BIRDS ALLIED TO THE DODO. 193 



Proceeding to the hinder extremities, we have next to notice the bone No. 9, a frag- 

 ment of a right femur, comprising the distal half, of which the articular extremity is 

 much injured. From the rugged condition of its surface, it seems to have belonged to 

 a very aged individual. Its dimensions appear to correspond exactly with those of the 

 femur No. 4, allowing for the thickness of the incrustation on the latter bone. The 

 only measurements which the broken condition of this fragment enable us to take, are 



the following : — 



lines. 



Transverse diameter of the shaft 10 



Antero-posterior diameter of the shaft .... 8 



Transverse diameter of medullary cavity . . . 7^ 



Antero-posterior diameter of medullary cavity . 5| 



We will next speak of the very perfect right tibia. No. 1 1 , which, from its precise con- 

 formity to the broken left tibia. No. 10, is probably a portion of the same individual. 

 The distal portion of the tibia, No. 10, has been already fully described by Dr. Melville 

 in ' Dodo and its Kindred,' pp. 116, 117. 



The proximal extremity is nearly perfect, with the exception of the internal ridge, 



which is broken off. In general form it agrees with the same bone in the Columbida. 



The fibula is absent, but the rugose ridge to which it was attached is distinctly shown. 



The dimensions of this bone are as follows : — 



inch. lin. 



Total length 10 1 



Transverse diameter of proximal extremity .... 1 7 

 Antero-posterior diameter of proximal extremity ..19 



Length of fibular ridge 2 3 



Distance from distal extremity of fibular ridge to inter- 



condyloid groove 6 2\ 



Smallest transverse diameter of shaft 8 



Smallest antero-posterior diameter of shaft . . . . fi^ 



Breadth of lower extremity 14 



Antero-posterior diameter of lower extremity ... 1 3^ 

 The discovery of this nearly perfect tibia has now enabled us to compare the dimen- 

 sions of the three principal bones of the hinder extremity in the larger species of SoU- 

 taire. We are thus enabled to draw approximate conclusions both as to its absolute 

 stature, and as to the proportions of its parts, as compared with other species of birds. 

 We may now therefore adopt as the maximum length, in Pezophaps solitaria, of the 



inch. lin. 



Femur 7 2 



Tibia 10 1 



Tarso-metatarsus ... 7 



2 f2 



