Scientific Lectures. 151 



allow me now to indicate to you the situation of these integuments, 

 first calling to your attention that the arrangement I have shown 

 you is the same as in the reptile I have already shown. Whether 

 these toes be united or spread apart for more convenient grasping, or 

 whether there are three, four, or five toes, does not alter their nature, 

 or the intention or design, but is a mere adaptation to varied cir- 

 cumstances, while the unity of the plan is apparent throughout tlie 

 whole. Suppose these lines to indicate the situation of the feathers, 

 the wings being the first important portion, here we have the feathers 

 that proceed from the representatives of the fingers, called the bastard 

 wings, a secondary wing, of no great use in flying, but useful rather 

 in strengthening and supporting the other feathers. The long feathers 

 which are used in flight are attached to the bones of the fingers, and 

 are numerous and strong corresponding to the weight of the creature, 

 and the necessity of supporting him during his progress through the 

 air. The tail is composed of feathers of the most powerful structure, 

 to steer the creature, and also to support the hinder part of the body. 

 By its expansion it serves a most important function in directing the 

 progress of the bird. Again, the legs are covered with long feathers, 

 changing their whole aspect, so that it is commonly supposed that 

 the legs only commence with that portion covered with scales. All 

 of these cover the exact structure of the bones, and cover the muscular 

 arrangements made to move the bones. You perceive that the entire 

 structure of the framework in both reptiles and birds is subsidiary to 

 the functions and character of the creature. [The completion of the 

 drawing of the bird, much resembling in its outline the reptile before 

 drawn, was greeted with applause.] 



I would now ask yom- attention to the fact I brought before you in 

 the first instance — the intermediate form. We have here a bird 

 belonging to the early history of the world, and supposed to be one 

 of the extinct forms. [Referring to a large chart.] It is the Dinoruis, 

 found in New Zealand. A small fragment of the leg-bone of this 

 bird was brought to the College of Surgeons in London, and shown 

 to Prof. Owen, who, after consideration and examination, pronounced 

 it to be a bone from a bird. At the time he was almost laughed at for 

 supposing it possible that there could have lived a bird having such 

 a leg ; and there were various experiments madg by sending him beef 

 bones, and asking him what he thought of them ; but the indications 

 of the bird-like structure are so absolute and unmistakable that he 

 never was taken in or caught by the beef bones that followed in 



