 

 age, 21 days, sometimes varied from IS to 24 days, and that he at- 

 tributed this variation to the mode of keeping, and previous treat- 

 ment, by which the embryo was injured, either from the heat of the 

 weather, exposure to variety of temperature, jolting in carriage, &c. 

 The young bird was occasionally known to emit a faint chirp even 

 so long as 24 hours before being excluded; and he believed that if this 

 noise was heard on the 18th day the chickens would probably appear 

 on the 19th. From this and other circumstances, such as the common 

 mode of preparing eggs by varnishing, &c., the porosity of the shell, 

 and other similar causes, he concluded that the small globule of air 

 constantly found in eggs, and which he had observed to increase ac- 

 cording to the age of the e^^, was produced by the air penetrating 

 the substance of the shell and its lining membrane. 



The average number of malformations, according to Mr. Buck- 

 nell's experience, was not more than five in a thousand ; though in 

 Egypt, it was stated, that malformations were extremely common in 

 the artificial process of incubation. He attributed this circumstance to 

 an excess of heat, and generally found it to affect the toes and ex- 

 tremities ; sometimes also the muscles of the neck. 



A general conversation afterwards took place on this subject, 

 during which much interesting and valuable information was ex- 

 tracted, with regard to the period and circumstances of the incuba- 

 tion. 



A letter from H. Cuming, Esq., Corr. Memb., dated Manilla, No- 

 vember 18, 1837, was read. This letter stated that Mr. Cuming had 

 forwarded a collection containing 395 birds and 12 quadrupeds, 

 from the southern part of the Island of Luzon. 



Mr. Cuming states that quadrupeds are scarce in the Philippine 

 Islands, and that he has been able to procure all the species known 

 excepting three, two of which are Deer, and the third is a species of 

 Buffalo, of small size, with straight and sharply-pointed horns. 

 This last animal Mr. Ogilby stated was most probably the Anoa de- 

 pressicornis. 



Mr. Ogilby exhibited the skull of an Elk from Nova Scotia, brought 

 over by Dr. Cox, and remarkable for its great size as compared with 

 the dimensions of the horns. 



Ann. Nat. Hist, Vol.4. No. 27. Suppl. Feb. 1840. 2 k. 



