On Dinornis (Part XXIII): containing a Description of the Skeleton of Dinornis parvus, Owen [with] On Dinornis [and] (Part XXIV): containing a description of the Head and Feet, with their dried Integuments, of an individual of the species Dinornis didinus

Description:

Trans. Zool. Soc. London, Vol. XI: 233-261. The first paper describes an extinct bird genus known as the lesser moa, little bush moa, or bush moa. It stood more than 1.3 metres tall and inhabited much of the North Island and small sections of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the smallest known species of moa, weighing about 30kg and standing less than a metre tall. Owen states that the specimen 'was discovered, during the construction of a road, in a cave about forty miles north-west of Nelson Town, South Island of New Zealand'.

The second paper describes a moa specimen which was purchased by H.L. Squires of Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand, who took it to England in 1878 and sold it to the Brirish Museum (Natural History), London in 1882. In this paper Owen designated it

as the type specimen of Dinornis didinus Owen.

Condition

4to, disbound. Occasional light foxing.