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animals have bent, as it were, and accommodated themselves to changes which have 
destroyed the larger species. We find, nevertheless, that the same peculiar forms or 
families of animals exist, and characterize particular portions of dry land, e. g. South 
America, Australia, and New Zealand, at the present day, as at a period long ante- 
cedent to Human history or existence; and although many species have perished, 
there has been no general sweeping away of the peculiar aboriginal land animals of those 
continents or islands. But just as the smaller Sloths and Armadillos still linger in 
South America, so the smaller Kangaroos, Wombats, Dasyures, and other Marsupials 
have continued to exist in Australia, and a few species of the comparatively diminutive 
wingless birds of the genera Apteryx and Brachypteryx still dwell in the island where, 
when probably its extent was far greater, their peculiar families were once much more 
richly represented and by species on a far larger scale. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 
PLATE XLVIII. 
. Outer or under view of the sternum of a species of Palapteryz. 
. Inner or upper view of ditto. 
. Lateral border of ditto. 
. Anterior border of ditto. 
Outer view of the sternum of Notornis Mantelli. 
. Inner view of ditto. 
. Lateral border of ditto. 
. Anterior border of ditto. 
All the figures are of the natural size. 
Fig. 
OIRO fp wD & 
PLATE XLIX. 
Restoration of the foot of Palapteryx robustus. 
Fig. 1. Front view of the bones. 
1. Detached metatarse of the rudimental hallux. 
u1. Distal trochlea of entometatarse, or that of the second toe: its three pha- 
langes are numbered 1, 2, 3. 
111. Distal trochlea of mesometatarse, or that of the third toe: its four phalanges 
are numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4: a side view of the last is added in outline. 
tv. Distal trochlea of ectometatarse, or that of the fourth toe: its five phalanges 
are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 
Fig. 2. Outline of the proximal end of the compound tarso-metatarsal bone. 
3. Distal ends of the trochlez of the three metatarsal elements, numbered as in 
fig. 1: below these are the proximal articulations of their respective prox- 
imal phalanges. 
