442 RESIDUE OF EXTINCT BIRDS OF QUEENSLAND AS YET DETECTED, 



metacarpal moderately produced beyond the level of the rest of 

 the articulating surface, its facette for the fourth phalanx nearly 

 flat, elevated, its base denned posteriorly by a pronounced depres- 

 sion of the metatarsal surface. Anterodorsal surface of shaft with 

 the usual tendinal groove, which is well denned by ridges, posterior 

 to it and near the edge of the articular surface a short ridge 

 denning a second tendinal groove. Shaft compressed infero- 

 superiorly. 



The long quadrangular form of the articulation enables us to 

 eliminate the families which do not agree with the fossil in those 

 particulars — namely, the Psittaci, Grallce, Anseres, Ardeidce, and 

 among the Ciconidce, Ciconia, all of which, with some exceptions 

 *n a minor degree among the Grallce, have also the fourth meta- 

 carpal not produced beyond the third, and the shaft subcylindrical 

 or subtrihedral, except in Esacus and Lobivanellus, in which it is 

 compressed. Of birds with an elongated articulation the Passeres 

 have the third metacarpal excessively prolonged and the small 

 articular eminence lenticular or more or less obsolete ; it is much 

 the same with the Halcyonidce and Pittidce. The Fcdconidce have 

 the third metacarpal somewhat prolonged, but the eminence is 

 lenticular. The Strigidce, with an oblique oval eminence, have 

 the third metacarpal not at all prolonged, and almost the same 

 may be said of the Caprimulgidce and Columbce. 



The metacarpals most like the fossil bone are afforded by 

 Carphibis and Xenorhynchus, and of these the latter approaches 

 it most nearly in general form and size combined — Carphibis in 

 the form of the articular eminence and presence of the short 

 tendinal groove. But the difference in the extent to which the 

 third metacarpal of the fossil is produced removes it widely from 

 both these genera and compels one to propose for it the provisional 

 genus named in the title. As the size of this part of the skeleton 

 is somewhat considerably greater than it is in the Jabiru, the bird 

 to which it belonged may be supposed to have been on the whole 

 correspondingly larger, and if so, we may picture to ourselves a 

 bird which may fairly be called nobilis. 



