460 Zoological Society : — 



November 14, 1854.— John Gould, Esq., F.R.S., in the Chair. 

 On the Bones of the Leg of Dinornis (Palapteryx) 



STRUTHIOIDES AND THE PaLAPTERYX GRACILIS. 



By Prof. Owen, F.R.S., F.Z.S. etc. 



In my memoir of 1843*, I described two femora of birds from 

 tertiary deposits in New Zealand, agreeing in size with that bone in 

 the Ostrich, and referred them to a species called Dinornis struthi- 

 oides ; one of these specimens however consisted only of the shaft ; 

 the other and more perfect specimen, figured in pi. 21. fig. 3, was 

 mutilated at both its extremities. I have since received, through 

 the kindness of the Rev. Mr. Colenso, M.A.f , and the Rev. William 

 Cotton, M.A., three entire specimens of femora, ranging between 

 1 1 and 1 2 inches in length, and the shaft of a fourth specimen, of 

 the same species, confirming very satisfactorily that species, and com- 

 pleting our knowledge of the anatomical characters of the bone. 



The head is rather more than a hemisphere, more prominent than 

 in the Ostrich, and with a smaller proportion cut off, as it were, from 

 the upper and outer part, and roughened for the attachment of the 

 strong *ligamentum rotundum.' From the upper part of the base 

 of the head, an almost flat, slightly concave surface ascends, expand- 

 ing, as it rises, to the broad semicircular ridge which crowns the great 

 trochanter. In the Ostrich that process does not rise beyond the 

 level of the head of the bone. In the Bin. struthioides the upper 

 trochanterian platform is broader proportionally than in the Bin. 

 casuarinusX' The anterior surface of the trochanter is also extensive 

 through the continuation outwards of the great process : it is slightly 

 concave, sculptured by muscular impressions with intervening ridges, 

 and by a defined oval rough tract between the head and the base of 

 the trochanter. The outer convex expanded surface of the trochanter 

 is more strongly marked by the insertions of powerful tendons, 

 surrounding an irregular smooth tract near the centre of the surface. 

 The back part of the upper end of the femur in two of the specimens 

 presents two or three small holes leading into the superficial can- 

 celli, by which it is possible a little air may have been admitted to 

 these cavities ; but this is a very feeble representation of the wide 

 orifice and canal at the same part of the Ostrich's femur which con- 

 ducts directly to the large air cavity in the body of that bone. 



The shaft of the entire femur of the Bin. struthioides repeats the 

 characters described and figured in the memoir above cited. The 

 fore-part of the external condyle begins to rise from the level of the 

 shaft, about one-third from the distal end of the bone, and bends 

 outwards, forwards and downwards, increasing in breadth and con- 

 vexity, and forming the outer boundary of the characteristic broad 

 rotular surface. The convex fore-part of the inner condyle forming 



* Zool. Trans, vol. iii. pp. 247, 249. pi. 21. fig. 3. 



t The specimen contributed by this gentleman is cited in the table of admea- 

 surements. Zool. Trans, vol. iii. p. 329. 

 + Ibid. pi. 46. fig. 2. 



