

Length of 





bone. 



Tarsus metatarsus 



■ 9-8 iu. 



Tibia 



22-8 „ 



Femur ... 



12-8 „ 



26 ■ Transactions. 



No. 12. Dinornis elepliantopus, Owen. 



0£ tMs remarkable species, bones of at least nine, more or less complete, 

 individuals were excavated, of wMch four were of the same size as tbose 

 figured by Professor Owen, while the five others decrease gradually to the 

 size of No. 13, Tvitbout my being able to find any line of demarcation 

 between them. Of one of these large specimens which were found together 

 in their natural position, I give here the measurements : they represent, at 

 the same time, the character of the three large specimens excavated. 



Of the G-lenmark bones, the metatarsus is generally larger than Pro- 

 fessor Owen's, according to his measurements : the tibia, between the two 

 measurements he gives ; the femur is also slightly smaller than the one 

 Professor Owen figures : 



Girth of Girth of shaft, Girth of 

 proximal end. thinnest part. distal end. 



12-3 in. 6-8 in. 15-2 in. 



18-7 „ 6-3 „ 14-5 „ 



15-5 „ 7-7 „ 17-4 „ 



"When examining the back of the metatarsal bones of these and of the 

 following Nos. 13, 14, 15, and 16, which form, probably, one distinct genus 

 of the Dinornithes, I observed in most of them distinct and sometimes 

 rough grooves, which appeared to have been caused by the attachment of 

 the rudimental metatarsus of the back toe. At the same time, the numerous 

 back metatarsal trachleas, back phalanges, and spurs of different sizes, sug- 

 gested the probability that they belonged to those remarkable birds, which 

 in every respect are quite distinct from the species of which I gave, before, 

 the measurements, as well as from the larger forms of Dinornis giganteus 

 and rolustus, about which I shall speak in the sequel. As I have sent a com- 

 plete set of these back metatarsal bones to Professor Owen for examination, 

 I have no doubt that the conclusion I arrived at will be fully verified, and 

 that thus another subdivision has to be made, to which all the elepliantopus 

 and crassus species may belong. Moreover, the form of the skulls of these 

 remarkable species, having all the same characteristic features, differs so much 

 from those of the other Dinornithes that it offers us confirmatory evidence 

 of their being quite a distinct genus. 



No. 13. Din. (elepliantopus .''J— Smaller size. 



"We obtained the leg bones of seven specimens, which agree in size and 

 form in every respect. They are the smallest size of the elepliantopus species, 

 in the gradation downwards. There is then a distinct break between this 

 No. 13 and the next size. No. 16, Din. (crassus ?) . 



The eight leg bones forwarded to London are those which articulated 



