HuTTON. — On the Moas of the North Island. 551 



T. J. Parker, F.E.S., under the name of Mesojiteryx, sp. a," from 

 Te Aute (Plate XLVII., fig. B.). This skull resembles that of 

 Meionornis casuarintis in — (1) Its arched cranial roof ; (2) the 

 shape of the temporal fossa3 and ridges ; (3) the uniformly- 

 rounded orbits; (4) the small mammillar tuberosities ; and (5) 

 the slender-pointed mandible. But it differs in (6) the supra- 

 foraminal ridge not projecting beyond the occipital condyle ; 

 (7) in the par-occipital processes being short and rounded ; (8) 

 in the margin of the tympanic cavity being evenly curved ; (9) 

 in the zvgoraatic processes sloping more forward and outward ; 

 (10) in the broader posterior temporal fossae ; (11) in the pre- 

 sence of a sulcus immediately in front of the ridge separating 

 the temporal fossa from the optic cavity ; (12) in the pre- 

 sphenoidal fossa extending considerably in advance of the 

 optic foramen ; and (1-3) in the broad articular cup and small 

 posterior angular process of the mandible. 



In all these points the skull approaches those of Anomal- 

 ornis or Pachyornis, especially the latter. There is another 

 specimen of what appears to be the same or a closely-related, 

 species in the Auckltind Museum, from a cave near Wha- 

 ngarei. It is more imperfect than the one from Te Aute, and 

 has no mandible. The two skulls are alike in size, and in the 

 shape of the par-occipital processes, the tympanic cavity, the 

 zygomatic processes, and the posterior temporal fossae ; and 

 also in the shape of the temporal fossae and presence of a 

 sulcus in front of the ridge separating the temporal fossa from 

 the optic cavity. The pre-sphenoidal fossa cannot be com- 

 pared. 



However, the Whangarei specimen differs from that from 

 Te Aute in many small particulars. The occipital condyle 

 does not project so much, and is overhung by the supra- 

 occipital ridge, as in Meionornis. The cranial roof is more 

 convex, both longitudinally and transversely; the mammillar 

 tuberosities are better developed ; the area between the tem- 

 poral and lambdoidal ridges is rather narrower; the post- 

 orbital processes are broader ; the optic foramina are larger 

 and rounder ; and the three foramina of the lacerate fossa are 

 larger. This cranium has the basi-pterygoid processes pre- 

 served ; they are very slender, and project downward more 

 than in any other species. No doubt the two skulls belong to 

 the same genus. 



The dimensions of the Te Aute skull are given by Professor 

 Parker. The following are those of the Whangarei skull : 

 Length of basis cranii, 26mm. ; length of roof of cranium, 

 65mm. ; width at squamosals, 51mm. ; at temporal fossae,. 

 41mm. ; at postorbital processes, 62mm. ; distance between 



* Trans. Zool. Soc. of Loudon, vol. xiii., p. 378. 



