1873.] DR. J. HECTOR ON CNEMIORNIS CALCITRANS. 763 



Prof. Owen read the twentieth of his series of memoirs on the 

 extinct birds of the genus Binornis and their allies. This contained 

 a restoration of the skeleton of Cnemiornis calcitrans, and gave 

 remarks on its affinities with the Lamellirostral group. 



This paper will be published in the Society's 'Transactions.' 



The following papers were read : — 



1 . On Cnemiornis calcitrans, showing its Affinity to the 

 Natatores. By James Hector, M.D., F.R.S. 



(Plates LXV.-LXVIII.) 



[Eeceived October 16, 1873.] 



Since the discovery of the very interesting specimen of the Moa's 

 neck* with well-preserved muscular tissue and integument, in the 

 Earnscleugh Cave in the interior of the Province of Otago, the lo- 

 cality has been visited several times, and especially in February of 

 last year by the Hon. Capt. Fraser, who obtained, besides Moa-bones, 

 several belonging to a smaller-sized birdf, being part of a skeleton, 

 most of which had been previously removed by some gold-diggers. 

 I recognized these to belong to Cnemiornis calcitrans, Owen J, the 

 only difference being that the humerus (Plate LXV.) differs from that 

 described by Professor Owen in several important characters. Be- 

 sides the humerus were the right femur and tarso-metatarsus, and 

 the metacarpal bones, the two former agreeing accurately with 

 Professor Owen's description and plates, and the last-mentioned 

 being a new addition to the osteology of the bird. 



The chief difference observed in the humerus (Plate LXV. 1, 2, 3) 

 is its greater proportional size, being equal in length to the femur 

 instead of one ninth less, and its having a very distinct pneumatic 

 fossa (Plate LXV. fig. 2 a) closed by a cribriform bony septum. In 

 addition, the tuberosity (b) representing the pectoral ridge is not so 

 wide ; and the proximal articular surface (c) is slightly broader and 

 more convex at its middle part than in the typical bone. These 

 characters led to its being suspected to belong to a carinate bird ; 

 but the massiveness of the bone was, I thought, sufficient to disprove 

 this. In order to determine this point with some degree of accuracy 

 I compared the weight with the bulk of the same bone in several 

 species of birds, with the following results : — 



Weight. Bulk. 



1. Cnemiornis (Earnscleugh Cave) 10 244 



2. Weka (Ocydromus), non-volant 10 210 



3. Kakapo (Stringops), non-volant .... 10 187 



4. Kaka (Nestor), volant 10 131 



5. Hauk (Hieracidea), volant 10 126 



A small portion of the shaft was also removed (Plate LXV. fig. 3), 



» Trans. N. Z. Inst. rol. iv. p. 1 10, pi. v. t Ihid. vol. v. pp. 102 & 417. 



\ Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. v. p. 395. 



