Chapter 8

1 Paris Museum, Mr. Armange.1 Hamburg.1 Messrs. Gilford, Orange, New Jersey.1 Rowley collection.

1 Paris Museum, Mr. Armange.

1 Hamburg.

1 Messrs. Gilford, Orange, New Jersey.

1 Rowley collection.

These four eggs range from 900 mm. to 863.5 mm. in large circumference, and 770 mm. to 736 mm. in small circumference.

Aepyornis maximusI. Geoffrey St. Hilaire, Ann. Sci. Nat. sér. 3, vol. XIV, p. 209 (1851).Aepyornis ingensMilne-Edwards & Grandidier, C.R. CXVIII, pp. 122-127 (1894).

Aepyornis maximusI. Geoffrey St. Hilaire, Ann. Sci. Nat. sér. 3, vol. XIV, p. 209 (1851).

Aepyornis ingensMilne-Edwards & Grandidier, C.R. CXVIII, pp. 122-127 (1894).

Thisis the stoutest and bulkiest species, though not so tall asAe. titan. All the largest eggs next to those ofAe. titanmust belong to this species. It will be argued that I have no right to use the namemaximusfor this form, but the name ofmaximusis based on one of the eggs in the Paris Museum, and as these evidently belong to this form and not to the form subsequently calledmaximus, I must apply to that the name ofgrandidieri, given by Mr. Dawson Rowley in 1867 to a portion of eggshell of the lesser form.

The measurements of the limbs are asfollows:—

The description of the foot in the diagnosis of the family is based on the pes of this species. It is true that the two mounted skeletons in the British and Tring Museums ofAepyornis hildebrandtishow a larger number of phalanges; but as neither is composed of the bones of a single individual it is more than likely that the articulator made a mistake.

The dimensions of the type egg are asfollows:—

Habitat: S. W. Madagascar.

There are about 16 eggs known of this form, varying from 854 mm. to 816 mm. in large circumference, and from 743 mm. to 715 mm. in small circumference.

Aepyornis MaximusAuct.Aepyornis grandidieriRowley, P.Z.S. 1867, p. 892.

Aepyornis MaximusAuct.

Aepyornis grandidieriRowley, P.Z.S. 1867, p. 892.

Thisis the form which nearly all the bones, referred erroneously to Geoffroy'sAe. maximus, belong. The original description of Dawson Rowley was founded on a piece of eggshell, and is asfollows:—

"The granulation is in a marked degree different from that of the other pieces. The air pores which in the other specimens appear like a comet with a tail are here only small indentations without any tail; the shell also is only half the thickness, is much finer, and presents an aspect so diverse that the difference is detected by the most careless observer, even when the pieces are all mixed. These fragments belonged to the egg of much smaller birds, the embryo of which required less strength in the shell. Yet the colour, quality and locality of that shell clearly point to a bird of the same family asAepyornis maximus—in short, a smaller and more delicateAepyornis. For this species I propose the name ofAepyornis grandidieri."

The measurements of bones of the hind limb are asfollows:—

There are at Tring two eggs of this species.

There are recorded of these eggs, besides the two mentioned above, eight further specimens, varying from 810 mm. to 771.5 mm. in large circumference, and 686 mm. to 654 mm. in small circumference.

In addition to these there are in various collections about eight or nine eggs whose species is doubtful.

Aepyornis cursorMilne-Edwards & Grandidier, C.R. CXVIII, p. 124 (1894).

Originaldescription as follows:Ae. cursoris almost as large asAe. grandidieri=maximusauct., nec. Geoffroy, but is more slender.

Habitat: Madagascar.

Aepyornis mediusMilne-Edwards & Grandidier, Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. V, vol. XII, p. 179 (1869).Aepyornis mediusMilne-Edwards & Grandidier, Rech. Faune. Orn. Et. Masc. & Mad. (1866-73), p. 97, note 2.

Aepyornis mediusMilne-Edwards & Grandidier, Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. V, vol. XII, p. 179 (1869).

Aepyornis mediusMilne-Edwards & Grandidier, Rech. Faune. Orn. Et. Masc. & Mad. (1866-73), p. 97, note 2.

