2IO 



NA TURE 



[June 28, 1894 



Of Nototkerium, so fa- as we are aware, no remains have been 

 mei with, unless, perhaps, some tcelh which differ from the 

 ordinary type of those of Diprotodon may prove to be referable 

 to this aniaial. 



Besides the above, wh'ch constitute the bulk of the mammalian 

 specimens, there are old bones and fragments of bones belonging 

 to some, as yet, undetermined small animals. 



Of the great Birds which appear lo be all of one species, and 

 o' neatly one size, we have, as slated, two skulU of extraordinary 

 siie, in pxssable condition ; but a? these have not yet been de- 

 ▼eloped, it is not possible to give their characters or exact 

 meisurements. They, however, certainly exceed eleven inches, 

 and possibly reach twelve inches, in length. There are besides 

 three pelves, one sternum, a whole vertebral series, including 

 the tail, several ribs, two partially complete sfts of wing hones, 

 and a dozen or more legs complete, so that the collection 

 probably comprises nearly all the bones of the skeleton. The 

 femur is of the same massive build as that of Dromornis 

 amlralis, and even exceeds it in size. Moreover, so far as can 

 be judged from description and plates, it differs from it in contour 

 and section, which is greatly compressed anteroposteriorly, and 

 ill some other particulars. The differences between the two 

 tibia are al>o considerable, especially in respect of the existence 

 in the new fos>il of a bony ridge across the precondylar groove. 

 The proximal end of the femur differs also from the fragment 

 a-sign»d by Mr. De Vis to Piiiornis qiieonlamUiC, but not ac- 

 cep;ed as such by Captain Hutton. Apart from the vast 

 differences of proportion, the leg-bones of the new fossil have 

 many points of resemblance to those of Dronuzus in the dis- 

 position of salient anatomi al features, a similarity which has 

 been noted by Sir R. Owen in the case of Dromornis. The 

 foot (relatively small, when compared to that of Dinornis 

 el'phanlofus'i is tridaciyl, the outer toe appearing to possess 

 only four phalangeal segmenis. 



The following measurements present, roughly, a comparison 

 between the dimensions (reduced to the metric system) of the 

 femur of Owen's Dromornis, as stated by him {Trans. Z-oi. 

 Soc. vol. viii. p. 381), and one of the largest of the lemora of 

 the Lake Callabonna fossil. 



Dr':)mornis australis 

 Lake CaJUbjDlu bird 



Extreme 



cm. 

 39'a 

 35' 



Lai. diameter at 

 middle-third. 



Antcro- post trior 

 diameter. 



Femur. Tibic-Taraui. .Tarro-Metalarius. 



I Middle 



1 = 



^ u 



Dromjco* n-i 

 Holland >;<: 



cm. 

 i8j 



7 5 M* 



The combined length* ••< ili- ii-r,.,. principal segments in the 

 Callabonna fiii»il thu« r if the Kmcu by more than a 



fool, and those of D c'^ i.y about the same amount. 



t")f the wing we forluna'cly possess two examples, one wanting 

 only in tJic phalangeal portion, thr other more imperfect. 

 r ' with Ihi'. ' ' ■ Mic Kmcu, whose 



I. radio-ulnar vcly lo cm. and 



7 3 - 1 ='K''i. • f'l'l ■ - I h segments if the 



fixtil bird are 8'9 cm. and lo cm. and considerably thicker. 



NO. I2S7, VOL. 50] 



A further idea, also, of the compara'ivc proportions of the 

 various .segments of the leg may be gained by reference to the 

 subjoined table, in which the comparison is made between the 

 legs of a Dinornis clef'hanlafus in the .South Australian Museum, 

 the Lake Callabonna fossil, and a large Kmeu {Dromons iiov,r 

 hollandiit) : — 



The remaining bird-bones are in the collection which has yet 

 to reach Adelaide, and I can therefore give no particulars of 

 them from personal observation. There can, however, I think, 

 be no doubt, even from the above limited observations, that these 

 bird-remains indicate the former existence of a large extinct 

 struthious bird distinct from either Dromornis or the Dinotnis 

 queenslaiidiir of De Vis. 



