144 ME. E. T. NEWTOiS' ON THE EBMALNS OF A 



to me for examination. Three of them proved to be parts of one bone, the almost 

 perfect ulna of Coryphodon croydonensis {vide Proc. Geol. Assoc, vol. viii. p. 250, 1883). 

 The condition of this bone and of the other fragments, the nature of which could not 

 then be determined, showed that they had been broken by the workmen in extracting 

 them, and suggested the probability of their having been perfect until removed from 

 their resting-place. The interest of this discovery induced Mr. Klaassen to spare no 

 trouble in trying to obtain more specimens, and before long he brought me a large mass 

 of " Blue Clay " containing parts of a much broken bone still imbedded in the matrix. 

 A pair of condyles were partly exj)osed, and at first it was thought to be a femur 

 of the Coryphodon ; but on clearing away the clay it was soon obvious that the bone 

 was avian and not mammalian — it was, in fact, the tibio-tar»us of a gigantic bird 

 (PL XXVIII. figs. 1-3), rivalling in size some of the larger species of Dinornis. The 

 greatest care was taken to fit the broken pieces together ; but, unfortunately, the 

 proximal end was wanting, as well as a part of the shaft a little above the condyles, 

 so that the proper length of the bone and the exact form of the hinder part of the 

 distal articular surface were uncertain. 



Mr. Klaassen's continued perseverance and liberality were rewarded by the acquisi- 

 tion of some more specimens, which proved to be the distal end and part of the shaft 

 of another tibio-tarsus (PI. XXIX. figs. 7-11) in a more perfect state of preservation and 

 larger than the one previously obtained but otherwise exactly resembling it, so that 

 we were no longer in doubt as to the form of the distal end of the bone. kSubsequently 

 part of a large femur and a few other specimens were found. The femur (PI. XXIX. 

 figs. 13-15) and a portion of the proximal end of a tibio-tarsus were surrounded by a 

 closely adhering black carbonaceous matrix, and were obtained either from the " Blue 

 Clay " or from one of the " Lignite-beds " (</), most probably the latter. 



Fortunately we are in no doubt as to the age of these avian remains, for Mr. Klaassen, 

 being well acquainted with the various strata exposed in the Park-Hill section, knew 

 the beds from which the specimens came, and most of them when brought to me were 

 still surrounded by their matrix of blue or black clay. The bones are of a black or 

 dark-brown colour, and their mineral condition is like that of so many Lower Eocene 

 fossils, namely, infiltrated with iron pyrites, which renders them very hard and heavy. 

 Although these remains were obtained at difi'erent times, extending over some months, 

 they were all found in the north cutting at Park Hill and within a distance of about 

 200 yards of each other. 



Portions of five tibio-tarsi and part of a femur have been found, and these 

 indicate at least four individuals, three adults and one very young bird. The bones 

 vary somewhat in size, but there is no good reason for supposing that they belong to 

 more than one species. All the specimens have been presented by Mr. Klaassen to the 

 Geological Survey Museum, Jermyn Street. 



