Parxer.—On Notornis mantelli. 947 
the following table the comparative dimensions of the same bones in Notornis, 
Ocydromus, Tribonyx, and Porphyrio, taking as a standard the length of the 
trunk as measured from the centre of a line joining the anterior or dorsal 
ends of the coracoids to the centre of a line joining the posterior boundaries 
of the pelvis. ‘This, I think, bears a fairly correct relation to the bulk of 
the bird, and is independent of the length of either neck or legs. Taking 
this line as equal to 100, the remaining dimensions may be taken as per- 
centages of the length of trunk, and thus the proportional size of sternum, 
pelvis, etc., clearly brought out :— 
Lenetu or Trunx=—100. 
— ‘| Notornis. | Ocydromus.| Tribonyx. | Porphyrio. 
Lengthofsternum .. ..| 86 28 35 40 
: Width 4 eae 14 meet 17 
; Depth of carina sterni - 4:8 47 v. 13 
F Length of scapula ae os 43 35 39 49 
' ee, ae ee 22 20 22°5 28 
] eee eee eee 49 52 43 
| Width of "5, vs ae we 29 21 22°5 21 
Length of femur. w.| BT 51 49 51 
Coraco-scapular angle .. ‘ 97° 100° 92° 86° 
1 Transverse sternal angle ee 132° 141° 122° 96° 
Pl, XX. represents outline drawings to scale of the four skeletons, that of 
Notornis being two-thirds natural size. 
Vertebral Column. 
In the vertebral column, the nine posterior cervical vertebre are left: 
asin Porphyrio and Ocydromus the total number is fifteen and in Tribonyx 
_ fourteen,* it is probable that the five or six anterior vertebre are 
Missing. The last cervical vertebra bears on each side a moveable rib, 3 
_ ¢m. in length, this being proportionally shorter than the corresponding 
_ bone in Ocydromus, Tribonya, and Porphyrio. The penultimate cervical rib 
is also moveable, but is short and stout, approaching in form to the anterior 
_(ankylosed) cervical ribs. In this particular Notornis agrees closely with 
Ocydromus. In Porphyrio and Tribonyx the homologous rib is slender, 
pointed at its distal end, and fully one-fourth the length of its successor. 
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