HuTTON. — On the Moas of New Zealand. 



129 



Genus MESOPTERYX.- 



Dlnornis (part) of Owen. 



Skull convex, angled behind. The vertical ridge of the 

 supra-occipital broadened out into a triangular tuberosity. 

 Breadth at the squamosals one and a half times the height 

 from the basi-temporal. Length from the supra-occipital to 

 the nasals rather greater than the breadth at the squamosals. 

 Temporal fossie narrow and with a median elevation. Oc- 

 cipital condyle hidden by the supra-occipital, slightly exposed 

 laterally. Orbits small. Beak slender, shorter than the 

 head, much compressed and pointed at the tip. Length of 

 the premaxillse to the maxillary suture, not quite one and a 

 half times the breadth. Lower mandible slender. Plate 

 XVI., fig. 7. 



Sternum without coracoid pits. Length of the body about 

 three quarters of the breadth. Costal processes very large ; 

 lateral processes narrow, slightly curved outwards, diverging at 

 an angle of about 20° from the middle line ; median process 

 long and not notched. No scapulo-coracoid. 



Pelvis moderate ; the breadth at the anti-trochanters about 

 1-2 times the length of the pre-acetabular portion of the ilia; 

 length of the ilium about 2-3 times that of its pre-acetabular 

 portion. Metatarsus shorter than the femur ; its length be- 

 tween 1-7 aiad 2 times the girth at the middle of the shaft. 

 Tibia about 2-25 times the length of the metatarsus, its length 

 between 3'7 and 4 times the girth of the shaft. Femur about 

 1-35 times the length of the metatarsus; its length between 

 1'8 and 2-2 times the girth of the shaft. A hind-toe was 

 present, and the legs were feathered down to the toes. 



Mesopteryx didinus. 



Dinornis didiformis, Haast, Trans. N.Z.Inst., vol. i., p. 83, 

 Nos. 5 and 6. Dinornis huttonii, Owen, Ext. Birds of 

 N.Z., p. 430 (1879). Dinornis didinus, Owen, Trans. 

 Zool. Soc, vol. xi., p. 257 (1882). 



Figures. — Cranium, Ext. Birds of N.Z., pi. Ixxviii. (as casua- 

 rimis). Eestoration, pi. cxi. (as didiformis). 



Greek ju-ecro?, middle. 



