18 



C. W. Andreu's — A New 8])ecies of uEpyornis. 



III. — Note on a New Species of ^ptornis (^. titan). 

 By C. W. Andrews, B.Sc, F.Z.S. 



IN a collection of vertebrate remains from the south-west coast of 

 Madagascar, recently received in the British Museum, there 

 occur numerous bones belonging to, at least, three species of 

 uEpyornis. Among them are two tibio-tarsi, right and left, of 

 gigantic size, much larger than any hitherto described. Both these 

 bones are, unfortunately, considerably damaged at the upper end, the 

 right one alone showing any portion of the proximal articular 

 surface. They both, without doubt, belong to the same species, 

 though probably not to the same individual. The left, which 

 on the whole, is the better preserved, may be taken as the type 

 of the species which it is proposed to call JEpyornis titan. 



A very massive femur from the same collection probably belongs 

 to the same species. There are also several more or less imperfect 

 femora, which are slightly smaller and of rather different proportions. 

 All the bones have a very fresh appearance. 



The tihio-tarsus has the following dimensions in centimetres, those 

 of u^. maximus. Is. Geof. and v3?. Hildehrandti, Burck. being quoted 

 for comparison from the memoirs of Milne Edwards, Grandidier, 

 and of Burckhardt. 



Measurements of tlie tibio-tarsi of 



JE. titan. 



^. maximus. 



^. Eilcle- 

 brandti. 



Length SO-O' 



Width of distal end 17-0 



Width of shaft at the narrowest point... 7'5 



Circumference at the narrowest point ... 20-7 



Shortest antero -posterior diameter 4- 5 



64-0 cm. 

 13-5 „ 



15-5 



48-5 cm. 

 8-2 „ 



11-0 



The shaft of the bone is slightly curved with the concavity 

 inwards. The anterior surface of the lower two-thirds is flat and is 

 bounded on either side by ridges, the inner being the stronger, 

 which separate it from the lateral surfaces. The upper portion is 

 traversed by a linea aspera, which is continuous with the lower end 

 of the pro-cnemial crest and runs downwards and inwards, reaching 

 the inner border of the bone about 32 cm. from its distal end ; here 

 it is continuous with the inner ridge above mentioned. Immediately 

 above the articular surface is a longitudinal ridge with a rugose 

 tubercle at its lower end. Between this and the inner border is the 

 groove for the extensor tendons of the digits, deepest distally and 

 soon dying away as it is traced upwards. The extensor bridge is 

 unossified. The lateral and posterior surfaces form a continuous 

 curve, nearly semicircular in section in the middle of the shaft, but 

 becoming flattened posteriorly as the bone widens towards the distal 

 articulation. The shaft is also flattened externally near its lower 

 extremity. The surface of attachment for the fibula closely 

 resembles that in JE. maximus. The condyles project considerably 

 forwards, the inner being the larger and more pi'ominent. Their 

 1 This measurement is taken from the right-hand specimen and is only approximate. 



