Philosophical Institute of Canterhii^ry. 431 



I cannofc agree with Professor Alphonse Milne-Edwards, that the jEpyorms 

 stands nearer to Dinornis than to the Ostriches, Cassowaries, and Emus, exce})t 

 that the fossil bones of Madagascar and New Zealand have a more pachydermal 

 type than the recent species named. But I may point out that the fossil 

 Bromornis austrcdis of Australia shows similar characteristics, and I am sure 

 if fossil remains of struthious birds in beds of post-pliocene age were 

 discovered in Africa, America, and Asia, that they would exhibit a similar 

 pachydermal character. 



Judging from Professor Milne-Edwards' own excellent memoirs on 

 M-pyornis, and the fine casts of the unique fossil bones in the Paris Museum, 

 which he was good enough to send to the Canterbury Museum, I am unable 

 to trace their relationship with our Dinornithidse. It appears to me that the 

 Madagascar species are separated from the former by many fundamental 

 differences, such as (to point out only a few) the pneumatic foramen in the 

 femur and the straightness of the trochlese of the metatarsus. And, although 

 I am convinced that the struthious character of jEpyornis has sufficiently been 

 proved by the eminent Paris comparative anatomist, I can easily understand 

 that there was at first some show of reason for placing it amongst the 

 sarcoramphous vultures, as has been done by Professor Bianconi. 



However, speaking of the principle itself, I wish to point out that if we were 

 to decide, from a few isolated species in two distant countries which show some 

 or even a close resemblance to each other, that these countries must have once 

 been connected in some way, we should in many instances form erroneous 

 conclusions. We might as well say that, because there are struthious birds in 

 Australia, the Malay Archipelago, Africa, America, and Asia, all these 

 countries must have been connected with New Zealand ; or because Marsupial 

 remains have been found in secondary rocks in Europe, and several species 

 of opossums are living in America, these countries had also been united with 

 Australia. 



Speaking from a general point of view, I wish to add that the attempts to 

 trace the geographical relations of a fauna and flora of a country can easily be 

 exaggerated, and thus a theory be ridden to death which otherwise would be 

 very useful. Moreover, an unfortunate country, such as New Zealand, of 

 which a good number of the species of its fauna and flora show great I'esemblance 

 to other species from distant countries, has to be dipped down and brought 

 up again a great many times, in order to establish connections in various 

 directions, so that a bird or fish, a shell, insect, or centipede, might cross from 

 the one to the other without allowing, moreover, any other species from the 

 same country to pass. Besides, the geological record of these islands at 

 present at our disposal does not warrant us in assuming such repeated changes 

 in the level of the land. 



