145

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bird of New Zealand than the larger species of New Holland. In the Emeu, for example,
the inferior spinous process begins not to be developed until the dorsal series of vertebrae,
with articular cavities for ribs, commences.

The anterior articular surface of the body (Plate XXXIII. figg. 2 & 3, a) bends down
upon the under part of the vertebral body, where the lower angles of the reniform surface
are produced backwards. The diapophyses or transverse processes (ib. d) developed from
the base of the anterior oblique processes (ib. z) seem not to have been connected by a
costal process with the produced margins of the anterior and under part of the body (a),
but to have been divided from these by an open groove on each side. The perforated
depression ( i, fig.1) is smaller than in the foregoing cervical vertebra, and the posterior
boundary ridge of the foramen pneumaticum is shorter and more obtuse. The base of
the superior spine is strongly impressed before and behind by a rough surface for attach-
ment of the inter-spinal elastic ligaments : the antero-posterior extent of this spine (g)
and of the inferior one (h) is shown by dotted lines in fig. 1. Both having been broken
off in the specimen, these and the other fractured surfaces of the vertebrae show the
very coarse and loose cancellous texture of the bone.

In a similar-sized more perfect posterior cervical vertebra of Dinornis giganteus, in the
collection of Mr. Percy Earl, obtained from the same deposit and locality, the strong
spinous process is entire : it is four-sided and truncate at the summit, four inches high
from the fore-part of its base, one inch in the antero-posterior diameter of the base,
and ten lines in the transverse diameter.

A fragment of a vertebra, from the same collection, of nearly the same size, and pro-
bably a little anterior in position, differs from the preceding in having only a very shal-
low imperforate depression, where the deep perforated pit exists at the sides of the
neurapophyses in the foregoing vertebra : the neural spine has scarcely been developed
above the level of the posterior zygapophyses or articular processes in this fragment.

Dr. MacKellar's collection contained two very perfect specimens of dorsal vertebrae
of smaller species of Dinornis, presenting several peculiarities characteristic of the
genus. The first of these (P. XXXIV. figg. 1 & 2) is from the middle of the dorsal
region of probably the Dinornis ingens. It is not carinate inferiorly, as in the corre-
sponding vertebra of the smaller species, figured in Pl. XVII. figg. 6-9, and the
lower border of the anterior articular surface of the body is less produced in proportion
to that of the posterior surface. The depression leading to the cancellous structure
between the transverse and posterior oblique process in the small dorsal vertebra above
cited is wanting in the present large one ; but the pneumatic foramen (Pl. XXXIV. f) be-
tween the costal depression (c) and transverse process (b) is present. the proportionate
breadth of the body of the vertebra ; the broad outspread oblique processes (ib. fig. 2, z,z,');
the thick, obtuse and almost horizontal transverse processes (ib. b) ; the strong spinous
process, as broad transversly as antero-posteriorly ; - all exemplify the generic charac-
ters of the vertebrae of Dinornis.