10 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
phalanges, which we meet with in modern Carinate birds, 
and, so far as the actual arrangement of the bones is con- 
cerned, there is little in the wing bones of the Ostrich, 
taken by themselves, and without reference to the size of 
the bird from whence they came, which would lead one to 
suppose that they did not belong to a bird which possessed 
the power of flight. Surely such a fact can only be satis- 
factorily explained by supposing that the manus of the 
Ostrich, like the bones of the rest of the wing, was 
originally developed in the way described for the same 
reason that the bones of the wing of all modern Carinate 
birds have been developed, namely, to facilitate the process 
of flight, and that the reduced condition in which we find 
the wing bones of this bird is simply the result of atrophy 
from disuse. Furthermore, the wing of the Ostrich con- 
tains definite though reduced remiges or flight feathers, 
which is, of course, a fact pointing strongly in the same 
direction. ; 
But of all the Ratite, Strwthio is the genus in which we 
find the wings best developed, and it might be argued that 
this and other characters formerly alluded to might indicate 
a different origin for this bird than for the other members 
of this sub-class. It isa fact, indeed, that in other Ratites 
we find the wings in a more degenerate condition than in 
the Ostrich. In Dromeus, Casuarvus, and Apteryxz, for 
instance, the wing is much more reduced, and there is but 
a single digit tothe manus. Ofall living birds, indeed, 
Apteryx presents us with about the most extreme type of 
reduction of wing, so that if in this bird we can find 
evidence in favour of its having passed through a previous 
- flying condition, the case in favour of all the other Ratites 
having passed through a similar stage will be much 
strengthened. Through the kindness of Dr. Forbes I am 
able to show you a specimen of this unique bird, together 
