ROOM II. APTORNIS. 123 



able to five or six species of Dinornis, Palapteryx, and 

 Notornis ; and there are eight tarso-metatarsals with the arti- 

 cular surface for a very strong hind toe, and of a conforma- 

 tion more nearly resembling those of the Dodo than of the 

 Dinornis and Palapteryx, but shorter and thicker in propor- 

 tion, and appertaining to the same bird as the tibia and 

 femora described in my Memoir of 1843, under the name of 

 Dinornis otidiformis. 



"The proximal articulation of this remarkable form of 

 tarso-metatarsal exactly fits the distal end of the tibia figured, 

 (vol. iii. pi. xxvi. fig. 5,) and also that of a corresponding 

 fractured tibia in Mr. Mantell's collection ; which also con- 

 tains the proximal end of another tibia, a fibula, an entire 

 femur, and distal ends of two other femora, of the same 

 species. 



" The large surface for the hind toe, the strong calcaneal 

 process forming a complete bony canal for the flexor tendons 

 at the back part of the proximal end of the tarso-metatarsal, 

 the perforation above the interspace between the outer and 

 middle metatarsals for the tendon of the adductor muscle 

 of the fourth toe, and the more posterior position of the 

 condyle for the inner toe, all concur to indicate the generic 

 distinction of the bird to which it belonged, from either 

 Dinornis or Palapteryx ; and I propose to distinguish the 

 new genus by the name of Aptornis ; and the present 

 species A. otidiformis" 1 



All the specimens above described are deposited in Table- 

 Case 1 6 ; I have since received other bones belonging to the 

 same remarkable generic type. The annexed figures of one 

 of the metatarsals in my collection, though on a small scale, 

 will serve to impress the peculiar characters of this bone on 

 the observer's memory. 



The length from the intercondyloid prominence to the end 

 of the middle trochlea is four inches ; the transverse diameter 

 of the metatarsal articulation is If inches (Lign. 30. 2). 

 The great relative width of this bone, the strength of the 

 proximal and distal ends, the greatly produced calcaneal 

 process, the large and deep excavation for articulation with 



Zool. Trans. Vol. iii. p. 347. 



