344 Mr. C. W. Andrews on Fossil Remains of 



JE. hildebrandti of Burckhardt. In the black earthy on the 

 other hand, this species does not occur, but remains of 

 the somewhat larger ^. mulleri, M.-Edw. & Grand., were 

 found, as well as some well-preserved bones of the smaller 

 and more slender Struthious bird, Mullerornis agilis, M.-Edw. 

 & Grand. The difference between the species found in the 

 deeper deposits and those in the more superficial black earth 

 indicates that the former must be of considerable antiquity. 



The most remarkable of the extinct tj^pes of Carinatse 

 found by Dr. Major is a large Anserine bird (see Plate VIII.) 

 which in those parts of the skeleton known presents many 

 peculiar characters. The greater number of the specimens 

 referred to this species were obtained from the marly layer, 

 but the associated remains (here taken as the types) appear 

 to have been found in the superficial deposit. 



Remains of at least four or five individuals are included 

 in the collection, and fortunately in one or two cases a number 

 of bones are known to have belonged to the same skeleton. 

 The best of these associated sets includes the right femur 

 and ti bio-tarsus^ the proximal ends of the left coracoid and 

 scapula and of the right metacarpus : these will be taken as 

 the type specimens. Among the other more or less complete 

 bones which can be referred with certainty to this species 

 are an extremely well-preserved left tibia and femur, found 

 in association, an imperfect metatarsus, and fragments of a 

 sternum. 



It may be stated at once that this bird is quite unlike 

 any species now inhabiting Madagascar or, indeed, any other 

 part of the world. Among fossil forms, as will be shown 

 below, it resembles most nearly a large extinct Anserine bird, 

 Chenalopex pugil, described by O. Winge * from remains 

 found in the caverns of Lagoa Santa in Brazil. But even 

 from that it diflfers so much in the form and proportions of 

 its metatarsus that it is here regarded as representing a new 

 genus, for which the name Centrornis is proposed ; the specific 

 name adopted for this form being C. majori, after its dis- 



* Winge, Oluf, " Fugle fra Knogleliuler i Brasilien," E Museo Lundii, 

 Bd. i., Copenhagen, 1888. 



