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Show 168 DR. C W. ANDREWS ON FOSSIL BIRDS [Jan. 19, As already mentioned at the beginning of this paper, these specimens throw no light on the relationships and origin of the jEpyornithes, and it seems that in Madagascar we have a group of closely interrelated Ratites, varying enormously in size and in the degree of pachyostosis attained, but otherwise presenting few differences of importance, just as in New Zealand all degrees of size and massiveness exist between Dinornis parvus and D. maxi-mus or Pachyornis elephantopus. Ixx Madagascar, so far as known at present, the extremes are Mitllerornis agilis and JEpyornis titan. The dimensions of the limb-bones clesci-ibed are given below ; those of the pelvis have already been noticed. Femur: cm. Length 235 Width of the proximal end 8-4 Antero-postex-ior diameter of the shaft 2"9 Lateral diameter of the shaft 3• 5 Width of the distal end 3-7 Tibia: Length to top of articulation 40-5 Length to top of cnemial crest 43-5 Width of the proximal end 6'2 Width of the middle of shaft 2*8 Width of distal end 6-2 Antero-posterior diameter of tlxe shaft 2-0 Fibula: Length upwards of 16"0 Antero-posterior width of proximal end 3-4 Lateral width of proximal end 1'6 Metatarsus: Length 27'3 Width of the proximal end 6-6 Width of shaft at narrowest 2-7 Width of the distal exxcl 6-5 Width of tlxe middle trochlea 2 5 Note on a new Ratite Bird (Eremopezus eoccenus, gen. et sp. nov.) fx-om the Upper Eocene of the Fayxrm District, Egypt. (Text-figure 15.) One of the most interesting specimens collected from the Upper- Eocene beds of the Fayunx in 1902 is the distal end of the left tibio-tarsus of a large ratite bird. The fragment consists of the „articulation and four or- five centimetres of the shaft, and, except for a slight abrasion of the inner condyle, is in a sufficiently good state of preservation for it to be possible to observe all the important points in the structure of this highly characteristic portion of the skeleton. In fact, although of course much more |
