Identifier: transactionsofro81roya (find matches)
Title: Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand
Year: 1881 (1880s)
Authors: Royal Society of New Zealand
Subjects: Science
Publisher: Wellington, N.Z. : The Society
Contributing Library: Brigham Young University Hawaii, Joseph F. Smith Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Consortium of Church Libraries and Archives

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oraco-scapular angle in the CarinatcB is less than 90°, is furnished by that paragonof flying birds, the albatross, in which the angle is fully 100°; the same,though to a less degree, is the case in the Nelly (Ossifraga).\ Thus Dio-medea and Ossifraga must be added to the above list of exceptions, as well asStringops (?), Cnemiornis, Aptornis, Trihonyx, and Notornis. As a very general * Huxley, On the Classification of Birds, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1867, pp. 418 and 425:Newton, On the Osteology of the Solitaire, Phil. Trans., 1869, p. 341, note. t That is, measuring by the adjacent portions of the bones only, as in the definitionof this angle by Huxley and Newton. Of course if the general direction of the scapulabe taken, the angle will be greatly diminished. I may mention, in passing, that the mostconvenient way to take the coraco-scapular angle, is to trace the outlines of the two boneson a sheet of glass held parallel to the median vertical plane of the body. TRANSJZINSTITUTE.VOLmPlin.
Text Appearing After Image:
T.jp.da. Fj^.S,^ Parker.—On Notornis mantelli. 251 rule, however, a large coraco-scapular angle seems to be correlated with asmall carina sterni and large transverse sternal angle, and, taking birds ofthe same order, there is a tolerably close relation between these structuralpeculiarities and adaptation to a cursorial life. The table of comparative measurements given above shows* that,arranged according to depth of carina sterni, or to size of transverse sternalangle, the four genera of Rallida under consideration must be placed in thefollowing order :—1. Porphyrio, 2. Trihonyx, 3. Notornis, 4. Ocydromus.Fig. 6 shows that the same order is maintained if they are arranged bythe coraco-scapular angle, which is least (86°) in Forphyrio, and greatest(100°) in Ocydronius, and it will be seen that the list begins with a goodflier (Porphyrio), and ends with a bkd of purely cursorial habits (Ocydromus).Similar series may be obtained by turning to other orders; in Anseres, forinstance,

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