. Transactions and proceedings of the New Zealand Institute . pular angle in the Carinatm 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-viedea and Ossifraga must be added to the above list of exceptions, as well asStringojjs (?), Cnemiornis, Apitornis, 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
. Transactions and proceedings of the New Zealand Institute . pular angle in the Carinatm 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-viedea and Ossifraga must be added to the above list of exceptions, as well asStringojjs (?), Cnemiornis, Apitornis, 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. TRANS,[ TO/LLUSTf^m E^Pfff 0/^ mo MIS. T^.S,^- Paekeb.—On Notornis mantelli. 251 rule, however, a large coraco-scapnlar angle seems to be correlated with asmall carma 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 Rcdlidce, under consideration must be placed in thefollowing order :—1. Forphyrio, 2. Tribonyx, 3. Notornis, 4. 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 Ocydromus, and it will be seen that the list begins with a goodflier (Forphyrio), and ends with a bird of purely cursorial habits (O
Size: 1354px × 1844px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectscience
