284 



SIE E. NEWTON AND DE. GADOW ON THE DODO 





Necropsittacus 

 rodericanus . 



Lophopsittacus 



mauritiaiius. 



Calyptorhynchus 



funereus. 



Cacatua 

 gdlerita. 



Palceomis 



alexandri. 





mm. 

 46-49 



59-63 



22 

 127-134 



20-0 



20-0 

 13-5 

 57 

 50 



mm. 



58,61,63 



1 88, 93 (type l 



\ specimen), 99 f 



35 



181-197 



27-5 



22-0 



16-0 



65, 71, 78 



65 



mm. 

 55 



74 



25 

 154 



mm. 

 60 



86 



27 

 173 



32 



32 

 20 

 53 

 41 



mm. 

 37 



50 



18 

 105 



Tibia 



IVrfttatai'sus 



Total length of hind limb 

 Width of sternum at level 



of 1st rib 



Distauce from spina ex- 

 terna to height of crista 

 sterni 



Distance from spina in- 

 terna to subclavian ridge 

 Greatest length of man- 



Greatest width of man- 





The most interesting part of this Parrot is the enormous underjaw. One pair of 

 underjaws is absolutely complete but for a few particles of bone being broken off from 

 the anterior margin. The left mandibles of two other specimens are nearly complete. 

 A fourth specimen is represented by the posterior half of the left mandible only. 

 These four jaws vary somewhat in size. The distance from the posterior angle [p in 

 fig. 5, Plate XXXIII.) to the anterior end of the complete symphysis is in the largest 

 and best preserved specimen 78 mm., in the next 71, in the third only 65 mm. The 

 smallest specimen of the extinct Mauritian Parrot is consequently still 8 mm. larger 

 than that of Necropsittacus rodericanus. The width of the mandibles shows the same 

 proportions. Each underjaw has a distinct additional articulating facet, about 7 mm. 

 in length, for the ventral surface of the outer process of the quadrate, which carries 

 the jugal bone. Such an additional facet, besides the usual one at the ventral end of 

 the quadrate, is indicated in Cacatua galerita, broad and well developed in Stringops, 

 Calyptorhynchus, and Ara : in fact, in many Parrots with powerful and broad underjaws. 

 It seems rather improbable that such an enormous jaw should be associated with a 

 Cockatoo of moderate size ; but, curiously enough, the comparison of the greatest length 

 of the mandibles with the total length of the hinder extremity shows that Necropsit- 

 tacus rodericanus had actually a proportionately larger jaw than the species of 

 Mauritius, because the length of the jaw should not be more than 50 or 51, while it 

 is in fact 57 mm. Of course it is hardly necessary to observe that there can scarcely 

 be any correlation between the length of the whole leg and the size of the bill and 

 head in a Parrot ; but, having to deal with scanty remains of birds whose anatomical 

 structure is otherwise unknown, we have to be grateful for small mercies. At any 

 rate, we find that the Parrots from Mauritius and from Eodriguez not only resemble 

 each other in the proportions of the bones of their hinder extremities, but also in the 