Thisform was founded on a femur found at Amboulitsate in W. Madagascar, and is described as follows: "It presents the same general characters, and evidently belongs to anAepyornis, but to a different species, which we will callAepyornis medius. The femur in question is not only distinguished by its lesser proportions but by the narrower external face of the bone; which variation results in causing the whole area between the trochanter and the base of the femoral neck to be much less depressed. The intermuscular line, which marks the insertion surface of the deep portion of the femoral triceps muscle, is hardly indicated, whereas it is very pronounced in the larger femur. The posterior side is also more rounded, and the distance which separates the popliteal depression from the proximal extremity is larger; the shape of this large depression is, however, the same as in the larger femur, and although the articular surfaces above it do show some differences, we know that these characters are not very reliable as they are subject to individual variations.

Circumference of shaft 215 mm."

Habitat: West Madagascar.

Aepyornis hildebrandtiBurckhardt, Pal. Abh. (VI) II, p. 127 (1893).

Imustrefer my readers to Dr. Burckhardt's description, as it is too long and too technical to be reproduced here, especially as it is not comparative. I, however, give here some of hismeasurements:—

The locality of the type is Sirabé.

Habitat: Madagascar.

Aepyornis lentusMilne-Edwards & Grandidier, C.R. CXVIII, p. 124 (1894).

Originaldescription as follows: "Ae. lentusis remarkable from its short and massive feet.

Habitat: Madagascar.

Aepyornis mulleriMilne-Edwards & Grandidier, C.R. CXVII, pp. 124-125 (1894).

Theoriginal description commences: "The new species which we owe to the researches of M. G. Muller, and which we shall nameAe. mulleri, is smaller. Nevertheless, it is superior in size toAe. hildebrandti, described by M. Burckhardt, which also came from Antsirabé. We possess the almost complete skeleton of this bird, the skull, mandible, vertebrae, ribs, sternum, a part of the pelvis, the leg bones, and a few phalanges of the pes; so that we can now exactly define the position and affinities of the genusAepyornis." Then follows the diagnosis of the family, which I have given before.

Habitat: Central Madagascar.

Aepyornis modestusMilne-Edwards & Grandidier, Ann. Sci. Nat. (5) XII, p. 189 (1869).

Messrs. Milne-Edwards & Grandidierstate at pages 180-181 that the bone (a portion of a femur) which is the type of the above name, had a shaft-circumference of 120 mm., while inAe. mediusthis circumference was 215 mm., and inAe. grandidieri(=maximusauct. nec. Geoffroy), it was 270 mm.

Type locality: Amboulitsate, in West Madagascar.

Birdsof medium size, not having the heavy and massive build ofAepyornis. They appear to resemble more closely theCasuaridae. Known only from leg bones.

Number of species: 2.

Mullerornis betsileiMilne-Edwards and Grandidier, Compt. Rend., CXVIII, p. 125 (1894).

Originaldescription asfollows:—"The leg bones are slender, the tarso-metatarsus is not enlarged as in the preceding genus, and the section through the shaft shows almost an isosceles triangle. The bone itself having more the proportion ofDromaius.

"Mullerornis betsileiinhabited the same area asAe. mulleribut was much rarer. (Translated.)"

Habitat: Central Madagascar.

Mullerornis agilisMilne-Edwards and Grandidier, Compt. Rend., CXVIII, pp. 125-126 (1894).

Originaldescription asfollows:—"M. agilisinhabited the South-west Coast; we only possess, of this species, one tibia, which is remarkable for the manner in which the intermuscular bony ridges and the tendon-grooves are marked. The exterior border of the bone above the lower articular surface has developed into a very pronounced crista." (Translated.)

Habitat: South-west Madagascar.

DiffersfromMullerornisin having a completely ossified bony bridge over the lower end of the groove for the adductor of the outer digit, in the tarso-metatarsus.

Number of species: 1.

Mullerornis rudisMilne-Edwards & Grandidier, Compt. Rend. CXVIII, p. 126 (1894).Flacourtia rudisAndrews, Nov. Zool. II, p. 25 (1895).

Mullerornis rudisMilne-Edwards & Grandidier, Compt. Rend. CXVIII, p. 126 (1894).

Flacourtia rudisAndrews, Nov. Zool. II, p. 25 (1895).

Originaldescription asfollows:—"The third speciesM. rudis(=F. rudis) was discovered by M. Grevé in the fossiliferous beds of the West Coast. The tibio-tarsus is of about the same length as inM. betsilei, but is more massive. The tarso-metatarsus is remarkable on account of the great enlargement of the distal extremity, and of which the digital articular attachments are extremely large. Between the middle and outer ones there is a bony opening for the passage of the adductor muscle of the outer digit, which passage is not present inAepyornis(orMullerornis,W.R.)." (Translation.)

