224 RATIT^. 



with the postzygapophyses directed much outwardly and separated 

 by a very deep channel (fig. 59), and the posterior face of the 

 centrum low and wide. The dorsals have short transverse pro- 

 cesses and neural spine, the anterior and middle ones (those with 

 a hsemal spine or carina) having a large anterior pneumatic foramen 

 between the rib-facet and the transverse process ; in the posterior 

 dorsals the anterior border of this pneumatic foramen is situated 

 behind the corresponding border of the rib-facet, the foramen being 

 triangular in shape. 



All the species are of comparatively large size ; and the genus 

 includes the tallest representatives of the family. 



The reasons for regarding the term Palcqjferyx as a synonym of 

 Dinornis, and not the equivalent of Pachyornis, are mentioned 

 under the head of D. novce-zealandice, 



Dinornis novae-zealandise, Owen ^ 



Syn. Dinornis giganteiis, Owen ^. 

 Dinornis ingens, Owen^. 

 Palapteryx iitgens, Owen*. 

 Moa gigantea, Reichenbacli ^. 

 Movia ingens, Reichenbacli". 



The type species : the male, or so-called D. ingens, being also the 

 type of Palapteryx '' and Movia. 



Founded upon the evidence of the tibio-tarsus. Somewhat 

 inferior in size to the largest individuals of D. maximus, from which 

 it differs by the relatively more slender tibio-tarsus and tarso-meta- 

 tarsus ; this being especially shown by the narrower distal ex- 

 tremity of the former, and the lesser expansion of the trochlea) of 

 the latter. 



The tibio-tarsus, which attains a length of 0,887 (35 inches) in 

 the female, and 0,736 (29 inches) in the male, has a short and very 

 oblique extensor bridge ; its distal width varies between rather more 

 than one seventh to rather more than one eighth of the length. 



The bones from the South Island provisionally assigned to this 



' Proc. Zool. Soc. 1848, p. 8. Specimens belonging to more than one 

 species were included under this name. As the first-mentioned specimen is a 

 femur which is not absolutelj characteristic, it seems best to take the second, a 

 tibia, as the t5'pe. 



2 Trans. Zool. Soc. -vol. iii. pi. sxTii. fig. 1 (1844). 



=• Ibid. p. 247 (1844). * Ibid. p. 327 (1846). 



5 Nat. Syst. Vogel, p. xxx (1852). ^ Loc. cit. 



"^ Palapteryx was founded upon the two species Dinornis ingens and D. 

 struthioides, so that the subsequent attempt to take Fachjornis elephantopus as 

 the type of that genus is totally inadmissible. This was pointed out by Hutton. 



