EMEUSREICHENBACH.
The skull is very short and wide, with a blunt and slightly deflected rostrum, and a very small pneumatic foramen to the quadrate. The mandible is in the shape of a wide U, with a slightly inflected angle, and a large post-articular process. The symphysis is very wide and deeply excavated, with a broad and slightly prominent inferior ridge narrowing in front. The sternum resembles that of Anomalopteryx, but the pelvis is much wider and approaches that of Pachyornis. The tibio-tarsus and tarso-metatarsus are relatively shorter and thicker than in Anomalopteryx, but less stout than in Pachyornis; the distal extremity of the tibio-tarsus is not inflected. A hallux is present. The length of the tarso-metatarsus is considerably less than that of the femur, and than half that of the tibio-tarsus, its width at the middle of the shaft being rather more than one-fourth of its length.
The vertebrae are of the type of Anomalopteryx. The species are larger than most of those of Cela and Anomalopteryx. Additional cranial characters are that the skull usually has very broad and blunt paroccipital processes; there is no distinct supraoccipital prominence, and no well-marked depression upon the frontal aspect of the squamosal above the head of the quadrate. The basi-occipital tubercles are prominent, and give an arched posterior profile to this bone. The quadrate is elongated with a long anterior bar; the cavity of the squamosal for the reception of its head is inclined much more outwardly than in either of the other genera.
Type of genus: Emeus crassus (Owen).
Number of species: 6.
EMEUS CRASSUS(OWEN).
- Dinornis crassus Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. III, p. 307 (1846—partim).
- Emeus crassus Reichenbach, Nat. Syst. der Vög., p. XXX (1850).
- Syornis crassus Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 132 (1892).
This species has led to much confusion, owing to Professor Owen having associated with the real portions of crassus in his possession bones of elephantopus, ponderosus and struthioides. The type came from Waikouaiti.
Habitat: Middle Island, New Zealand.
Imperfect skeleton in Tring Museum.