It is estimated that altogether about three to four tons net 

 weight of bones have been, so far, obtained. 



Although the most careful search was constantly made, no 

 traces whatever of Tli\laiclco werediscovertd, which, under the 

 circumstances, is rather remarkable if the habits of this Vieast 

 were as predatory as is believed by some. Us remains have, 

 however, been found in other parts of South Australia, asso- 

 ciated with those of Diprotodon. Nor weie there any signs of 

 the contemporaneous presence of man. 



Meteorological. 



.\rriving at the camp on August l6, the party experienced 

 nne weather, but very cold nights for about a week. Strong 

 winds, mostly south-easterly but veering in all directions and 

 increasing in strength for about twenty four hours and even- 

 tually subsiding, then became of frequent occurrence. Later 

 on, towards the end of October, these gales, now usually from 

 northerly quarters, increased in force and frequency, begin- 

 ning at any time in the day and lasting twelve to eighteen hours, 

 carried dense clouds of fine sand from the dunes, and pulverised 

 saline matter Irom the lake, and were most irritating to the 

 eyes. 



In November these gales blew almost continuously and with 

 slill greater force, raising sand-storms so dense that it was im- 

 possible to see more than a few yards, and work was conse- 

 quently impossille. Empty cases, and even the bones laid out 

 10 dry, were blown about the camp, sometimes to a distance of 

 a hundred yards. The nights were intensely dark. Heavy 

 clouds to the norlhwards seemed to threaten rain, but none 

 came for some days. These clouds appeared to separate at the 

 nor hern end of the lake, to travel southwards on each side of it, 

 and then to unite again. Mr. Ragless, at Call.ibonna, was 

 convinced that in some way or another the lake bed was an 

 obstacle which the rain cliuds from the west did not readily 

 pass. During the day the heat was often intense, the ther- 

 mometer in the tent rising frequently to no' F. or not unfre- 

 quently even to 120 , but the nights were still comparatively 

 cool. Innumerable flies were, in the day-time, a constant and 

 maddening source o( annoyance to man and beast, and so tor- 

 tured the camels that the margin of their eyelids became quite 

 raw. About the middle of November there was heavy rain for 

 eighteen hours, and a week later a severe sand-storm from the 

 west, bringing a sharp thunder-shower, in which an inch fell in a 

 quarter of an hour, and its impact on the surface of the lake w.as 

 so heavy that it could be heard at Callabonna Station six miles 

 »i slant. A fortnight later a secontl severe sand-storm from 

 the west was followed by another heavy shower. Just pre- 

 vious 10 the latter rain laige ll.icks of the Australian Swift, 

 Cyf'sc/iis auslralis, locally called rain-birds, and considered to 

 be a sure sign ol heavy rain, passed over the lake. On one 

 night only « as theie a (og, which w.is of such peculiar denseness 

 that the candle in the tent threw hardly any light, and its flame 

 appeared surrounded by a yellow halo. 



i*rev oils to heavy weather immense numbeis of nocturnal 

 insects came round the camp fire at night, and a large collection 

 ol them was made. 



Radhits. 



During November the camp became almost unbearable fiom 

 the stench produced by the dead carcases of rabbits which came 

 10 drink ol the waters of a very br.ackish, in fact salt, spring at 

 the base of the sand-hill, about a hundred yards from camp. 

 Round this they died after drinking, or else perished after 

 ciawling for shelter into the tents and empty boxes. It became 

 part of the routine of the camp to bury upwards of fifty bodies 

 every nighl, but still the nuisance w.is hardly lessened. The 

 rabbits also cau>ed many bones to be broken by crawling under 

 them in search of little pools of saltwater which dripped from 

 them as they were laid out to dry. In their frantic search for 

 water they gnawed holes in the waterb.ags in camp, and on the 

 mainland bit through the stems and roots of the "needle- 

 bush," a species of Ilakea. In one night al Callabonna Mr. 

 Ragless killed 1400 with poisoned water, and what with 



