258 



and continuing attached for 10 lines ; then again becoming anchylosed, after an interspace of 

 9 lines. In one specimen I found the fibula also anchylosed to the tibia by its expanded and 

 thick proximal extremity : it quickly diminishes in size as it descends, and gradually disap- 

 pears towards the lower fourth of the tibia. The distal end of the tibia presents the usual 

 trochlear form, but the anterior concavity above the articular surface is in great part occupied 

 by an irregular bony prominence. 



There is a small cuneiform tarsal bone wedged into the outer and back part of the ankle- 

 joint. The anchylosed tarso-metatarsal is a strong bone, 2 inches 3 lines in length ; the upper 

 articular surface is formed by a single broad piece. The original separation of the metatarsal 

 bone below into three pieces is plainly indicated by two deep grooves on the anterior and 

 posterior part of the proximal extremity : the intermediate portion of bone is very narrow 

 anteriorly, but broad and prominent on the opposite side. The bone becomes flattened from 

 before backwards, and expanded laterally as it descends, and divides at its distal extremity 

 into three parts, with the articular pulleys for the three principal toes. 



The surface for the articulation of the fourth, or small internal toe, is about half an inch 

 above the distal end, on the internal and posterior aspect of the bone. A small ossicle, 

 attached by strong ligaments to this surface, gives support to a short phalanx, which articu- 

 lates with the longer ungual phalanx. 



The number of phalanges in the other toes follows the ordinary law, the adjoining toe 

 having three, the next four, and the outermost five phalanges. 



Prepared from a specimen presented by the Rev. W. Cotton, M.A. 



Genus Casuarius. 



1356. The skeleton of the Cassowary (Casuarius galeatm}. 



The number of vertebra between the skull and sacrum is 25. The pleurapophyses begin 

 to be free at the sixteenth, which may be reckoned as the first dorsal vertebra ; those at the 

 twenty-sixth, or first sacral vertebra, are also moveably joined thereto by both head and 

 tubercle : the four anterior pairs are progressively elongated, but have no haemapophyses ; 

 these are present in the succeeding five pairs, but those of the last pair do not reach the ster- 

 num. The first and second dorsal vertebrae have a pair of hypapophyses ; in the third this 

 process is single, but notched below ; the fourth and fifth have the hypapophysis single, broad, 

 and compressed. The inferior surfaces of the remaining dorsal vertebrae are slightly carinate 

 or concave below. The diapophyses and parapophyses are well-developed, especially upon 

 the anterior dorsal vertebrae. The neural arch of each dorsal vertebra and of the last three 

 cervical vertebrae presents two pneumatic foramina at the fore part of its base, and a large 

 depression at the back part, which has also two or more perforations. The spinous pro- 

 cess of the first dorsal vertebra is rudimental and cleft longitudinally ; it becomes entire and 

 gradually broader and higher as the vertebrae approach the sacrum. A median carotid groove 

 is established on the under part of all the cervical vertebrae, save the first four, by two tuber- 

 cular processes developed from the under part of the two parapophyses. The rudimental 



