Art. XXXVIII.—On the Dimensions of Dinornis Bones. By Captain F. W. Hutton, C.M.Z.S. [Read before the Otago Institute, 12th October, 1874.] The large number of Moa bones exhumed last summer from the swamp near Hamilton for the committee of the Otago Museum' having passed into my charge, it became necessary for me to try to determine the different species by measurement in order that I might select a complete series to be retained in the museum and ascertain what duplicates there were for exchange. In doing this I made nearly 2,000 measurements, and although I have not a sufficient knowledge of anatomy to be able to give an opinion as to what anatomical characters are sufficient to determine species, yet as the different species of Dinornis have necessarily been distinguished by Professor Owen chiefly by size, I think that the results of my measurements are of sufficient importance to justify my bringing them before you. No one I think can examine such a large collection of Moa bones as I have done without being struck by the almost exhaustive nature of the researches of Professor Owen, and the collectors who supplied him with the material to work upon. It would naturally be expected that the examination of the remains of some two or three hundred extinct birds would show several forms not hitherto described. Such, however, is not the case, for with but very few exceptions all the bones can be referred with tolerable precision to some name already established, or to an intermediate form between two names. These excavations have certainly brought to light a variety of D. elephantopus, larger and more exaggerated in its characters than any yet recorded by Professor Owen or by Dr. Haast, and they have also proved that, so far as mere size is concerned, two of Professor Owen's species run gradually into one another. But notwithstanding this the difference in the forms he has described is so great that I am of opinion that the whole of his specific names must be retained, while one or two others may perhaps have to be added to them. * In my paper on the Geographical Relations of the New Zealand Fauna—I said that probably some of Professor Owen's species of Dinornis are but the young of others (Trans. N. Z. Inst., 1872, p. 232). This is a mistake, Professor Owen's species are certainly all founded on adult specimens. I have already mentioned that the collection contained the remains of more than 200 birds; many of the bones, however, were not sufficiently well preserved to admit of accurate measurements being made. I therefore selected out the fully adult and best preserved bones for measurement, except where the form was represented by very few individuals, in which cases all adult bones were measured. In the annexed table (Table A) I have arranged the various bones to the best of my judgment, according to the dimensions given by Professor Owen