358 



On Fossil Remains of Carinate Birds. 



There is also a complete right femw (PI. IX. fig. 7), which 

 exhibits the usual peculiarities of that bone in the Rails. 

 This may, perhaps, belong to the present species, but indi- 

 cates an individual rather larger than that to which the 

 pelvis belongs. The shaft is much more curved than in 

 Porphyria, and the extremities are more massive. The 

 dimensions of this femur are : — 



In addition to the above-described specimens, there are a 

 number of odd bones, of which, in most cases, it is impossible 

 to do more than determine the genus, at least until a more 

 complete series of skeletons of Malagasy birds shall be 

 available for comparison. 



Among these bones are included a right humerus of 

 Arclea intermedia ; a right tibia of a Spoonbill, probably 

 Platalea tenuirostris, Temminck ; a left tibia of a Hawk, pro- 

 bably belonging to the genus Astur -, its length is 97 mm., 

 so that the bird was apparently about the same size as the 

 male of A. hensti, Schlegel. Lastly, there is the proximal 

 half of a left humerus (PL IX. fig. 8) of a very small species 

 of Plotus. This specimen agrees closely with the humerus 

 figured and described by Newton and Gadow {loc. cit. 

 pi. xxiv. figs. 3-4) as one of the type specimens of Plotus 

 nanus, and it must be referred to that species. 



In conclusion, it may be remarked that the very large 

 collection of bird-remains here described, together with great 

 quantities of bones of JEpyornis, and also of various mam- 

 mals, including an ape-like form [Nesopithecus) new to 

 science, was obtained under circumstances of great difficulty 

 and danger. The swampy nature of the deposits made the 



