Present distribution of the so called Ratitae. 157 



and tibio-tarsus, comi)aratively slender tarso-mctatarsus, fee1)le 

 feet, and smail deg'cneraling- inner (2'"') toe. 



B) Casuarinae. \'ümcr hut slii^litly expanded l)et\veen maxillo- 

 palatines; beak laterally compressed: palatine unfenestrated, and 

 not anchylosed with ptergoid and vomer: horizontal plate of 

 mesetimioid and inner borders of nasals and frontals produced into 

 large casque ensheathed in h(irn. Total vertebrae 55 — 59, cervi- 

 cals 14 — 15. Coracoid grooves not overlapping; anterior lateral 

 processes of sternum sluirt or obsolete, no clavicles: sternal plate 

 longer than broad: coracoid as broad as long: post-acetabular 

 shorter than pre-acetabular ilium: fore-arm and hand equal to 

 length of humerus: subtrochanteric fossa large; ulnare wanting: 

 radiale ancliylosed with radius and carpometacarpus: ungual, 

 phalanx of inner toe greatly elongated: Regimes reduced to a few 

 hypertrophied quills: rectrices atrophied: head and neck naked, 

 with or without wattles, and brilliantly coloured. 



a) Hypseloi-itis. Difiers from Casvarius by the stouter form 

 of second phalangial of 3"'' d'lgit, the more triangular shape and 

 deeper excavation of the proximal articular surface in which there 

 is no distinct median ridge and the posterior border is almost 

 straight; the abrupt rise of the proximal portion of the anterior 

 surface, which gives a concave instead of a nearly straight profile; 

 the deeper and wider anterior supratrochlear depression; and the 

 deeper intertrochlear notch. 



b) Casuari/US Same as subfamily Casuarinae. 



4. Apteryges. Beak long, decurved, probe-shaped; nasal 

 aperture greatly reduced and shifted forward to tip of beak: 

 lachrymo-nasal fossa enormous, extending along the whole length 

 of the beak; lachrymal vestigial, and fused to the external wall of 

 the antorbital plate which is bullate. Skull rounded, without post- 

 orbital processes; olfactory cliamber of great size, extending back- 

 wards to optic foramen; vomer passing backwards to fuse with 

 the pterygoid and palatine, and \\ ith them, forming the floor of a 

 tubular recess opening inwards. Pelvis long, and narrow: ischia, 

 and pubes separate: ilio-ischiadic fissure wide. 4-toed: claws long: 

 Procoracoid vestigial: clavicles wanting: Tibia without bony 

 bridge: Wing vestigial: Remiges vestigial and greatly reduced in 

 number: Rectrices wanting. Coeca large: long bristles in region 

 of gape: aftershaft w^anting. 



a) Aptéryx. In the tarso-metatarsus, the tAvo foramina above 

 tubercle for insertion of tibialis anticus are in a deep depression 

 on same horizontal line, a foramen is present in the groove between 

 3rd and 4th trochleae. 



b) Pseud aptéryx. Diiïers from Aptéryx in the outer foramen 

 above tubercle for tibialis anticus being placed on a much lower 

 level than inner one; in there being no depression on anterior 



