dinornidæ, dinornith1use

pl. [Mod. Lat. dinorn ( is ), and Lat. fem. pl. adj. suff. -ida.] Ornith.: A family of fo il birds found in New Zealand, and believed to be akin to the Struthionidæ, or Ostriches, though by some parted between the Struthious and the Wading Birds. They belong to the sub-cla Ratite. Chief genera, Dinornis and Pal apteryx. The natives called these birds IMG:content-2543.png:[blocks in formation] "To dine with Duke Humphrey, importing to be dinner le ." Fuller: Worthies; London. din-ner-ly, a. [Eng. dinner; -ly.] Appertain. ing to dinner; attending upon dinner. "A gent. of her majesties privi-chamber coming to 8 merry recorder of London, about some state affaire, met him by chance in the street going to dinner to the lord mai or, and proffered to deliver him his encharge, but the dinnerly officer was so hasty on his way that he refused to heare him, poasting him over to another season, the gent. notwithstanding still urged him to audience, without discovering either who he was or what he would."-Copley. Wits, Fits and Fancies (1614). ( Nares .) *din-ner-ý, a. [Eng. dinner; -y.] Pertaining IMG:content-2544.jpg:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-2545.jpg:[ocr errors] deposits in New Zealand. Type, Dinornis (q. v.). [MOA.] di-nor'-nis, dei-nor-nis, s. [Greek deinos = strange, unusual fearful, terrible, dreadful, and ornis a bird.] Ornith.: A genus of fo il birds, founded by Prof. Owen, and published by him in Nov., 1839, with much sagacity, on the authority of the fragment of a femur brought from New Zealand. Subsequent discoveries have brought to light several species of Dinornis, and some allied genera. Dinornis giganteus was from ten to eleven or twelve feet high, or one-third higher than the tallest os trich; D. strut hioi des was seven feet, or the height of an ostrich of moderate size; IMG:content-2546.png:[merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic][merged small][merged small] jaw, curved downward, and were used by the animal, which was semi-aquatic, to support its head upon the shore. Cuvier had described some teeth of this species as those of a gigantic Tapir. No body or limb bones have yet been found so a ociated with those of the skull as to show that they belonged to the same animal. Hence the true position of the Din other. ium has not been satisfactorily determined. believed that had a short flexible trunk. din-ox'-ide, s. [DIOXIDE.] din'-some, a. [Eng. din; -some.] Noisy, dinning.