142 THE SECRETARY ON THE WILD OX OF ASSAM. [Apr. 3, 



Thus in the latter bird this sac consists of a large azygous anterior 

 part and of a paired posterior part. 



In Ehea this sac is relatively considerably larger than in Aptenjx, 

 and extends some way in front of the level of the attachments of the 

 coracoids to the sternum. Its cavity is encroached upon in the 

 middle by the great vessels from the heart, which pass through it. 

 The region behind the vessels appears to corespond to the whole sac 

 oi Apteryx ; and the region in front to the "interclavicular" portion 

 in the Duck. There being no furcula, the sac does not extend in 

 front of the sternum, and the septum between the two is complete 

 throughout. 



The prebronchial sac seems to be relatively larger than in Apteryx, 

 but not so much developed as in the Duck. 



As in Jpteryx, the branches of the entobronchia are less 

 numerous than in the Duck ; but otherwise they, as well as the 

 vestibule and mesobronchium, resemble those of the latter bird. The 

 mesobronchium gives off about ten ectobronchia, which reach to the 

 outer surface of the lung. 



Thus, on the whole, the arrangement of the respiratory organs of 

 Rhea very nearly resembles that of Carinate birds ; but in several 

 points it shows an intermediate condition between the latter and 

 Apteryx. 



I may here mention that in Rhea, as in the Ostrich, the liver 

 and stomach have a peritoneal covering which shuts them off from 

 the other abdominal viscera. A median septum extends upwards 

 from the sternum to the oblique septum, and is continued backwards 

 for about 3 inches beyond the posterior margin of the former. On 

 each side, a horizontal peritoneal septum extends between the vertical 

 one and the body-walls, thus forming a pair of sacs. The right one 

 encloses the right lobe of the liver, which, however, as it does not 

 extend so far back as the posterior edge of the sternum, only fills the 

 anterior part of the sac. On the left side the arrangement is much 

 the same, but the posterior part of the peritoneal chamber, which on 

 the right side is empty, is filled by the stomach. Thus the right 

 lobe of the liver has a chamber to itself, while the left chamber 

 contains the left lobe of the liver aud the stomach. The intestines 

 lie above as well as behind these chambers. 



April 3, 1883. 

 St. George Mivart, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. 



The Secretary read some extracts from a letter received from Mr. 

 J. Sarbo in reference to a statement in the 'Garden Guide ' (1883), 

 p. 29, that "The Gayal {Bibos frontalis) is the Wild Ox of Assam, 

 Sylhet, and the adjacent countries to the east of the Indian pen- 

 insula." Mr. Sarbo wrote as follows :— 



" Firstly, Bos gaums, aud not Bos frontalis, is the Wild Ox of 



