Paeker. — On Notornis mantelli. 245 



Art XXXII. — On the Skeleton of Notornis mantelli. By T. Jeffery Parker, 



B.Sc. London ; Professor of Biology in the University of Otago, 



[Read before the Otago Institute, 21st September, 1881.*] 



Plates XIX— XXI. 



Introductory. 

 The genus Notornis was founded by Professor Owen in the year 1848, 

 upon portions of the skull sent to him from the North Island by the Hon. 

 Walter Mantell, The skull was fully described in the Transactions of the 

 Zoological Society, and the genus was referred to the family PmIUcIcb, as a 

 close ally 'of Porphyrio. Shortly afterwards the same distinguished 

 osteologist received a femur, a tibia, and a tarso-metatarse of the same bird, as 

 well as a sternum, which he at first erroneously referred to Notornis, but 

 afterwards (in 1871) recognized as belonging to Aptornis otidiformis. Pro- 

 fessor Owen's description of these bones, published originally in the Pro- 

 ceedings and Transactions of the Zoological Society, are republished at pp. 

 173 and 199 of his great work, " The Extinct Birds of New Zealand": the 

 account of the sternum referred to is on p. 198, and the correction of the 

 position at first assigned to it on p. 340. The memoir on the " Eestoration 

 of Notornis " (p. 436) contains nothing new as to the osteology of the genus, 

 and, as far as I am aware, no other descriptions of the skeleton have been 

 published up to the present time. 



The fossil bones of Notornis mentioned above were all found in the North 

 Island, and the bird was at first supposed to be extinct, but in 1849 the first 

 recorded living specimen was captured on Eesolution Island, on the West 

 Coast of Otago, and shortly afterwards a second example on Secretary 

 Island. Both were secured by Mr. Mantell, and are now in the British 

 Museum. Unfortunately in neither case were any of the bones preserved. 

 For thirty years nothing more was seen of Notornis, and it was very generally 

 supposed to have become wholly extinct. But about two years ago, the third 

 known specimen was taken on Captain Hankinson's run on the eastern 

 shore of Lake Te Anau; being run down by dogs in the course of a 

 rabbiting expedition. The captor, Mr. J. Connor, fortunately preserved not 

 only the skin of the bird, but also the dried trunk, and last year forwarded 

 both of them to Dunedin for transmission to England for sale. Through 

 the Idndness of Mr. E. J. Spence I was allowed to have the specimens at 



* When this paper was read I had no skeleton of Tribonyx : I have since, however, 

 received two specimens of that bird from Mr. Eobbins, of the Hobart Museum, whom I 

 desire to thank for his promptitude in supplying my wants in this respect. The paper 

 has been recast to admit of the necessary comparisons with Tribonyx. January 24, 1882. 



