76 The American Geologist. January, 1894 
not represent the floor on which the Keweenawan lavas flowed, 
and so give no evidence as to the thickness of this series. 
3. Evolutionary development in some species of Brachiopoda, 
by Mr. F. W. Sardeson. The development of some forms in 
the Lower Silurian of the Upper Mississippi valley was dis- 
cussed: it was stated that certain gpecies and varieties re- 
tained their characters and extended through a considerable 
number of beds, although sometimes absent from one or more 
beds, but reappearing again higher up. The different species 
and varieties do not vary into other forms nearly as often as 
has been stated by others. 
Discovery of an Egg of the 2Epyornis. — A large specimen 
of the egg of the tabled "roc" of the "Arabian Nights," or 
JEpyornis, as the extinct gigantic bird of Madagascar is 
called, has recently been secured by Mr. J. Proctor, of Tama- 
tave and London. It was discovered by some natives about 
twenty miles to the southward of St. Augustine's bay. on the 
southwest coast of Madagascar. It was floating on the calm 
sea. within twenty yards of the beach, and is supposed to 
have been washed away with the foreshore, which consists of 
sandhills, after a hurricane in the early part id' the year. The 
child-like longshoremen id' the antipodes, thinking that the 
egg might have a value, showed the unusual piece of flotsam 
about, with a view to the sale of it, and it thus came into tin- 
hands of Mr. Proctor who has brought the curiosity to Lon- 
don. The egg, which is whitish-brown in color and unbroken, 
is a fine specimen. 33^ inches by 2H inches, andan even higher 
value is placed upon it than upon the egg of the great auk, 
which lived within the memory of man. The Brobdignagian 
proportions of the egg are better demonstrated by comparison 
with the eggs of the ostrich and crocodile. An ostrich's egg 
is about 17 inches by 15 inches, and the contents of six such 
are only equal to one egg of the u33ypornis. The measure- 
ments of the egg of the crocodile are normally 9 inches b} T 64 
inches. It would require the contents of 164 emu's eggs to equal 
the contents of this great egg, or 148 eggs of the homely fowl. 
or 30,000 of the humming bird. The last egg of the kind dis- 
posed of in London sold for £100. though cracked. — Scientific 
. I merican. 
At a late meeting ok the Geological Society of "Wash- 
ington the following officers were elected for the ensuing 
year: President, ('. 1). Walcott; vice-presidents, S. F. Em- 
mons, G. K. Gilbert; treasurer. Arnold Hague; secretaries, J. 
S. Diller, Whitman Cross; council, G. F. Becker, G. P. Mer- 
rill, R. T. Hill, C. Willard Hayes and W. II. Dall. The soci- 
ety has 134 members, 22 being corresponding members. 
During the past year there has been an average attendance at 
the meetings of 36. 
