5428 Birds. 



the hands of any naturalist out of the British islands." — H. Stevenson; Norwich, 

 December 23, 1856. 



Note on the Osteology of Cariama. — The sternum of Cariaina cristata agrees better 

 with that of the common heron and with that of the whole of the Ardeinae than with any 

 other group, though the keel has not such a perfect sweep as it has in the heron, in 

 which bird it forms the segment of a circle. The notches in the lower part of the 

 sternum are similar, but are of greater extent in the Cariama than in the heron ; the 

 interpectoral ridge observes nearly the same direction in both ; but the coracoid grooves 

 in the former are separated by the projecting process of the sternum, whereas in the 

 latter they are confluent. The furculum in Cariama bears some resemblance to 

 that of the heron, but, viewing it in profile, we observe that the outliue of the former 

 is concave, while in the latter it is convex, — in other words, has a considerable arch 

 outwards. From a front view we see its superior strength and development in the 

 heron where the furculum and keel of the sternum are in close contact at their apices, 

 and are held together by a linn ligamentous union, just as in Leptoptilus, while in 

 Cariama it has simply a membranous attachment to the sternum, the points being 

 separate. It may be as well to remark here that the intimate attachment of 

 the furculum to the keel of the sternum does not exist, to the same extent, in all 

 the herons, for in species of the subgenus Herodias, although the union is similar, it 

 is less firm, and in the subgenus Ardetta the form of the furculum, and its 

 mode of attachment to the sternum agrees very closely with the same in Cariama; 

 but there seem to be considerable differences in the Ardeinae in that respect, 

 for in Scopus the furculum is much stouter in proportion than in any other 

 of the group with which I am acquainted, has a considerable anterior curve, and is 

 distant from the sternum at its apex. The coracoids and scapulars in Cariama differ 

 from those of the heron; but it is here unnecessary to enter into their detail. The 

 pelvis of Cariama agrees pretty well with that of the heron, but differs entirely from 

 that of Crax, with which it has been associated by Swainson : it will be here sufficient 

 to mention one important difference. In Crax the ilii, as is usual in birds, meet over, 

 unite and become blended with the spinous processes of the sacrum at their upper 

 part, but open lower down, forming on each side the spinous processes of the sacrum 

 a foramen for the passage of tendons, &c. ; in Cariama the ilii are quite closed over 

 without openings, the same as in the heron. — Charles Barron; Haslar Hospital, 

 January 15, 1857. 



Occurrence of the Canada Goose (Anser canadensis) at Weymouth. — I beg to record 

 the occurrence of seven of these beautiful birds in Portland Roads, on the 29th of 

 November last. They were shot by W. H. Weston, Esq., of Weymouth, and the 

 finest pair have been added to his valuable collection of British water birds, most of 

 which have been killed in this county of Dorset. I have carefully examined them, 

 and have no hesitation in asserting them to be wild specimens. They were 

 exceedingly wary and difficult of approach, until one of their number was disabled, 

 when the others returned and kept in company with the wounded bird until the whole 

 of them were killed. One of the birds turned the scale at 12fbs; six of the birds 

 weighed together 68^ lbs. The specimen Mr. Weston gave me was unfortunately too 

 much damaged to be preserved; I therefore had it cooked, and can assure your 

 readers it was excellent, possessing the true wild-duck flavour, and very different from 

 the insipid masses of fat so characteristic of our farm-yard geese ; a cross between the 

 two birds would greatly improve our present breed of geese. — William Thompson; 

 Weymouth, December 21, 1856. 



