The spot whence these precious relics of the colossal birds that once inhabited the islands of New Zealand were obtained, is a flat tract of land, near the embouchure of a river, named Waingongoro, not far from Wanganui, which has its rise in the volcanic regions of Mount Egmont. The natives affirm that this level tract was one of the places first dwelt upon by their remote ancestors; and this tradition is corroborated by the existence of numerous heaps and pits of ashes and charred bones, indicating ancient fires, long burning on the same spot. In these fire-heaps Mr. Mantell found burnt bones of men, mors, and dogs. The fragments of egg-shells, imbedded in the ossiferous deposits, had escaped the notice of all previous naturalists. They are unfortunately very small portions-the largest being only four inches long-but they afford a chord by which to estimate the size of the original: Mr. Mantell observes that the egg of the Moa must have been so large that a hat would form a good egg-cup for it. These relics evidently belong to two or more species, perhaps genera. In some examples the external surface is smooth; in others it is marked with short intercepted linear grooves, resembling the eggs of some of the Struthionidæ, but distinct from all known recent types. In this valuable collection only one bone of a mammal has been detected, namely, the femur of a dog. An interesting memoir, on the probable geological position and age of the ornithic bone- deposits of New Zealand, by Dr. Mantell, based on the observations of his enterprising son, is published in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London (1848). It appears that in many instances the bones are imbedded in sand and clay, which lie beneath a thick deposit of volcanic detritus, and rest on an argillaceous stratum abounding in marine shells. The specimens found in the rivers and streams have been washed out of their banks by the currents, which now flow through channels from ten to thirty feet deep, formed in the more ancient alluvial soil. Dr. Mantell concludes that the Islands of New Zealand were densely peopled at a period geologically recent, though historically remote, by tribes of gigantic brevi-pennate birds allied to the ostrich tribe, all, or almost all, of species and genera now extinct; and that subsequently to the formation of the most ancient ornithic deposit, the sea-coast has been elevated from fifty to one hundred feet above its original level; and hence the terraces of shingle and loam which now skirt the maritime districts; the existing rivers and mountain torrents flow in deep gullies which they have eroded in the course of centuries in there pleistocene strata, in like manner as the river courses of Auvergne, in central France, are excavated in the mammiferous tertiary deposits of that country. The last of the gigantic birds were probably exterminated, like the Dodo, by human agency: some small species allied to the Apteryx, may possibly be met with in the unexplored parts of the Middle Island. THE DODO.-Vol. I. page 291. A most valuable and highly interesting history of the Dodo and its kindred* has recently appeared, in which the history, affinities, and osteology of the Dodo, Solitaire, and other extinct birds of the Islands Mauritius, Rodriguez, and Bourbon, are admirably elucidated, by H. G. Strickland (of Oxford), and Dr. G. A. Melville. The historical part is by the former, the osteological and physiological portion by the latter eminent anatomist. We would earnestly recommend the reader interested in the most perfect history that has ever appeared, of the extinction of a race of large animals, of which thousands existed but three centuries ago, to refer to the original work. We have only space enough to state that the authors have proved upon the most incontrovertible evidence, that the Dodo was neither a vulture, ostrich, nor galline, as previous anatomists supposed, but a frugiverous pigeon. The Dodo and its Kindred. By Messrs. Strickland and Melville. 1 vol., 4to., with numerous platez. Reeves, London, 1848. INDEX TO VOL. I. ABICH, Hermann, structural relations of volcanic rocks, 233. Acosta, Joseph de, Historia Natural de Adams, Mr., Planet Neptune.-See Elian, on Mount Etna, 225. 