4 io SCIENCE PROGRESS. 



Casts of a number of pieces of limb bones of a small 

 Moa, Anomalopteryx antiqua, which were discovered be- 

 neath a lava-flow at Timaru, are described and figured by 

 Hutton (25). These specimens were first noticed by 

 Forbes, who states that they were accompanied by re- 

 mains of Apteryx. As to the age of the deposits in which 

 these fragments occur there is much difference of opinion, 

 and they have been successively referred to the Eocene, 

 Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene. Forbes believes 

 that they are Pleistocene or at latest Upper Pliocene, 

 while Hutton regards them as Miocene or Pliocene. In 

 any case the specimens, which have been lost, were so 

 imperfect that conclusions dependent upon them must be 

 received with caution. 



In a subsequent memoir (26) by the same author the 

 structure of the axial skeleton in the various a-enera is dis- 

 cussed, and the descriptions of the various forms of pelvis 

 and sterna are very useful, as also are the references to the 

 published figures of various portions of the axial skeleton 

 of the different forms. 



Some ten years ago De Vis announced the discovery 

 in Queensland of a femur of a species of Dinornis. The 

 occurrence of the New Zealand type of Ratite bird in 

 Australia would, of course, be a matter of great interest 

 and importance in questions relating to the geological 

 history of two areas ; but the great difficulty in accurately 

 determining isolated bird bones made it seem probable that 

 in this case a mistake had been made. This suspicion 

 would appear to be well founded, for Hutton, having 

 had an opportunity of examining casts of the type speci- 

 men of the so-called Dinornis Queenslandice, states (27) 

 that it differs widely from all Dinornithine femora with 

 which he is acquainted. He considers that the bone is 

 that of a bird related to Dromseus (the Emu), and coming 

 between that genus and Dromornis, an extinct Australian 

 form described by Owen. 



The most valuable contribution to our knowledge of the 

 morphology of the Moas that has been published for many 

 years is Professor Jeffrey Parker's paper (28) on the cranial 