Habitat: West Madagascar.

Casoar de la Nouvelle HollandePéron, Relat. Voy. Terr. Austr. I p. 467, pl. XXXVI (1807).Dromoius aterVieillot, Gal. des Ois, pl. 226 (not text).Dromaeus aterBlyth, Ibis 1862, p. 93.

Casoar de la Nouvelle HollandePéron, Relat. Voy. Terr. Austr. I p. 467, pl. XXXVI (1807).

Dromoius aterVieillot, Gal. des Ois, pl. 226 (not text).

Dromaeus aterBlyth, Ibis 1862, p. 93.

Itis most unfortunate that the larger number of authors have neglected to go carefully into the synonymy of this bird; if they had done so it would not have been necessary, after 81 years, to reject the very appropriate name ofater, and to rename the Emu of Kangaroo Island. Vieillot, in the Nouveau Dictionnaire D'Histoire Naturelle X, page 212, distinctly states that hisDromaius aterwas a name given to Latham'sCasuarius novaehollandiae, and makes no mention of Péron or of the Isle Decrès.

The figures in Péron's work of the adult male and female are not good, but those of the young and nestlings appear to me to be very accurate, and the plate in the Galérie des Oiseaux is quite excellent. The latter and my own are taken from the type specimen in the Paris Museum, while the plate in Péron was done by Lessieur from a series of sketches from life made by himself on Decrès Island and in the menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes. The only known specimens of this extinct species are the mounted skin and skeleton in Paris and the skeleton in the Florence Museum. All these are what remain of the three living birds brought to Paris by Péron, and no other authentic specimens exist anywhere. There is in the Museum at Liverpool a full-grown, though immature Emu of the same size asDromaius peronii, but owing to its proportionally longer legs and very scanty plumage it is not absolutely safe to identify it as a second mounted specimen ofD. peronii. I will recur to this lower down.

Description of adult male (ex Cat. Birds Brit. Mus.): Similar toD. novaehollandiae, but much smaller, and with feathers of the neck entirely black; feathers of the body brown fulvous, with the apical half very dark blackish brown; bill and feet blackish, naked skin of the sides of the neck blue. Total length about 55 inches, tarsus 11.40, culmen 2.36.

Immature in first plumage entirely sooty black. Nestling whitish with longitudinal bands of rufous brown. In addition to Decrès or Kangaroo Island, also Flinders, King Islands, and Tasmania had Emus living on themat the time of Péron's visit, and I believe, if authentic specimens from these localities were in existence we should find that each of these islands had had a distinct species or race of Emus. Taking this for granted, and also taking into account that it is slightly different from the type ofD. peronii, I have come to the conclusion that the Liverpool specimen is an immature, though full-grown individual from one of these other islands; but it is not possible from this one rather poor specimen to separate it from the Kangaroo Island species, especially as there is absolutely no indication of the origin of this specimen.

Habitat: Island of Decrès or Kangaroo Island.

One stuffed specimen (Type) and one skeleton in Paris, one skeleton in Florence, and one stuffed specimen in Liverpool (an species diversa?). Also some leg-bones in Adelaide, Australia.

Dr. H. O. Forbes, who kindly lent me the last-named specimen, was the first to point out the differences of this bird fromD. novaehollandiae. It is certainly totally distinct from birds of similar age of eitherD. novaehollandiaeorD. n. irroratus.

Dromaeus minorBaldwin Spencer, Vict. Nat. XXIII, p. 140 (1906).

AsMr. Bernard H. Woodward, of Perth, West Australia, was organising an expedition to Kangaroo, Flinders, and King Islands (December, 1906), to hunt for Emu remains on these islands, I had hoped to be the first to describe what I felt sure would be two new species ofDromaius. I have, however, been forestalled by Professor Baldwin Spencer in the case of King Island, whence a collection of 17 femurs, 19 tibio-tarsi, 28 tarso-metatarsi, and portions of 8 pelves, made by Messrs. Alex. Morton and R. M. Johnston, T.S.O., formed the material for the description of a new species.

The diagnosis is as follows: "Smaller thanD. ater(=D. peroniimihi). Tibia not or only slightly exceeding 330 mm. in greatest length. Tarso-metatarsus not exceeding 280 mm. in greatest length. Pelvis, length not or only slightly exceeding 280 mm."

D. minorwas a smaller but stouter bird thanD. peronii. Comparativedimensions:—

Habitat: King Island, Bass Strait. Now extinct.

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