DISTRIBUTION OF AVES IN TIME. 535 



however, is Ichthyornis, in which the bodies of the vertebrae 

 are biconcave, as is the case with no existing bird. 



In the Tertiary rocks there are, comparatively speaking, 

 many remains of birds. In the Eocene rocks of France has 

 been found a large bird, as big as an Ostrich, the so-called 

 Gastornis Parisiensis ; and in England, in the same formation, 

 we have a small Vulture (Lithornis mdturinus\ and a King- 

 fisher (Halcyornis toliapicus). In the Eocene of Claris, in 

 Switzerland, occurs also the oldest known Insessorial or Passe- 

 rine bird, the Protornis Glarisiensis, which was about as big as 

 a lark. 



Numerous remains of birds have likewise been found in the 

 Miocene and Pliocene deposits. Amongst these we have 

 Parrots, Trogons, Secretary Birds, Petrels, Cranes, Guille- 

 mots, &c. With the exception, however, of the Mesozoic 

 Archceopteryx, by far the most remarkable remains of birds 

 have been found in the Post-tertiary or Pleistocene deposits. 

 All the remains now alluded to are those of gigantic wingless 

 birds ; and it is worthy of notice that they are almost exclu- 

 sively found in regions' now tenanted by smaller wingless birds, 

 whilst there is reason to believe that some of them have been 

 in existence during the human period. Most of the remains 

 in question have been found in New Zealand, where there 

 have been obtained the bones of several species of large wing- 

 less birds, referred by Owen to the genera Dinornis^ Palap- 

 teryx, and Aptornis. The Dinornis giganteus must have been 

 one of the most gigantic of the whole class of birds, the tibia 

 measuring upwards of a yard in length, and the skeleton indi- 

 cating a bird which stood at least ten feet in height In 

 another species, the Dinornis elephantopus, the " framework of 

 the skeleton is the most massive of any in the whole class of 

 birds," and " the toe-bones almost rival those of the Elephant" 

 (Owen). The feet were furnished with three anterior toes, 

 and are of interest as presenting us with an undoubted bird 

 big enough to produce the largest of the footprints of the 

 Triassic Sandstones of Connecticut. There is reason to be- 

 lieve from the traditions of the Maories that the Dinornis was 

 living at no very remote period, and that it has been exter- 

 minated by man. 



In Madagascar, bones have been discovered of a bird as 

 large as, or larger than, the Dinornis giganteus, which has been 

 described under the name of the jfLpiornis maximus. With 

 the bones have been found eggs measuring from thirteen to 

 fourteen inches in diameter, and computed to be as big as 

 three ostrich eggs, or one hundred and forty-eight hens' eggs. 



