550 



Transactions. — Geology. 



but, judging from the figure, the centra of the ribless sacral 

 vertebrae have their lower surfaces rounded, and with a rudi- 

 mentary longitudinal keel. The sternum is not known. 



Cela* curta. 



Plate XLVIT., Fig. B. 



Dinornis curtus, Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc, iii., p. -325 (1846). 



Anomalopteryx curta, Lydekker, Cat. Fossil Birds in Brit, 



Mus., p. 281. Cela curta, Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst.,. 



xxiv., p. 127. 



Figures. — Metatarsus, Trans. Zool. Soc, iii., pi. 48 (E.B., 

 pi. 40), fig. 6 ; vii., pi. 44 (E.B., pi. 87), figs. 7-10 : tibia, I.e., 

 iii., pi. 47 (E.B., pi. 39), figs. 3-5 : femur, I.e., v., pi. 55 

 (E.B., pi. 68), figs. 5, 6 (geranoides) : cranium. I.e., iv., 

 pi. 24 (E.B., pi. 53), fig. 5; xiii., pis. 61, 62, Mesopteryx, 

 sp. a. 



This was a common species all over the North Island. 

 The metatarsus figured by Owen in "Extinct Birds of New 

 Zealand," pi. 87, f. 7, is from a cave fourteen miles distant from 

 Oamaru. All other bones are from the North Island. The 

 type is a tibia from Waingongoro, near Wanganui, which has 

 a length of about 292mm. 



The following are the dimensions of the largest and 

 smallest leg-bones in the Canterbury Museum : — 



Length. 



Pros. 

 Width. 



Mid. 

 Width. 



Distal 

 Width. 



The pelvis is like that of Meionornis casuarinus, but much 

 smaller, and the centra of the sacral vertebrae are com- 

 pressed. The length of the ilium is 203mm. -228mm. ; that 

 of the pre-acetabular portion is 94mm. -107mm. The height 

 of the ilium before the acetabulum is 63mm. -70mm. ; and the 

 width at the antitrochanters is 120mm. -127mm. 



The sternum resembles that of M. casuarinus, but there 

 are no pneumatic depressions in the antero- lateral corners. 

 The width below the costal border is about 68mm. 



I refer to this species the skull described by Professor 



* As Cela of Mohring is a synonym of Casuarius, the name may per- 

 haps be allowed to stand here. 



