246 Transactions.— Zoology. 
the Museum for several weeks, and the notes and sketches of the skeleton 
then made I am now enabled, by the courtesy of Mr. Connor, to publish. 
As to the external characters, it happened, most opportunely, that Dr. 
Buller visited Dunedin while the specimen was in my keeping, and made 
notes of the skin.* 
It was much to be regretted that the funds of the Museum did not allow 
of the purchase of these relics, as the desirability of a specimen of this rare 
example of the New Zealand avifauna being retained in the colony, is 
obvious. I have, however, through the kindness of two ladies, Miss F. M. 
Wimperis and Miss Maud McLaren, been fortunate enough to secure for the 
Museum the next best thing to the actual specimen, namely, two life-sized 
oil paintings, one outlined from Mr. Gould’s figure in Owen’s “ Extinct 
Birds,” the other from Dr. Buller’s figure, and both coloured from the actual 
specimen with a fidelity and artistic skill which leave nothing to be desired. 
As the colouring of the Te Anau specimen differs in some details from that 
of the British Museum examples, it is a matter of considerable interest to 
have accurately coloured paintings of it. The latter will not lose their value 
even if an actual specimen should at some future time be secured. 
General Description and Measurements. 
The skeleton consisting, as it does, of the parts saved after skinning 
(pl. XIX., figs. 1 and 2) is minus the head and the anterior cervical vertebre, 
the wing-bones, the bones of the legs with the exception of the femora, and 
the posterior caudal vertebre. It is in very good preservation with the 
exception of the ribs and the femur on the left side, which are shattered, 
probably by shot, and the right side of the middle xiphoid process of the 
sternum, which is slightly cut, apparently during skinning. 
The more important measurements are as follows :— 
Length of trunk, measured from anterior (dorsal) ends of 
coracoids to posterior extremity of pelvis ns: on, 185-cm 
Length of scapula iy as . oy ve eS 
Pe coracoid x s us ns i eee 
- ete ihcccmtels Sek Trt es ee 68» 
Width of ,, (measured just posterior to coracoid 
grooves os oe e a ae oe a8 ” 
Depth of keel of sternum oe we Ne ce ee OR or 
Length of ilium .. eer, OE OF 
Width of pelvis at posterior border of acetabula .. ee sae 
Length of femur ., ce nan me re i Ie 
For purposes of comparison, however, the absolute dimensions of the 
parts are of less importance than their proportional dimensions as CO” 
pared with the corresponding parts in allied genera. I therefore give in 
BE! 
* See above, Art. XXXI. 
