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CHAP. XVIII.] BIRDS. 369
main-land of Australia (Plate XII. Vol. I. p. 441). Casuarius
(9 sp.) inhabits the islands from Ceram to New Britain, with
one species in North Australia ; it is most abundant in the
Papuan Islands.
Family 128.—APTERYGID^. (1 Genus, 4 Species.)
Neocbopical
sub-r»gions.
Neakctic
Sub-regions.
General Distribution.
Pal^arctic
sub-hegions.
Ethiopian
sub-begio.ns.
Oriental
sub-keqions.
Australian
Sub-regions.
The species of Apteryx are entirely confined to the two larger
islands of New Zealand. They are supposed to have some
remote affinity with Ocydromus, a genus of Eails peculiar to
Australia and New Zealand ; but they undoubtedly form one of
the most remarkable groups of living birds (Plate XIII. Vol. I.
p. 445).
Struthious Birds recently extinct.
A number of sub-fossil remains of birds, mostly large and
some of gigantic size, having affinities to the Apteryx and, less
closely, to the Cassowaries, have been discovered in New
Zealand. These are all classed by Professor Owen in the
genus Dinornis and family Dinornithidce ; but Dr. Haast, from
the study of the rich collections in the Canterbury (New
Zealand) Museum, is convinced that they belong to two distinct
families and several genera. His arrangemeiit is as follows.
(See Ihis, 1874, p. 209).
Family 129.—DINORNITHID^. (2 Genera, 7 Species.)
Dinornis (5 sp.) ;
Meionornis (2 sp.).
These had no hind toe, and include the largest species. Pro-
fessor Newton thinks that they were absolutely wingless, being
the only birds in which the fore limbs are entirely wanting.