376 NATURAL SCIENCE. May. 



should not all be assigned to the same species ? Mr. Hutton has in 

 liis paper placed bones that vary by only '5 of an inch in length in 

 di^'event species, while in the case of D. validns above, we have 

 metatarsi differing by 1-5 inch in lengtli and 1-2 in girth united in 

 the same species. Why also should metatarsi whose dimensions lie 

 between 



I2-2-I30 ins. in length and 4o-4'75 in girth be described as D. tuivsus. 

 those between 



130-14 .25 ,, 4-25-49 ,, ,, D. giucilis. 



and those of 



120 „ 50 ,, ,, D. slitithioidcs. 



and why should femora of 



II 50 ,, 53 „ ,, D iuivsiis. 



and those of 



1125 •• 5'5 .. .. D. strut It ioides. 



We find in this lengthy paper also the following : — 

 Metatarsi measuring 104 inches in length and 40 inches in girth -^dycinioidcs] 

 and ,, ,, 106 ,, ,, 40 ,, =plcnus J 



giving a difference of 02 in length and o in girth. 

 Tibia: measuring 210 inches in length, and 40 inches in '^irih. = divmioides\ 

 and,, ,, 215 ,, ,, 46 ,, =plenus • 



giving a difference of 5 in length and 6 in girth. 



and Femora measuring 90 inches in length and 40 inches in g\xih. = dyomioides\ 



I. .. 100 ,, ,, 40 ,, plcnus I 



Difference of 4 in length and o in girth. 



How unsatisfactory this method of classification is, may be 

 gathered from Mr. Hutton's observations under Cela cuyta, Owen, 

 where we read: " I regret that I cannot maintain D. oweni (described 

 by Von Haast) as a separate species. It is only a small individual of 

 C. CHvtus . . . Sir J. V. Haast says that the femur is shorter and 

 the metatarsus more slender in D. cuvtus than in D. oweni ; but my 

 measurements do not bear this out, and the supposed anatomical 

 differences between them are only individual variations, which may 

 be found in almost every species of Moa. If o'u'eni is to be separated 

 from cuvtus, then for the sake of uniformity most of the species should 

 be split into two, for they show ijuite as wide a range of variation." 

 Now of D. oweni, the metatarsi are "6 of an inch in length by '5 inch 

 in girth, and the tibicc 1-63 inch in length by -35 inch in girth less than 

 C. CHvta ; but the metatarsi and tibia,' of P. dvomioides and P. plenns, 

 which differ by a much less fraction from each other, are placed 

 under different species. Nevertheless, it has been found necessary 

 to unite Haasl's species, D. oweni, though separated by greater 

 differences, to Cela cuyta. It is very difficult to comprehend on 

 what grounds these unions and separations are based, and impos- 

 sible to assign unknown bones to their proper genera and species 

 solely by this method of differentiation. 



As for the identification of Anomalopievyx antiqtia, it is founded on 

 the photographed pieces of a metatarsus which Mr. Hutton had no 

 opportunity of examining, and on fragments of two tibia:;, which 



