201 



ANOMALOPTERYX REICH EN BACH. 



THE skull is narrow and vaulted, with a long, sharp and slightly deflected 

 beak. Breadth at the squamosals l£ times the height at basi-temporal, 

 which has a constricted praemaxillary ridge, and the quadrate 

 with a very small pneumatic foramen. The mandible is V-shaped, with 

 a slight inflection of the angle, and a distinct postarticular process. The 

 symphysis is very narrow and pointed, with a long and narrow inferior ridge, 

 not expanding markedly at either extremity. The sternum is longer, flatter 

 and narrower than in Dinornis, having no distinct xiphisternal notch, three 

 costal articulations, long and narrow costal processes, slender lateral processes 

 which are often elongated, and usually no coracoidal facets. The pelvis is 

 wider and lower than in Dinornis, with the lower border of the postacetabular 

 portion of the ilium descending as a sharp ridge much below the level of the 

 sacral ribs, and without any distinct pectineal process. A hallux is present. 

 The tibio-tarsus and tarso-metatarsus are relatively shorter and stouter than 

 in Dinornis, the latter being shorter than the femur, which is usually stouter 

 and relatively shorter than in Megalapteryx. The length of the tarso-metatarsus 

 is less than half that of the tibio-tarsus. The femur, besides being usually 

 relatively shorter is readily distinguished from that of Dinornis by its more 

 expanded extremities, the rather longer neck, and the much larger and ill- 

 defined popliteal depression. 



The vertebrae are of the general type of those of Pachyornis, but the 

 anterior pneumatic foramen commences in the third dorsal. The phalangeals 

 are intermediate between those of Dinornis and Pachyornis. Haast considered 

 that the coracoid was aborted and often absent in this genus, in Emeus, and 

 Pachyornis. As additional characters of the skull it may be mentioned that 

 there is a prominent supra-occipital protuberance, and a depression on the 

 squamosal above the quadrate ; the par-occipital processes are pointed, and 

 the basi-occipital processes only slightly prominent ; so that the posterior 

 profile of the basi-occipital is nearly straight. The quadrate has a very short 

 anterior process. 



All the species of the genus are small, in fact parvus is the smallest 

 but one of the family. 



Type of the genus : Anomalofiteryx didifortnis (Owen). 

 Number of species : 4. 



