44] 
shaft, with here and there some traces of barbs. The longest portion of shaft so pre- 
served did not exceed 2 inches; the quill was about 34; of an inch in diameter. In the 
dried skin it was inserted 48; of an inch, and the webs appear generally to haye com- 
menced about 4+; of an inch from the junction of the quill with the shaft. 
“ The longest accessory shaft measured 14 inch in length, but, like the main shaft, 
was imperfect ; it is more slender, and was doubtless shorter than the main shaft. This 
is Slightly convex above, and shows the usual fine longitudinal furrow beneath. Here it 
is of a brown colour, but of a pale horn-colour above, probably,” as Mr. Dallas remarks, 
‘* from exposure to external influences. The accessory shaft is of a pale horn-colour, 
und appears to be nearly cylindrical.” 
In Plate CXIV. fig. 8 shows the basal portion of one of the feathers detached from 
the skin, @ being that of the main, and 6 of the accessory shaft; fig. 9 shows another 
basal portion with a smaller accessory shaft, 4; fig. 10 shows part of a barb with the 
barbules, magnified 15 diameters. ‘These figures are from Mr. Dallas's memoir, 
«The barbs consist of slender flattened fibres, bearing long silky and very delicate 
barbules, without any trace of barbicels. When magnified, the barbule appears to be 
divided by faint transverse partitions into a series of cells, some of which, towards the 
apex, exhibit small tooth-like projections representing the rudiments of barbicels.” 
From his careful and patient examination of these relics of plumage, Mr, Dallas 
established the fact that the feathers of Dinornis robustus possessed a large accessory 
plume, like ** the ereen-egged Emus and Cassowaries existing in the Australian region,” 
and differed thereby ‘ from the white-egged group of Struthiones represented in Africa 
and South America” (op. cit.). 
Confirmation of this conclusion, in regard to probably another species of Dinornis, 
has since been obtained. In 18711 was fayoured by receiving from my valued corre- 
spondent, Capt. F. W. Hutton, F.L.S., the following letter :— 
‘** Colonial Museum, 
Wellington, N. Z., Sept. 1, 1871. 
* Sir, 
“ Hearing that you have in preparation a work on the Moa, I think that an 
account of some feathers that I lately saw in the Otago Museum may be of interest 
to you. 
* These feathers are stated to have been found by Mr. S. Thomson at the junction 
of the Manuhirikia with the Molyneux river, together with Moa-bones, under fifty feet 
of sand. Unfortunately none of the bones were preserved, so that it is not possible to 
say to what species they ought to be referred. 
«The feathers are quite fresh in appearance, and have lost none of their colouring. 
‘They are four in number, and unfortunately all are broken. 
‘Jn one only is the tube preserved, showing the double plumes. ‘The other three 
are all broken off above the tube, and differ from one another only in size. The largest 
