1894.] MB. J. T. LA.ST ON THE BONES OF .EPYORN1S. 129 



hiin, set to work to see what the bones were like, and seeing they 

 were likely to be those I wanted, he remained working at the pans 

 for several days. According to what the man told me, the places 

 where he dug abounded with fossil remains, the uppermost being 

 about four feet below the surface. Apparently the pans are 

 from eight to ten feet deep — the first two or three feet consisting 

 of a black peaty soil, the rest of a white or grey marl, in which the 

 bones are found. The chief difficulty in working the pans is 

 caused by the water contained in the soil : the soil is saturated, 

 and the water cannot escape below because of the hard rock, nor 

 can it evaporate through the peaty top ; therefore, as soon as a hole 

 of any size is made, the water drains into it. I have no doubt that 

 many very valuable fossils lie hid in these pans, and these can be 

 obtained only when proper means are used for removing the 

 water. My man told me that in the place where he found the 

 largest bones he was obliged to leave many ; he could feel them 

 with his feet, but could not stoop down into the water far enough 

 to get them out. I think the only way of obtaining them is by 

 the use of a good pump and long hose to drain the water away. 

 I am strongly of opinion, judging from the remarks my man made 

 about the place, that the iEpyornis-skull, that great desideratum, 

 would be found here if anywhere. 



I visited Itampulu-be last September along with this man, and 

 he showed me the places where he had been working. The people 

 here are friendly. The king lives two days' march inland, and has 

 a good name among Europeans for fair treatment. Of course 

 presents must be given to the king and chiefs before any work 

 whatever can be done in the country. If I have the opportunity 

 of returning to Madagascar, I should certainly like to spend a 

 month or so working with proper appliances at these pans. 



I will now conclude my remarks about the iEpyomis with a 

 few words concerning its egg. It is strange that the egg or even 

 broken portions of it are never met with far inland. During all 

 my explorations, though I have found the bird's bones a long way 

 inland, I have never seen any fragments of eggs either with them 

 or inland anywhere. I have never heard of whole eggs being ob- 

 tained inland, and I believe that all, or nearly all, have been found 

 in the sand-dunes which are piled up along the coast. Everywhere 

 along the south and south-west coast fragments are to be found 

 in abundance, especially on the hill-sides about St. Augustin's 

 Bay. Bushels of broken egg-shells could be gathered in this dis- 

 trict with but little trouble. From this I judge that these birds 

 used to live generally in the more inland parts of South Central 

 Madagascar and at certain seasons came to the coast to lay their 

 eggs, after which they betook themselves again to their inland 

 homes. I do not know whether this idea is quite correct, but it 

 seems to me very probable, from the fact that their eggs, both 

 whole and broken, are only found on or near the sea- coast. 



Pboc. Zool. Soc— 1894, No. IX. 



