THE CLASS BIEDS. 321 



Moa, right femur. Inch. Inch. 



(Fig. 299a) measures. . . 18^; when complete . 19 

 Length of the shaft ... 9| 



Around the condyles . . . 20f- 

 Around the upper part of 



the bone 28f 



Moa, left tibia. 



Length of the fragment . . 36 

 Probable actual length when 



entire 40 



Circumference around the 



condyles 21 



Circumference of the shaft 7J 



Comparative measurements, showing that this is probably the 

 tallest bird ever brought to Europe. 



/Emu 9 



- Ostrich U 



) Dinornis giganteus of the museum . . 16 



\ Stevenson specimen 19 



.,. /Emu 16 



T^. Ostrich 18 



length in < Dinornig of the museum 35 



I Stevenson moa 40 



Metatar- /Emu . . 15 



sus, 1 Ostrich 16 



length of, j Dinornis of the museum 18f 



in the \ Stevenson moa 21*2 



The height of the Dinornis of the museum 10ft. 6in. 

 Height of the Stevenson moa .... 12 



It is conjectured that birds of a still greater height once existed 

 in Madagascar. K. K.] 



434. The tactile sensibility is but little developed in 

 birds, and the form of their wings and feet is also unfavour- 

 able for its exercise. The taste is more or less obtuse, and 

 their cartilaginous tongue, without nervous papillae, seems 

 ill-adapted for taste (Fig. 313). They seem to swallow their 

 food without tasting it. The sense of smell appears stronger, 

 but yet not much developed. The nasal fossae are hollowed 

 out of the base of the upper mandible (Fig. 284), without 

 communicating with, the sinuses. They have a very vascular 

 pituitary membrane, and three cartilaginous laminae (cornets) 

 rolled on themselves, resembling the turbinated bones of 

 mammals. These laminae seem to be better developed in birds 



Y 



