52 



GEOLOGY. 



Newer Tertiary deposits, though never abundant. Perhaps the most 

 interesting are the bones of a fossil Ostrich (Struthio asiaticus), found 

 in the Newer Miocene of the Sewalik Hills, India, showing the once 

 far wider geographical range of this great running bird. The same 

 deposit has yielded remains of a huge Crane [Aryala Falconeri). 

 Here are also numerous remains of the Pelican, from Steinheim, in 

 Bavaria, and impressions of feathers from the Brown Coal of Bonn, 

 on the Rhine. But the largest assemblage of Miocene birds is from 

 Allier, in France, from which some 69 species have been obtained and 

 described by Professor A. Milne Edwards. 



Table-case No. 12 is chiefly occupied with remains of the extinct 

 birds of New Zealand and Australia; comprising casts of bones of a 

 huge eagle (Harpagomis Moorii), a gigantic goose (Cnemiornis) , and a 

 Rail (Notornis). 



The Dromiornis, a large bird, like the Ostrich, is found fossil in 

 caves in Australia. 



In a glass case between the windows on the South side of the 



Fig. 22.— Skull of Odontopteryx toliapicus (Owen), a bird from the London Clay of Sheppey, 

 with serrated mandibles ; probably a fish-eating bird, like the Merganser. 



Pavilion are placed portions of the leg-bones and two eggs of an 

 extinct wingless bird, named JEpyornis (probably larger than an 

 Ostrich), found in a very modern formation in the Island of Mada- 

 gascar. The egg of this bird measures 3 feet in its longest circum- 

 ference and 2 feet 6 inches in girth, and its liquid contents equal a 

 little more than 2 gallons. They are much larger in size than the 

 eggs of the Dinornis, which are exhibited in the case on the East side 

 of this Room. 



Wall-case 11, and the rest of Table-case 12, are occupied with re- 

 mains of the great extinct wingless bird the " Moa," or Dinornis, 

 from the Island of New Zealand. 



Judging from the vast number of remains of this bird, found both 

 in the South and North Island, and also from the fact of the extra- 

 ordinary diversity in size which their remains exhibit— the Dinornis 

 must have enjoyed for hundreds of years complete immunity from 

 the attacks both of man and wild beasts. Professor Owen has de- 



