PART 1.] 
53 
Lydeliker: Notes on some ShoaliJc Birds. 
Fossil Struthioids. 
W^itF rogard to Struthio asiaticiis of M. Milne-Edwards, it appears that this 
species was formed on the evidence of the phalange, and of the distal extremity of 
the tibio-tarsns, which are represented in figs. 2 and 15 of the above-quoted plata 
of the “ Fauna Antiqua Sivalensis.” In noticing the.se species, M. Milne-Edwards 
(loc. cit.) remarks : ” L’line des espeees les pins remarquables appa'i-tenait wugroupe 
des Brevipennes et se rapprochait heaucoup de VAuiruclie d’Afnque par la conforma¬ 
tion de son pied, qni neportait que deux doigts.” I am rather at a loss to discover how 
M. Milne-Edwards determined that his Siwalik ostrich had but two toes, because, 
as I have said, the only struthioid bones figured in the “ Fauna Antiqua Sivalensis” 
are the distal extremity of the tibio-tarsus and a phalange. The first bone would, 
as far as I am aware, give no indication of the number of toes, and the second, 
which appears to belong to a median digit, is symmetrical in itself, and might, 
as far as I can see, belong to either a two- or a three-toed bird. It is, however, 
possible that M. Milne-Edwards may have seen a specimen of the tarso-meta- 
tarsus of this struthioid which would of course settle the question. In any ease 
it is probable that such an authority on the subject as M. Milne-Edwards 
would not hav^e made such a positive assertion without good grounds; and I 
therefore adopt his dictum, that the bird to which the two above-mentioned bones 
belonged was a two-toed ostrich. 
I now come to four bones of a large species of struthioid, collected by Mr. 
Theobald in the Western Punjab. These bones comprise two specimens of the 
first and second phalanges of the outermost digit' of a three-toed struthioid bird ; 
one pail’ of these bones is somewhat larger than the other pair. I will not 
desciibe these bones on the present occasion, but will content myself with saying 
that as regards form, they agree almost precisely in foi-m with the corresponding 
bones of Bromunxis novce-hollandke. 
The dimensions of the four fossil bones and the two corresponding bones of 
P. novce-hoUandioi are as follows, in inches:— 
Large fossil. 
Small fossil. 
DromcBits 
novcB-hoilan’ 
dice. 
Length of first phalange 
2-4 
2-3 
1-8 
Antero-posterior diameter of superior surface of ditto 
1-36 
1-25 
0-75 
Transverse ditto ... ... ... 
1-3 
1-2 
0-7 
Antero-postorior ditto inferior ditto 
0-9 
0-7 
0-46 
Transverse ditto 
10 
0-8 
0 6 
Leiigtli of second phalange 
1'5 
1-3 
0-8 
Antero-posterior diameter of superior surface of ditto 
1-1 
0-95 
0-55 
Transverse ditto 
1-3 
11 
0 62 
Antero-posterior ditto inferior ditto 
07 
0-65 
0-45 
Transverse ditto 
1-3 
IT 
0 54 
• Corresponding to the fourth of the typicsl serins. 
