Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/494

468 case of the celebrated skeleton of the "Irish giant" in the Hunterian Museum), as the fatty matter in the medullary cavity is melted and pervades the whole osseous tissue, and generally leaves the bones discoloured and greasy, as may be seen in most of those that have been cooked for the table.

2. Burying in the ground may be resorted to when there are no conveniences for maceration, but it is even a slower process. The effect upon the bones is the same, but they are nearly always stained brown by the colouring matter in the soil, and the small ones are apt to gel lost.

3. It has occurred to me, following out a suggestion of Mr. Seymour Haden's, in his excellent letters entitled 'Earth to Earth,' relating to the best mode of disposing of the dead, to clean bones by burying them in a basket of charcoal, and though the experiments are not quite complete they promise excellent results, especially as all the disagreeable odour of maceration is entirely obviated, and the process may even be carried on in inhabited rooms without any inconvenience.

the month of October, 1876, I sailed from Davis Strait for Ireland on board H.M.S. 'Alert.' We met with foul winds and dirty weather coming down the middle of the Strait, and strong baffling winds in the longitude of Cape Farewell, which accompanied us most of the way across the Atlantic. The greater part of the day was passed by me on deck, and the officers when on watch, knowing my proclivities, invariably called me when any bird out of the common came in sight. I think therefore that we noted amongst us most of the individuals that came near the ship during daylight. I have purposely avoided mentioning our daily latitude and longitude, as, to many persons who may not have a chart at hand, constant repetition of figures does not aid the memory, but has rather the contrary effect,—at least I know that is my experience,—but I have given the approximate distance