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.