1865. ] MR. A. NEWTON ON SOME DIDINE BONES. 715 
9 inches broad; the coracoid process measures 11 inches in length, 
and 5 inches in breadth. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES. 
Fig. 1. Outer surface of scapula of Sibbaldius antarcticus. 
2. Outline of the glenoid cavity. 
15. On a RemAarKABLE Discovery or Diprne Bones 1n Ro- 
DRIGUEZ. By Atrrep Newron, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S. 
When, a few months ago, I exhibited to the Society three bones 
of a species of Didine bird which had lately been found in Rodriguez 
by my brother and Captain Barclay* (P. Z. S. 1865, pp. 199-201), 
and expressed the opinion that a rich reward awaited the careful ex- 
plorer of the caves in that island, I had little notion that the fulfil- 
ment of my anticipation was so near at hand. Though I was sure 
that my brother’s partial success would make him redouble his 
efforts to organize a systematic search of the caverns he had hur- 
riedly visited in 1864 (see Ibis, 1865, pp. 146-154), yet the failure 
which had attended his many previous attempts to inspire others 
with the zeal he himself felt forbade me to be sanguine and to expect 
that any good or important results would immediately follow. It 
was therefore with extreme gratification that, while attending the 
meeting of the British Association at Birmingham at the beginning 
of September last, I received from him a letter, dated “ Mauritius, 
3rd August, 1865,” from which the following is an extract :— 
* * * «Two days ago I received from Mr. George Jenner, the 
Magistrate of Rodriguez—to whom be all honour—a box containing 
Turtles’ and Birds’ bones. With pleasure I divided them, and found 
that of the latter there are remains of no less than sixteen or seventeen 
individuals! They are all apparently of one species, but of two sizes, 
the difference in this respect being probably owing to sex. The 
most plentiful bones are tibize, of which there are two or three quite 
. perfect, the antero-proximal ends being well preserved. There are 
also several very good femora and metatarsi, three portions of pelves 
(showing most conclusively that they did not belong to a Struthious 
bird), one anterior end of a coracoid (showing the same fact), several 
humeri of both sizes, an ulna and two radii, and a phalanx of the 
middle toe. Of these, I believe that the upper end of the tibia, 
the portions of the pelvis and of the coracoid, the ulna, radius, and 
phalanx are bones which have not before been found, and are there- 
fore doubly valuable. I retain here a couple of perfect legs of the 
two sizes for our Museum ; but the rest I am sending home by this 
mail. It will be seen that there is one tibia which is much longer 
than any of the others; it is not a perfect one; but there is such a 
strong resemblance between them all that I feel sure they are but of 
* By a blunder on my part I before mistook this gentleman for a son of Sir 
Henry Barkly, the Governor of Mauritius, to whom he is aide-de-camp, and I 
consequently misspelt his name, which should be written as above. 
