Hector. — Ow Cnemiornis. 77 



remainder of the bones of this skeleton, and, after tracing it through several 

 hands. Captain Eraser at last succeeded in obtaining possession of the box 

 containing the bones in the same state in which they had been found, and 

 at once handed them over to me for description. 



The skeleton is still far from complete, but the following bones are in a 

 vexy admirable state of preservation : — Skull ; vertebrae, 12 cervical, 4 dorsal ; 

 sternum ; furculum ; humerus, right ; metacarpal, right ; sacrum ; femur ; 

 tibise, both ; tarso-metatarsal ; ribs, six. 



They agree perfectly in appearance, colour, peculiar stains, texture, and 

 other external characters, so that there is no reason to doubt that they all 

 belong to one individual, which is further confirmed by the study of their 

 anatomical characters. 



The structure and form of the skull and sternum shew that this bird 

 belongs to the Lamellirostrate family of the order Natatores, but that the 

 power of flight had become obsolete, and that it differs from most others of 

 the duck kind in its short, lofty head, very solid palate, and in the peculiar 

 character of the tympanic cavity, which is bridged across by a bony process 

 between the mastoid process and the basi-occipital. The great solidity of the 

 skull, and the absence of occipital fontanelles and of all sutures excepting 

 the naso-frontal and the lachrymal, is also remarkable. 



Every bone of the skeleton, excepting the upper part of the sternum, has 



the close-grained, reticulated surface which is so characteristic of the bones of 



Cnemiornis, giving the impression of a very solid, powerful framework, that in 



the fresh state would contain much oily matter. The absence of the power 



of flight is evidenced by the rudimentary tubercular ridge that represents the 



keel, and the small area of attachment for the pectoral muscle on the surface 



of the sternum. 



Skull. PI. XI. 



What remains of the skull is well preserved, every process being sharp 

 and distinct, as in a freshly-macerated specimen, but unfortunately the 

 following appendages have been lost : — the quadrate, jugal, pterygoid, and 

 lachrymal bones. The shape of the head, including the lower jaw, and 

 allowing the usual proportion for the quadrate, would have been : — Height, 

 two-thirds the length ; transverse diameter, one-half the length. 



The brain-case is short, high, and compressed laterally, its posterior- 

 inferior diameter being greatest. The nasal portion of the skull, which is 

 distinctly shorter than the cranial, is detached ; and the mobility of the upper 

 mandible, which in such birds is usually effected by the flexibility of the thin 

 nasal bones, must, if it existed, have been effected by a straight joint with 

 thick, irregular margins, somewhat as in the parrot. 



In the occipital region the muscular ridges are moderately developed. The 



