92 report — 1865. 



Remarks on some Improved Methods of Displaying Birds in Public Museums, 

 ■illustrated by specimens from the Derby Museum at Liverpool. By Teoiias 

 J. Moore. 



The author suggested that groups of birds should be so arranged that the male 

 and female birds, their young, their nests, eggs, and the nature of their haunts 

 might be seen at a glance, thus conveying to the non-scientific spectator an amount 

 of knowledge that no collection of isolated specimens could convey. 



On a remarkable Discovery of Bones o/Didus in the Island of Rodriguez. 

 By Edward Newton, M.A., C.M.Z.S., Acting Auditor-General at Mauritius. 



In November 1864, the author, in company with some other gentlemen, visited 

 Rodriguez, and in a cave on the south side of the island (see 'Ibis,' 18G5, p. 152) 

 three bones of a species of Didus were found. These have been described and 

 figured in the 'Proceedings of the Zoological Society' for 1865 (p. 199, pi. 8). 

 Encouraged by this discovery, the author, after his return to Mauritius, requested a 

 friend at Rodriguez to continue the researches, from which want of time had com- 

 pelled him to desist. The result is contained in the following extract from a letter 

 dated " Mauritius, 3rd August, 1865," and communicated by him to the Section. 



" Two days ago I received from Mr. George Jenner, the Magistrate of Rodriguez, 

 — to whom lie all honour — a box containing Turtles' and Birds' bones. With plea- 

 sure I divided them, and found that of the latter there are remains of no less than 

 sixteen or seventeen individuals ! They are all apparently of one species, but of two 

 sizes, the difference in this respect being probably owing to sex. The most plentiful 

 bones are tibiae, of which there are two or three quite perfect, the antero-proximal 

 ends beinp: well preserved. There are also several very good femora and metatarsi, 

 three portions of pelves (showing most conclusively that they did not belong to a 

 Struthious bird), one anterior end of a coracoid (showing the same), several humeri 

 of both sizes, an ulna and two radii, and a phalanx of the middle toe. Of these I 

 believe that the upper end of the tibia, the portions of the pelvis and of the cora- 

 coid, the ulna, radius, and phalanx are bones which have not before been found, 

 and are therefore doubly valuable. I retain here a couple of perfect legs of the two 

 sizes for our Museum, but the rest I am sending home by this mail. It will be seen 

 that there is one tibia which is much longer than any of the others ; it is not a per- 

 fect one, but there is such a strong resemblance between them all that I feel sure 

 they are but of one species. On reading over Mr. Bartlett's paper in the ' Proceed- 

 ings of the Zoological Society ' for 1851 (p. 284), I must say that I do not think he 

 shows any good reason for supposing that the true Dodo ever existed in Rodriguez, 

 or that remains of more than one species have been found in that island, and, now 

 that I have examined these bones, I am still more convinced of the fact. 



" I am wilting to Mr. Jenner to beg him to look out for some of the smaller 

 bones, which I feel certain must exist, and with any luck I think we ought to get 

 a perfect skeleton some day." 



On the Structure and Development of Salpa spinosa, Otto, as observed at 

 Guernsey. By the Rev. A. M. Norman. 



Phrenology, or the Physiology of the Brain, the most important department of 

 Ethnology. By Dr. Prideaux. 



Remarks on a curious preserved Specimen of the Blackbird. 

 By P. OTallagjtan, LL.D. 

 Tlie author said that a boy had informed him that he had seen a cock blackbird 

 with a top-knot ; by his directions the habits of the bird were observed, and it was 

 found that it had paired with an ordinary hen blackbird, and that they had built 

 a nest. On the young being hatched, three of them wtre discovered to possess the 

 top-knot by which one of their parents was distingiushed, and it was one of these 

 that was exhibited to the Section. 



