G. NATURAL HISTORY AND ZOOLOGY. 307 



of the quills black, differing in this latter respect alone from 

 the allied species in China. 



Again, in speaking of the black parrots, Professor Edwards 

 remarks that none of these are to be found black in America 

 or Asia, nor in Africa excepting along the borders of the Mo- 

 zambique Channel, though they are not rare in the more 

 southern regions included in the limits mentioned, some of 

 them being entirely black, and others with a gloss of this 

 color, so as to obscure the other tints. 6 y Dec. 29, 1873, 

 1551. 



NEW CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 



Mr. A. H. Garrod has lately presented to the Zoological So- 

 ciety of London a new scheme for the classification of birds, 

 based principally on the disposition of their muscles and oth- 

 er soft parts. The classifications previously made use of 

 have rested mainly upon the osteology and the external an- 

 atomy. Sundevall, according to Mr. Garrod, is the only or- 

 nithologist who has made any generalizations respecting 

 myology w T hich have a very important bearing upon the sub- 

 ject. 



Mr. Garrod has found, in comparing birds but distantly re- 

 lated to each other, that important myological differences 

 exist between them ; and the more he extended his research- 

 es, the more distinctly has he been able to point out striking 

 family characters which he thinks should be used in classifi- 

 cation. The muscles that he takes principally into consider- 

 ation are the five following : (1) The femoro-caudal, which 

 runs from the linea aspera of the femur, near its head, to the 

 sides of the tail vertebrae ; (2) the accessory femoro-caudcU, 

 which runs parallel to the last, and behind it, from below the 

 femur-head to the ischium; (3) the semitendinosus, which 

 crosses the first-named muscle superficially, and arises from 

 the lower part of the ischium, to be inserted into the in- 

 ner side of the tibia-head ; (4) the accessory semitendinosus, 

 which arises from the distal end of the linea aspera, and 

 joins the fibres of its larger namesake obliquely just before 

 their insertion ; (o) the ambiens, that peculiar slender mus- 

 cle which arises from just above the acetabulum, and, after 

 running obliquely through the ligamentum patellae, joins the 

 tendon of the Jlexor jwforatus digitorum. 



