60 



it has oiily half the length, other dimensions being equal or even 

 greater. 



Of the depression, whicli is very faint, in the Dinomis rnbustus for 

 the hgamentous attachment of the rudimentai back toe there is no 

 trace in the metatarse of the D. elephantopus. 



The bones of the foot I shali compare with those of the Dinomis 

 robustus,* to which they make the nearest approach in size. Equal- 

 ling, or nearly equalHng, the phalanges of that bird in breadth and 

 thickness, they diflfer chiefly in shortness, but in a less degree than 

 the metatarsi differ. These proportional characters of the species are 

 best and easiest given in the platės. A few minor differences, how- 

 ever, may be noticed : the outer portion of the proximal end of the 

 first phalanx of the inner toe is broader in proportion to its fore-and- 

 aft diameter in Dinomis elephantopus. The inner portion of the 

 proximal end of the first phalanx of the outer toe presents the hke 

 difference : the general form of that artieular surface is less triaugu- 

 lar and more oval in both the specified phalanges of the Dinomis 

 elephantojms, one, the under side, being indented as usual in the 

 proximal phalanges of the inner and outer toes. 



The modifications in the other phalanges, besides those of size and 

 proportion, are not greater or other than might be expected in dif- 

 ierent species of the šame genus. 



The first evidence of the Dinomis crassus reached me from a tur- 

 bany deposit at Waikawaite, in the Middle Island ; it formed part of 

 the coUection there made by Mr. Earl. I have never received any 

 evidence of the species from the North Island. 



In likę manner the bones of the much larger bird, which I have 

 called Dinomis robustus, and which I was formerly inclined to regard 

 as a variety of the Dinomis giganteus, appear to be peculiar to the 

 Middle Island ; or at least have not hitherto been found in any 

 locality of the North Island. 



The richer senes of illustrations of both the Dinomis robustus and 

 Dinomis crassus in the collection of ^Nlr. "\Valter Mantell are from 

 localities in the Middle Island ; and the abundant illustrations of the 

 Dinomis elephantopus are exclusively from one locality in that island ; 

 they were obtained at Ruamoa, three miles south of Oamaru Point, 

 or that called the ' Vast Rocky Head ' in the new Admiralty map. 

 This fact might give rise to the idea that the origiual range or locality 

 of the Dinomis elephantopus had been a restricted one, unless, at 

 the period when the species flourished, the geographical extent of the 

 Middle Island was vvidely different from what it now is. Yet Mr. 

 W. Mantell has obtained strong, if not unequivocal evidence, that the 

 Dinomis elephantojms and Dinomis crassus existed contempora- 

 neously with Maori natives. Tlie bones described in the foregoing 

 pages are in a recent and most perfect condition. They retain the 

 usual proportion of animal matter and have undergone no mineral 

 change. 



From the sum of our present Information respecting the localities of 

 the several species oi Dinornithidce, we may infer that most, if not all, 

 * See Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. iv. pi. 1. 



