﻿44 
  Mr. 
  R. 
  Lydekker 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  the 
  largest 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  Zeahand 
  Moas 
  — 
  the 
  tibia 
  of 
  Brontornis 
  

   measuring 
  30| 
  inches 
  in 
  lengthy 
  against 
  39 
  inches 
  in 
  the 
  

   tallest 
  Moa 
  ; 
  while 
  the 
  skull 
  of 
  Phororhacos 
  longissinms 
  is 
  

   considered 
  to 
  indicate 
  a 
  bird 
  much 
  larger 
  than 
  either 
  

   Brontornis 
  or 
  the 
  most 
  stately 
  Di?iornis. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  peculiar 
  feature 
  of 
  these 
  birds 
  is 
  undoubtedly 
  

   the 
  form 
  and 
  structure 
  of 
  the 
  skull, 
  which 
  is 
  quite 
  unlike 
  

   that 
  of 
  the 
  Moas 
  or 
  that 
  of 
  any 
  existing 
  Ratite 
  bird. 
  Un- 
  

   fortunately 
  the 
  cranium 
  is 
  at 
  present 
  only 
  known 
  to 
  

   us 
  by 
  a 
  brief 
  description, 
  without 
  a 
  figure, 
  and 
  Ave 
  have 
  

   accordingly 
  to 
  rely 
  mainly 
  on 
  the 
  mandible. 
  In 
  the 
  typical 
  

   mandible 
  of 
  Phororhacos, 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  anterior 
  portion 
  is 
  

   figured 
  in 
  the 
  accompanying 
  woodcut 
  (p. 
  42), 
  the 
  most 
  note- 
  

   worthy 
  features 
  are 
  the 
  enormous 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  specimen, 
  the 
  

   extreme 
  narrowness 
  and 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  symphysis, 
  the 
  large 
  

   size 
  of 
  the 
  lateral 
  vacuity, 
  and 
  the 
  somewhat 
  sigmoid 
  profile 
  

   and 
  upturned 
  point 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  ramus. 
  To 
  give 
  some 
  idea 
  

   of 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  this 
  jaw, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  mentioned 
  that 
  the 
  length 
  

   of 
  the 
  symphysis 
  is 
  upwards 
  of 
  65 
  inches, 
  while 
  to 
  the 
  hinder 
  

   third 
  of 
  the 
  lateral 
  vacuity 
  the 
  length 
  is 
  fully 
  14^ 
  inches. 
  

   It 
  may 
  accordingly 
  be 
  estimated 
  that 
  the 
  total 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  

   whole 
  jaw 
  could 
  not 
  have 
  fallen 
  short 
  of 
  between 
  20 
  and 
  

   24 
  inches. 
  Such 
  a 
  jaw 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  as 
  large 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  

   extinct 
  Edentate 
  Scelidotherium, 
  and 
  Prof. 
  Araeghino 
  may 
  

   therefore 
  be 
  well 
  excused 
  for 
  having 
  at 
  first 
  taken 
  it 
  for 
  that 
  

   of 
  a 
  mammal. 
  In 
  general 
  contour 
  this 
  mandible 
  is 
  more 
  like 
  

   those 
  of 
  Psophia 
  and 
  Cariama 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  any 
  other 
  living 
  

   bird. 
  In 
  the 
  cranium 
  the 
  beak 
  is 
  described 
  as 
  compressed 
  

   and 
  curved, 
  with 
  its 
  tip 
  overhanging 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  mandible; 
  

   but 
  the 
  most 
  remarkable 
  feature 
  is 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  two 
  

   alveoli 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  jaw, 
  which 
  are 
  considered 
  

   to 
  have 
  carried 
  large 
  teeth. 
  It 
  is 
  further 
  inferred 
  that 
  the 
  

   skull 
  was 
  surmounted 
  by 
  a 
  horny 
  casque, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  

   presence 
  of 
  rugosities 
  on 
  the 
  frontal 
  region. 
  

  

  It 
  may 
  be 
  remarked 
  here 
  that 
  Prof. 
  Lemoine 
  ^ 
  has 
  de- 
  

   scribed, 
  in 
  the 
  alveolar 
  border 
  of 
  the 
  premaxilla 
  of 
  Gastornis, 
  

   a 
  large 
  circular 
  swelling 
  which 
  he 
  regards 
  as 
  having 
  been 
  the 
  

   * 
  Eecli. 
  Oiseaux 
  Fossiles, 
  pt. 
  ii. 
  (Rheims, 
  1881). 
  

  

  