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Show 1894.] MR. J. T. LAST O N T H E BONES OP MPYORNIS. 123 7. HAAST, JULIUS YON.-" Eemarks on the Extinct Birds of New Zealand." The Ibis, 1874, p. 209. 8. M A J O R , C. I. F O R S Y T H . - " On Megdladapis madagascariensis." Proc. Boy. Soc. vol. liv. 1893, p. 176. 9. VALENCIENNES. Comptes Bendus de l'Acad. d. Sci. t. xxxix. p. 837. Paris, 1854. EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. PLATE XIV. Fig. 1. Mpyornis mtdleri (?), Milne-Edw. & Grand. Right tarso-metatarsus from behind. 2. Mpyornis mulleri (?). Right tarso-metatarsus from inner side, h, Point of attachment of hallux. 3. Mpyornis titan. Left tibio-tarsus from front. (Type specimen.) 4. The same from inner side. All the figures are one-fifth natural size. PLATE XV. Fig. 1. (?) Mullerornis agilis, Milne-Edw. & Grand. Distal portion of right tibio-tarsus from front. ^ nat. size. 2. Cervical vertebra of a small species of Mpyornis (?) from left side. Nat size. 3. The same from above. Nat. size. 4. The same from front. Nat. size. 5. Dorsal vertebra of large species of Mpyornis from right side. 3 nat. size. 6. The same from front. -| nat. size. 4. O n the Bones of the iEpyornis, and on the Localities and Conditions in which they are found. By J. T. LAST. [Received February 4, 1894.] In response to the kind invitation of the Secretary of this Society, 1 beg leave to offer the following remarks on the bones of the fossil iEpyornis for their consideration. There may be much of what 1 shall say which will, perhaps, not be new to them, yet if it confirms that which was already known it will not be altogether useless. I first arrived in Madagascar in the summer of 1889. I made Nossy-be, an island on the N.W. coast, my head-quarters, and then slowly worked my way down to Nossy-ve, an island near the S.W. extremity of Madagascar. It was in the early spring of 1891 that I arrived at Nossy-ve, and I remained in the south and south central parts of Madagascar till September of 1893, and then I began to turn my face towards home. During the time I was in the south parts of Madagascar I had several opportunities of searching for remains of the iEpyornis. These I made use of with varied success, and though I may not have been so unfortunate as I had hoped, yet my efforts and the experience I gained gave me an insight of the bird's former habits, and the kind of places where its remains are likely to be found. |