214 



less than half that of the tibio-tarsus. In the vertebral column the cervicals 

 are short with very stout centra, the prezygopophyses in the middle region 

 being nearly horizontal and separated from one another by a wide channel. 

 The posterior face of the centra is tall and narrow, and the neural spines of 

 the last two vertebrae much inclined forward. In the dorsals there is usually 

 no anterior pneumatic foramen till the fourth (or the last with a distinct 

 haemal carina), this foramen being situated on the line of the anterior border 

 of the rib-facet. The third and fourth dorsals are extremely compressed. 

 Throughout the series also the neural spines and transverse processes are 

 comparatively long. Additional characters of the skull are that the sphenoidal 

 rostrum is expanded in a lance-like shape at the anterior extremity, in a 

 manner unlike that of any of the other genera. 



Then the supraoccipital never has a very strongly developed median 

 prominence, and the temporal fossae are comparatively short. The mandible 

 may be readily distinguished from that of the other genera by the low position 

 of the inner aperture of the dental canal, which pierces the bone obliquely to 

 join the small lateral vacuity. 



Type of the genus : Pachyornis elephantopus (Owen). 



Number of species : 8. 



PACHYORNIS ELEPHANTOPUS ( owbn). 



Dinornis elephantopus Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. IV, p. 149 (1853). 

 Palapteryx elephantopus Haast, Ibis, Ser. 3, vol. IV, p. 212 (1874). 

 Euryapteryx elephantopus Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 135 (1892). 



UNTIL Mr. Lydekker described Pachyornis immanis, and Mr. Andrews 

 Aepyornis titan, this was undoubtedly the most bulky and ponderous 

 of all known Ratitae, extinct and living. 

 Type : Awamoa, near Oamanu. 



Habitat : Middle Island, New Zealand. 



Two imperfect skeletons in the Tring Museum ; one from Kapua 

 Swamps. 



