Botdny and Zoology, 



139 



known to science. Of this species, which on account of its extraordinary 

 proportions, he proposes to call Dinornis elephantopus, or the elephant- 

 footed dinornis, Prof. Owen has recomposed one entire limb, including 

 the femur, tibia and fibula, tarso-metatarsus and the phalanges or toe- 

 joints complete of each of the three toes. The descriptions and compari- 

 sons of these bones formed the subject of his present communication to 

 the Zoological Society. The anatomical details were minutely entered 

 into, the general result being that, whereas the bones of the leg equalled 

 or surpassed in strength and thickness those of the Dinornis giganteus, 

 they were much shorter, the metatarse being only half the length of that 

 bone in the giant species. The elephant-footed wingless bird must have 

 presented the most massive frame of any known species of its class. Its 

 limbs, from the indications of the muscles inserted into the bones, must 

 have been proportionally much shorter, more powerful, and more bulky 

 than in any other bird. From the details of the tables of comparative 

 admeasurement we select the following : — -Dinornis elephantopus, length 

 of the thigh-bone [femur), 13 inches; breadth of its upper end, nearly 

 6 inches ; length of the leg-bone (tibia), 2 feet ; breadth of its upper 

 end, 7-J inches ; length of the ancle-bone {metatarsus), 9^ inches ; breadth 

 of its lower end, 5-^ inches ; least circumference, 6-^- inches. The length 

 of the metatarsus in the Dinornis giganteus is inches, the breadth of 

 its lower end inches. The bones of the above defined extraordinary 

 new species of Dinornis are in the most perfect state of preservation. At 

 the present stage of his examination of Mr. Mantell's collection, Prof. 

 Owen suspects that it may include an almost entire skeleton of the bird, 

 to the reconstruction of which in our national museum he looks forward. 

 The author believes that the original range or locality of the Dinornis 

 elephantopus was a limited one, unless at the period when the species 

 flourished the geographical character of the middle island of New Zea- 

 land was widely different from what it now is. No trace of this species 

 of Dinornis had ever reached the Professor from any of the numerous 

 localities in the north island, from which remains of many other extinct 

 wingless birds had been from time to time transmitted to him, nor had 

 Mr. W. Mantell ever found bones of the Dinornis elephantopus, except at 

 one locality of the middle island, viz., at Ruamoa, three miles south of 

 the point called First Rocky Head in the new Admiralty map of the 

 island. 



9. A new species of Turkey from Mexico ; (ibid.) — Mr. Gould exhib- 

 ited a specimen of turkey which he had obtained from Mexico, and which 

 differed materially from the wild turkey of the United States. At the 

 same time this turkey so closely resembled the domesticated turkey of 

 Europe that he believed naturalists were wrong in attributing its origin 

 to the United States species. The present specimen was therefore a new 

 species, and he proposed to call it Meleagris Mexicana, which, if his 

 theory was correct, must henceforth be the designation of the common 

 turkey. 



