Part 68

Only known by a tarso-metatarsus, femur and tibio-tarsus from the Middle Island, New Zealand. The bones at once noticeable by their great length, and are more slender than the same bones in D. maximus. This form must therefore, till further material comes to hand, be treated as a separate species.

Locality: Middle Island, New Zealand. Collected by Dr. Lillie. {193}

DINORNIS GIGANTEUS OWEN.

Dinornis giganteus Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. III p. 237 (1843) and p. 307 (1846).

Moa giganteus Reichenbach, Nat. Syst. der Vög. p. XXX (1850).

Dinornis maximus (non D. maximus Owen of 1867!) Trans. Zool. Soc. X p. 147 (1877).

D. validus Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst. p. 111 (1892).

This is, as regards size, one of the more variable forms in the tarso-metatarsus, while the tibio-tarsus is remarkably constant. The tibio-tarsus is almost invariably 35 inches in length, while the tarso-metatarsus varies from 17.5 to 19 inches in length.

The type of D. giganteus Owen is from Poverty Bay; the type of D. validus is from Glenmark.

Habitat: North and Middle Islands, New Zealand.

Portion of skeleton in Tring Museum, from Kopua Swamps, Canterbury, New Zealand.

DINORNIS INGENS OWEN.

(PLATE 42.)

Dinornis ingens Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. III p. 237 (1843).

Movia ingens Reichenbach, Nat. Syst. der Vög. p. xxx (1850).

D. ingens var. robustus Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. III p. 307 (1846).

Palapteryx robustus Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. III p. 345 (1848).

D. firmus Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV p. 114 (1892).

D. potens Hutton, l.c. p. 115.

D. ingens shows considerable variation in size, but the inter-gradation is so complete that it seems impossible to retain the four species ingens, firmus, potens and robustus, which Captain Hutton admits. This form was widely distributed over the North and Middle Islands. The type skull of P. robustus came from Timaru, the type of firmus from Wanganui, that of ingens from Poverty Bay, while that of potens is quoted from the East side of Middle Island, without specific type locality.

Habitat: North and Middle Islands.

The plate of this species was reconstructed by Mr. Frohawk from the skeleton and feathers in my museum, and the feathers found with the skeleton now in the York Museum. The only criticism that might be made in connection with this picture is that the feathers are drawn a little too much like those of Apteryx australis, but this is not of any consequence, as the Moa feathers in the Tring Museum and elsewhere vary considerably in appearance, though being more or less coloured like Apteryx feathers.

There is an almost perfect skeleton in the Tring Museum. {194}

DINORNIS GRACILIS OWEN.

Dinornis gracilis Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. IV (1855) p. 141.

D. torosus Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV p. 117 (1892).

If we acknowledge that D. novaezealandiae occurs both on the North and Middle Islands, then I feel sure that the distinctness of D. gracilis and D. torosus cannot be maintained, as the measurements intergrade completely.

The type of D. gracilis came from Wanganui, while that of D. torosus is a nearly perfect skeleton found in a cave at Takaka, near Nelson.