189
|
Cela Reichenbach. |
Pachyornis Lydekker. |
I have adopted Professor Parker's classification in the genera, only substituting Cela Reichenbach for Mesapteryx Hutton, which is a synonym of Megalapteryx Haast. As to the species I have used my own judgment; I felt obliged to name a number of species acknowledged by Parker and Lydekker but not named, because this system of indicating species by the letters A, B, C, &c., which has crept into our nomenclature, will make all understanding impossible, as not always the same species is denoted by the same letter. A few of these species will naturally later have to be sunk, as some have been founded on skulls and others on leg bones, or so, which, when we get perfect individual skeletons may prove to be identical, but I do not think these will be many.
Besides a number of imperfect eggs, particulars of which will be found in Dr. A. B. Meyer's article in the Ibis, 1903, pp. 188-196, there are known two perfect Moa eggs and one almost perfect one.
- 1. Otago Museum. Molyneux River, 1901. Pachyornis pondorosus.
- 2. Tring Museum. Molyneux River, 1901. Megalapteryx huttoni.
- 3. Rowley Collection. South Island, 1859. Dinornis novaezealandiae.
