SUB-FOSSIL REMAINS FROM KING ISLAND. 
The first portion of a pelvis secured was obtained by Mr. 
Campbell, and presented by him to the National Museum. This 
by itself was too fragmentary and imperfectly preserved to base 
any decided conclusion upon. Indeed, in the absence of other 
specimens it could not be definitely stated whether it was an 
adult or a young one, but the structure of the 20 specimens now 
in our possession is decisive. As the table shows, there is a 
difference of 150 mm. between the length of the largest pelvis of 
D. minor and D. nove-hollandiea, and a difference of nearly 
50 mm. between the former and D. peroni. Indeed, the latter 
appears to be intermediate in size between the two former. 
5. Skull. 
(Plate 6.) 
As might be expected, remains of the skull are difficult 
to procure, and are of necessity more or jess fragmentary, the 
fragile bones of the jaws being easily detached and broken. 
The complete fusion of the bones, and entire eradication of all 
sutural marks, show that the remains are those of quite mature 
birds; indeed, unless complete fusion of the bones had taken place, 
there would not be the slightest chance of the preservation of the 
cranium as a whole. The shifting of the sand, under which the 
bones lie buried, by strong westerly gales would soon dissociate the 
skull bones. Ina young D. nove-hollandie, with a length of 80 
‘mm. between the frontal suture and the occiput—that is, much larger 
than the largest of the skulls of D. minor—the sutures between 
the occipital, parietal, and frontal bones are widely open, and 
during maceration the bones separate from one another. — Instead 
of there being any chance that the skulls are those of immature or 
not fully grown birds, it may be regarded as absolutely certain 
that only perfectly mature skulls would have any chance of 
surviving the movements of the shifting sand. 
Even more striking than the difference in size is thatin the 
shape of the cranium of the island and the mainland form. The 
illustrations of the skulls seen in side-view in figures 5, 6 and 9, 
and the outline drawings representing the curvature of the upper 
surface of the cranium in two adult specimens of D. minor and two 
adult and one immature specimens of D. nove-hollandie@, show at 
a glance the great difference that exists in the cranial formation of 
the two forms. The outline drawings are life-size and in each 
case the horizontal line passes through the condyle posteriorly, 
and the suture of the frontal bone anteriorly.* The contrast 
* The drawings were made by means of the Dioptograph, designed by Dr. Rudolph 
Martin, for the opportunity of using which we are indebted to Professor R, J. A. Berry. 
[ 14 ] 