102. Agassiz, Researches on Fossil Fishes, Alexander, influence of his campaigns Ampère, André Marie, 40, 187, 234. Anghiera, Peter Martyr de, remarked first recognized (1510) that the limit 336. Animal life, its universality, 350-354; Anning, Miss Mary, discovery of the ink bag of the sepia, and of copro- Ansted's, D. T., Ancient World.' Apian, Peter, on comets, 86. Arago, his ocular micrometer, 18; Argelander, on the comet of 1811, 95; Aristarchus of Samos, the pioneer of Artesian wells, temperature of, 166, 220. Astronomy, results of, 18-20; phenɔ- mena of physical astronomy, 23, 24. Atmosphere, the, general description of, 317-322; its composition and August, his psychrometer, 340, 341. of, 187-197; origin and course, 220. See also note by Translator, Beaumont, Elie de, or the uplifting of Beccaria, observation of steady lumi- Beechey, Capt., 82; observations on Bembo, Cardinal, his observations on 356. Bérard, Capt., shooting stars, 107. surements of the Dead Sea, 301. Bergenberg, on meteors and shooting Biot, Edward, Chinese observations of Böckh, origin of the ancient myth of the Nemean lunar lion, 123. Boguslawski, falls of shooting stars, 106, 116. Bonpland, M., and Humboldt, on the pelagic shells found on the ridge of the Andes, 25. Bopp, derivation of the word Cosmos, 52, 53. Boussingault, on the depth at which is found the mean annual temperature within the tropics, 168; on the volcanoes of New Granada, 214; on the temperature of the earth in the tropics, 217, 218; temperature of the thermal springs of Las Trincheras, 219; his investigations on the chemical analysis of the atmosphere, 317, 318; on the mean annual quan tity of rain in different parts of South America, 341, 342. Bouvard, M., 90; his observations on that portion of the horary oscillations of the pressure of the atmosphere, which depends on the attraction of the moon, 319. Bramidos y truenos, of Guanaxuato, 204, 205. Brande, tails of shooting stars, 100, 102; height and velocity of shooting stars, 107; their periodic falls, 113. Bravais, on the aurora, 196; on the daily oscillations of the barometer in 70° north latitude, 320; distribution of the quantity of rain in Central Europe, 341; doubts on the greater dryness of mountain air, 342. Brewster, Sir David, first detected the connection between the curvature of magnetic lines and my isothermal lines, 187. Brongniart, Adolphe, luxuriance of the primitive vegetable world, 215; fossil flora contained in coal measures, 283. Brongniart, Alexander, formation of ribbon jasper, 260; one of the founders of the archæology of organic life, 275. Brown, Robert, first discoverer of molec ular motion, 350. Buch's, Leopold von, theory on the elevation of continents and mountain chains, 25; on the craters and cir cular form of the Island of Palma, 223; on volcanoes, 232, 237, 241, 242,246, 247; on metamorphic rocks, 249-252, 261, 264, 265; on the origin of various conglomerates and rocks of detritus, 271; classification of Ammonites, 279; physical causes of the elevation of continents, 299; on the changes in height of the Swedish coasts, 299, 300. Buckland, 274; on the fossil flora of the coal measures, 282. Buffon, his views on the geographical distribution of animals, 357. Burckhardt, on the volcano of Medina 246; on the hornitos de Jorullo. See note by Translator, 227. Burnes, Sir Alexander, on the purity of the atmosphere in Bokhara, 100, 101; propagation of shocks of earthquakes, 208. Caille, La, pendulum measurements at the Cape of Good Hope, 161. Caldas, quantity of rain at Santa Fé de Bogota, 341. Camargo's M.S. Historia de Tlascala, 130. Capocci, his observations on periodic falls of aerolites, 113, 114. Carlini, geodesic experiments in Lom bardy, 159, 160; Mount Cenis, 162. Carrara marble, 263, 264. Carus, his definition of "Nature," 21. Caspian Sea, its periodic rise and fall, 301, 302. Cassini, Dominicus, on the Zodiacal light, 127, 128; hypothesis on, 130; his discovery of the spheroidal form of Jupiter, 156. Cautley, Capt., and Dr. Falconer, dis covery of gigantic fossils in the Himalayas, 281; see also note by Translator, 281. Cavanilles, first entertained the idea of seeing grass grow, 140. Cavendish, use of the torsion-balance to determine the mean density of the Earth, 162. Challis, Professor, on the Aurora, March 19, and Oct. 24th, 1847, see note by Translator, 190, 194. Chardin, noticed in Persia the famous comet of 1668, called 'nyzek, or 'petite lance,' 128. |