376 NATURAL SCIENCE. May, 
should not all be assigned to the same species? Mr. Hutton has in 
his paper placed bones that vary by only ‘5 of an inch in length in 
diffevent species, while in the case of D. validus above, we have 
metatarsi differing by 1°5 inch in length and 1°2 in girth united in 
the same species. Why also should metatarsi whose dimensions lie 
between 
12°2-13'0 ins. in length and 4:0-4'75 in girth be described as D. lorosus. 
those between 
13'0-14°25 i 4°25-4°9 A 5 D. gracilis. 
and those of 
12'0 s 50 a Fe D. stvuthtotdes. 
and why should femora of 
11'50 a 55 D torosus. 
and those of 
11°25 a 55 a ., D. stvuthivides. 
We find in this lengthy paper also the following :— 
Metatarsi measuring 10°4 inches in length and 4:0 inches in girth=dvomtoides | 
anauane “a 10°6 - he 40 - = plenus J 
giving a difference of o:2 in length and ‘o in girth. 
Tibia measuring 21:0 inches in length, and 40 inches in girth=dvvmiivides | 
and ,, ie 21°5 a Re 4°6 a = plenus ) 
giving a difference of ‘5 in length and ‘6 in girth. 
and Femora measuring 9°6 inches in length and 4:0 inches in girth=dvomivides \ 
Printed ns deat 10'0 .; is 4°0 i plenus J 
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 curta, 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.cuvtus . . . 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 oweni is to be separated 
from cuvtus, then for the sake of uniformity most of the species should 
be split into two, for they show quite 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 ¢:b¢e 1°65 inch in length by ‘35 inch in girth less than 
C. curta; but the metatarsi and tibia of P. dvomioides and P. plenus, 
which differ by a much less fraction from each other, are placed 
under different species. Nevertheless, it has been found necessary 
to unite Haast’s species, D. oweni, though separated by greater 
differences, to Cela curta. 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 Anomalopteryx antiqua, it is founded on 
the photographed pieces of a metatarsus which Mr. Hutton had no 
opportunity of examining, and on fragments of two tibize, which 
