Extinct Birds Part 48

CELA REICHENBACH.

Skull convex, the temporal fossae very large. Breadth at the squamosals 1.6-1.7 times the height at the basi-temporal. Length from the supra-occipital to the nasals rather less than the breadth at the squamosals. Occipital condyle hidden by the supra-occipital. Ridge between temporal fossae and supra-occipital narrow. Beak short, slightly compressed and rounded at the tip, though more pointed than in _Anomalopteryx_. Lower mandible nearly straight and rather slighter than in _Anomalopteryx_, V-shaped. Sternum with coracoid pits faintly indicated or absent; length less than breadth. Costal processes well developed, lateral processes diverging at different angles.

Pelvis broader in proportion than in _Dinornis_, the acetabula set more forward. Tarso-metatarsus shorter than the femur, and less than half the length of the tibio-tarsus. Hallux present in some species. The smallest species of Moa is _Cela curtus_.

Type of the genus: _Cela curtus_.

Number of species: 5.

CELA CURTUS (OWEN.)

_Dinornis curtus_ Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. III, p. 325 (1846).

_Cela curtus_ Reichenbach, Nat. Syst. der Vog. p. 30 (1850).

_Cela curta_ Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIX, p. 550, pl. XLVII, Fig. B.

This and the following are the two smallest species of _Moa_, having been about the size of a large turkey. It also is the most abundant species at Whangarei, and appears to have been most common in the North of the Island.

The type is from Poverty Bay.

Habitat: North Island, New Zealand. {206}

CELA OWENI (HAAST).

_Dinornis oweni_ Haast, Trans. Zool. Soc. XII, p. 171, pl. x.x.xI, x.x.xII (1886).

_Cela curtus_ Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst., XXIV, p. 127 (1892), portion.

Dr. von Haast (Sir Julius von Haast) took as his type of _Dinornis oweni_ the almost complete skeleton collected by Mr. Cheeseman in a cave at Patana, Whangarei, and now in the Auckland Museum. While referring my readers to the original diagnosis for the specific characters, I wish to specially draw attention to the fact that Dr. von Haast says that in the collections he examined, made by Mr. Thorne and Mr. Cheeseman, there are bones belonging to at least 20 skeletons of his _D. oweni_, and that some were even smaller than the type, and the only difference was the constant average difference due to s.e.x. I draw special notice to this, as Captain Hutton has united this form with _curtus_, saying Haast's type is only a small individual of that species. The fact of bones of at least 20 different individuals, showing the same characters and the same differences from _curtus_, is quite sufficient evidence for me to consider Dr. von Haast's _D. oweni_ as a distinct species. I append measurements of the leg bones of the types of _Cela curtus_ and _C. oweni_:--

-------------+-------------------+----------------+--------------- Tarso-metatarsus. Tibio-tarsus. Femur.

-------------+-------------------+----------------+--------------- _Cela curtus_ 5.0 inches 11.25 inches 5.65 inches _Cela oweni_ 4.4 " 9.6 " 6.5 "

Locality: Whangarei.

Habitat: North Island, New Zealand.

CELA GERANOIDES (OWEN.)

_Palapteryx geranoides_ Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. III, p. 345 (1848).

_Cela geranoides_ Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 126 (1892).

This species is confined to the North Island. The type came from Waingongoro. It is most commonly found in the South of the Island.

Habitat: North Island, New Zealand. {207}

CELA RHEIDES (OWEN).

_Dinornis rheides_ Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. IV, p. 8 (1850--partim).

_Syornis rheides_ Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 131 (1892).

This is a very difficult form to consider, as the type bones consisted of those of three different forms. Whether Professor Owen, were he now alive, would concur in Captain Hutton's treatment is very questionable, and I doubt if it ought not to be united to _Emeus cra.s.sus_, while Haast united it to _P. gravis_. I have kept it separate as no bones of a single individual united are known, and it might prove sufficiently distinct if a good skeleton were obtained. The type bones were sent from Waikawaite, Middle Island, by Colonel Wakefield, in 1849.

Habitat: Middle Island, New Zealand.

CELA CASUARINUS (OWEN).

_Dinornis casuarinus_ Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. III, p. 307 (1846).

_Syornis casuarinus_ Reichenbach, Nat. Syst. der Vog, p. x.x.x (1850).

_Meionornis casuarinus_ Haast, Trans. N.Z. Inst., VII, pp. 54-91 (1875).

_Syornis casuarinus_ Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst., XXIV, p. 133 (1892).

_C. casuarinus_ is found in both Islands, and is abundant in the Middle Island.

The type came from Waikowaiti.

Habitat: New Zealand.

Portions of one skeleton and two almost complete skeletons in Tring Museum; one of the latter from Kapua Swamps.

{209}

EMEUS REICHENBACH.

The skull is very short and wide, with a blunt and slightly deflected rostrum, and a very small pneumatic foramen to the quadrate. The mandible is in the shape of a wide U, with a slightly inflected angle, and a large post-articular process. The symphysis is very wide and deeply excavated, with a broad and slightly prominent inferior ridge narrowing in front. The sternum resembles that of _Anomalopteryx_, but the pelvis is much wider and approaches that of _Pachyornis_. The tibio-tarsus and tarso-metatarsus are relatively shorter and thicker than in _Anomalopteryx_, but less stout than in _Pachyornis_; the distal extremity of the tibio-tarsus is not inflected.

A hallux is present. The length of the tarso-metatarsus is considerably less than that of the femur, and than half that of the tibio-tarsus, its width at the middle of the shaft being rather more than one-fourth of its length.

The vertebrae are of the type of _Anomalopteryx_. The species are larger than most of those of _Cela_ and _Anomalopteryx_. Additional cranial characters are that the skull usually has very broad and blunt paroccipital processes; there is no distinct supraoccipital prominence, and no well-marked depression upon the frontal aspect of the squamosal above the head of the quadrate. The basi-occipital tubercles are prominent, and give an arched posterior profile to this bone. The quadrate is elongated with a long anterior bar; the cavity of the squamosal for the reception of its head is inclined much more outwardly than in either of the other genera.