FoBBES. — Additions to Extinct N.Z. Birds. 189 



zealandicv ; but until more material is available the author pre- 

 fers to describe it under a variety of that species, i.e., PJiala- 

 crocorax nova-zcalandicB, var. major. 



The most interesting addition to the extinct avifauna of 

 New Zealand, however, in the estimation of the author, is a 

 group of birds belonging to the Dinornithida^, or family of the 

 moas, so distinct from the genus Dinornis, and presenting so 

 many Casuarine characters that he has proposed a new genus, 

 PalcBO-casuarius, for the reception of the three species he at 

 present considers referable to it. The genus is founded on 

 tibiae in his collection, very remarkable for their resemblance 

 to those of the cassowary {Gasiiaritis galeatus). These bones 

 are at once distinguishable by their straightness, their graceful 

 and slender contours, indicating, in contradistinction to the 

 heavy-limbed moas, birds as fleet of foot as the emus and 

 cassowaries. The species he has proposed to designate as — 

 (1) PalcEO-casuarius haasti, in memory of his predecessor, 

 and in recognition of his great and important services to 

 science in this colony, especially by his valuable contributions 

 to our knowledge of the moas. This bird exceeded consider- 

 ably the cassowary in size. (2) Palceo-casuarius elegans ; and 

 (3) Palceo-casuarius velox — the former of these equalling, and 

 the latter being less than, the helmeted cassowary. 



The interest of this collection consists chiefly in the evi- 

 dence of a former closer connection between the avifaunas of 

 Australia and New Zealand, exhibited by the discovery in 

 this colony of species of swan, of musk duck, and of a true 

 Ccrcopsis, or Cape Barren goose, and by the much closer 

 affinity of some of the Dinornithidae to the Struthious birds 

 of northern Australia and of the Melanesian Islands than has 

 hitherto been apparent. 



P.S. — 25th February, 1892. — A visit paid to the Chatham 

 Islands by the author since the reading of this paper has 

 brought to light there several highly interesting fossil and 

 subfossil avian remains. Of these, the recovery of the Mauri- 

 tian genus A2:)hanapteryx is the most important. For this 

 species the author proposes the name of A. haiokinsi, in 

 honour of the gentleman who first brought him a portion of 

 the cranium of this bird from the islands. Balhis dieffenbacJui, 

 Nestor notabilis, and species of Chenoins (in very old Moriori 

 middens), Himantopus, Carpophaga, and Columba are also 

 represented among the remains from this outlying group of 

 islands. 



