AO Shufeldt, Skeleton of Kea Parrot {Nestor notahilis). [,<;f"j",iy 



of their form, size, and characters in figs. 2 and 5 of the present 

 paper. There are no claws on the ends of the finger-joints in 

 Nestor, which holds true for all the Psittacidce. 



The Pelvic Limb (fig. 6, Plate VI., fig. 16, Plate X.)— It would 

 appear that all of the bones of this limb are non-pneumatic, 

 judging from their colour in the dried skeleton, and the absence 

 of pneumatic foramina at the sites where they usually are present. 

 For a Parrot, too, the skeleton of this limb is a powerful one, the 

 individual bones all being of large calibre with respect to their 

 shafts, and long in proportion to the size of the bird. This is 

 readily appreciated by comparing their lengths with the length 

 of the corresponding one in the much larger bird, the Red-and- 

 blue Macaw {Ani chloroptera). 



Nestor notabilis. Ara chloroptera. 

 Length of fepiur . . 6.7 cms. . . 6.5 cms. 



Length of tibiotarsus . . 10.4 cms. . . 9.0 cms. 



Length of tarsometatarsus 4.6 cms. . . 3.2 cms. 



All the bones of this limb appear to be pneumatic in the Macaw, 

 while upon the other hand some of the characters are quite 

 different. 



The head of the femur in the " Kea " is large and sessile with 

 respect to the shaft. An extensive though very shallow pit is 

 present for the insertion of the hgamentum teres. All of the 

 summit of the bone is in the same plane, while the trochanterian 

 prominences are much reduced, as compared with other birds of 

 other famihes. Apart from being marked by certain muscular 

 lines, the shaft of the bone is nearly straight, sub-cylindrical, and 

 smooth. Either condyle is large and prominent, although, 

 posteriorly, the popliteal fossa is shallow and not well defined. 



A large osseous patella is present, which is somewhat peculiarly 

 formed. Anteriorly it is uniformly convex and smooth ; superiorly 

 it is transversely elliptical in outline, and concaved. Posteriorly, 

 it is much excavated for its inferior half, which produces a sharp 

 edge for its distal border. The ligament in which it is encased 

 is broad and strong. 



Tibiotarsus of the leg is a strong, straight bone, with a big, 

 smooth, sub-cylindrical shaft. The low cnemial processes are widely 

 separated in front, and extend but slightly, though equally, down 

 the shaft. They rise to some extent above the summit of the 

 shaft, and possess a common, thickened margin proximad. The 

 " fibular ridge " is rather short, and is confined entirely within 

 the limits of the superior third of the shaft. Distally, above the 

 condyles, the shaft is somewhat compressed in the antero- 

 posterior direction, being nearly flat posteriorly, while in front 

 it is shallowly grooved in the middle line, being spanned below 

 by a small osseous bridge, above which a roughened tubercle, one 

 on either side of the median groove, afford attachment for the 

 ligament that in life confines the tendons passing to the dorsum 

 of pes. 



