Carina te Birds from Centra/ Madagascai 



347 



three-fourtlis of one specimen from the right leg and part 

 of the shaft of another from the left are preserved. These 

 bones belonged to the same individual, and are associated 

 with portions of the tibia, coracoid, and other fragments, so 

 that there is no difficulty in referring them with certainty 

 to the present species. 



Although about the proximal fourth is wanting, the speci- 

 men figured could easily be determined as Anserine, the form 

 and size of the middle trochlea and its relation to the lateral 

 ones being characteristic. Unfortunately the inner trochlea 

 is broken away, but the position of its neck shows that it 

 was reflected backward to a great extent. In comparison 

 with the metatarsus of the Swans and those of most of the 

 Geese, the bone is very long and slender, and its shaft is of a 

 uniform thickness for a much greater part of its length. 

 The metatarsi of Plectropterus and Chenalojjex (Bgyptiacus 

 present similar characters ; this is especially the case with 

 the latter, which, except that it is relatively shorter and has 

 a rather longer outer trochlea, is strikingly similar. Chena- 

 lopex pugil has a much shorter and stouter metatarsus, and 

 seems to difter also in some points in the form of the distal 

 trochlea. In Sarcidiornis the metatarsus is very much 

 shorter and stouter, and the shaft thickens much more rapidly 

 towards its upper end. 



The actual length of the fragment is 110 mm. ; the length 

 of the complete bone may be estimated at approximately 

 130 mm. The width of the middle of the shaft is 8*5 mm., 

 that of the middle trochlea 10 mm. 



The dimensions (in millimetres) of the metatarsi of some 

 other Anserine birds are given below for comparison : — 



2b2 



