ell 
9 
skeleton of the Bustard to the Dinornis, which are not presented by 
the skeletons of the true Struthionide. But he also dwelt upon the 
peculiar characters of the Dinornis, distinguishing it from the Otide, 
and indicating it to form a distinct family-type in the order of 
Gralle. 
With regard to the peculiar form of beak in Dinornis, reference 
was made to the deductions in the former memoirs, “from the un- 
usual strength of the neck,” that the Dinornis would be found to 
have a beak applicable ‘‘to a more laborious task than the mere 
plucking of seeds, fruits or herbage ;” and that ‘‘ the robust propor- 
tions of the cervical vertebrz, especially of their spinous processes, 
may have been the foundation of those forces by which the beak was 
associated with the feet in the labour of dislodging the farinaceous 
roots of the ferns that grow in characteristic abundance in New 
Zealand.” 
For this labour the beak of the Dinornis, formed after the model 
of the adze or pick-axe, seems peculiarly adapted, and the singular 
development in both breadth and depth of the cccipital part of the 
cranium, with its strongly marked ridges, processes and muscular 
depressions, is precisely calculated for the adequate attachment of 
the muscular masses arising from the cervical vertebre. 
The second form of cranium and beak, referred to the genus 
- Palapteryx, indicates that genus to be a member of the true Stru- 
thionide, and by its affinities to have been intermediate between 
Dromaius and Apteryz. 
The Notornis is a struthious or brevipennate form of the Rallide, 
intermediate between Porphyrio and Brachypteryx. The remains of 
the beaks of the Psittaceous bird are not distinguishable generically 
from those of the genus Nestor of New Zealand. 
Thus, observed Prof. Owen, “‘ those concordances in the geogra- 
phical distribution of existing and recently extinct forms of the 
warm-blooded vertebrate classes which are illustrated by the remains 
of Elephants, Rhinoceroses, Hippopotamuses, Hyznas, large Bovines 
and Cervines, in the pleistocene deposits of Asia and Europe,—by 
the absence of these and the presence of gigantic extinct Sloths, 
Armadillos and Anteaters, in the coeval deposits of South America, 
and of huge fossil Kangaroos, Wombats and Dasyures in the bone- 
caves and freshwater deposits of Australia,—have received new and 
striking elucidations from the repeated discovery, in the cavernous 
fissures, turbaries, and river-beds of New Zealand, of the remains of 
gigantic forms of birds allied to those small species, Apteryz and 
Brachypteryx, which constituted the highest representatives of the 
warm-blooded classes in the island, until the advent of Man led to 
the introduction of its present terrestrial mammals.” 
The author in conclusion repeated his acknowledgments to Dr. 
Mantell for the prompt accordance of the privilege of examining and 
describing these rare and interesting remains and expressed his 
high sense of the scientific value of the labours by which that emi- 
nent geologist’s intelligent and enterprising son, Mr. Walter Man- 
