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MULLERORNISMILNE-EDWARDS & GRANDIDIER.
Birds of medium size, not having the heavy and massive build of Aepyornis. They appear to resemble more closely the Casuaridae. Known only from leg bones.
Number of species: 2.
MULLERORNIS BETSILEIMILNE-EDW. & GRAND.
- Mullerornis betsilei Milne-Edwards and Grandidier, Compt. Rend., CXVIII, p. 125 (1894).
Original description as follows:—"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 of Dromaius.
"Length of tibio-tarsus | 390 | mm. |
Circumference of tibio-tarsus | 90 | " |
Width of tibio-tarsus | 30 | " |
Width of proximal end | 75 | " |
Width of distal end | 60 | " |
Length of tarso-metatarsus | 310 | " |
Circumference of tarso-metatarsus | 80 | " |
Width of shaft of tarso-metatarsus | 27 | " |
Width of proximal end | 70 | " |
"Mullerornis betsilei inhabited the same area as Ae. mulleri but was much rarer. (Translated.)"
Habitat: Central Madagascar.