. Ornithological miscellany . opaque* characterof the Penguin-stones are well given, and show the different localities inwhich the two birds lived. * Curiously enough, as I write this article, I observe the follo-n-ing in The Field/March 9th, 1878 :— At the meeting of the Zoological Society on Tuesday, March 5, Professor Newton drewattention to the statement of Leguat that every Solitaii-e {Pezophaps solitaria) contained a largesingle stone in its gizzard, and exhibited one of three stones found by Mr. Caldwell associated withthe remains of as many bu-ds of that species in the caves of Rodrigu
. Ornithological miscellany . opaque* characterof the Penguin-stones are well given, and show the different localities inwhich the two birds lived. * Curiously enough, as I write this article, I observe the follo-n-ing in The Field/March 9th, 1878 :— At the meeting of the Zoological Society on Tuesday, March 5, Professor Newton drewattention to the statement of Leguat that every Solitaii-e {Pezophaps solitaria) contained a largesingle stone in its gizzard, and exhibited one of three stones found by Mr. Caldwell associated withthe remains of as many bu-ds of that species in the caves of Rodriguez. Each of these stones wasfound under the breast-bone of the skeleton of this extinct animal. The largest specimen wasabout 2| inches in length by 2 inches in breadth. All were alike composed of basaltic lava, whichdoes not occm- in the immediate neighbourhood of the caves in which the remains of the Solitaireare found. The fact that the stone was single is worthy of remark, and means something. ORNITHOLOGICAL ^mu ■%. «fe>^i J. Smit KaTitart unp. STONES OF THE MOA. 2^ Do Do. OEKIN& PENGUIN APTENODYTESPENNANTII. 3 TEAGMEET OF THE EGG OF ^PYORNIS MAXIMUS4, Do. Do. ^PYORNIS GRANDIDIERI. SHOWmG THE DIFFEEENCE OF GRANULATION &. THICKNESS INEACH SPECIES. MADAGASCAR AND NEW ZEALAND. 241 I have examined and made collections of similar stones from variousbirds, such as Wood-Grouse (Tetrao urogallus), Norway Blackcock,Ptarmigan, tame Goose, &c. ; but no particular results present themselves. The general function of these stones, and their use in the gizzard ofthe possessor, may be understood by refeience to the article by Mr. A. , Prosector to the Zoological Society (P. Z. S. 1872, p. 525, with twofigures). He gives an explanation of the action of the gizzard, as a simplecrushing-organ which produces a most powerful compression of thecontents. The Prosector speaks twice of sharp-pointed stones; I may, how-ever, remark that though doubtless
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1876
