1868.] LETTER FROM MR. K. L. LAYARD. 319 



tinct in the early tertiary epoch as they are now. It is in accord- 

 ance with this supposition that the remains of Alectoropodes, but 

 not of Peristeropodes, have been found in the older tertiary deposits 

 of Europe. 



I watch the progress of M. Alphonse Milne-Edwards's researches 

 with great interest, to know whether Parrots, Pigeons, Bromceidce, 

 and RheidcB occur in force, or at all, among the miocene birds. If 

 they are absent from the miocene fauna of Arctogaea, it will be 

 necessary to suppose that these groups of birds are of sufficiently 

 ancient origin to have been segregated, even before the miocene 

 epoch, in Austro-Columbia and Australasia, whence they have subse- 

 quently colonized parts of Arctogaea ; while, on the other hand, their 

 presence in European miocene formations will render it possible that 

 the colonization has taken place the other way, and that these birds 

 have attained their wonderful multiplicity and diversity of forms in 

 Austro-Columbia and Australasia simply in consequence of the very 

 favourable nature of the conditions to which they have been exposed 

 in that country. 



I confess I incline to the latter supposition. The distribution of 

 Psittacula, for instance, is quite unintelligible to me upon any other 

 supposition than that this genus existed in the miocene epoch, or 

 earlier, in Northern Arctogeea, and has thence spread into Austro- 

 Columbia, South Africa, India, and the Papuan islands, where it 

 is now found. 



May 28, 1868. 



George Busk, Esq., F.E.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



The Secretary reported that two living examples of Owen's Ap- 

 teryx {Apteryx owenii), destined for the Society's Menagerie, had 

 been recently shipped from Australia (one by Dr. George Bennett, 

 F.Z.S., of Sydney, and the other by Mr. E. S. Hill, C.M.Z.S., of 

 Wollahra, Sydney), but that they had both, unfortunately, died on 

 the voyage home. 



Dr. Giinther exhibited specimens of the ova and young of the 

 Axolotl {Siredon mexicanum) which had been deposited and hatched 

 in a freshwater tank in this country, and made remarks on the 

 strange facts connected with the development of this animal and its 

 systematic postion. 



The following letter was read, addressed to the Secretary by Mr. 

 E. L. Layard, of Cape Town, F.Z.S. :— 



" South-African Museum, Cape Town, 



Cape of Good Hope, February 18C8. 



" Sir, — Herewith I forward, for the purpose of being laid before 



