Mr. T. C. Eyton's Notes on Birds, 29 



ferent character to that found in Aramus scolopaceus. In the 

 form however of the inferior larynx and the trachea, a short di- 

 stance above it, a resemblance is found to the trachea of Tantalus, 

 described by Mr. Brookes in the ' Linnsean Transactions/ those 

 parts being laterally compressed. The Courlan [Aramus scolo- 

 paceus) is described by Nuttall in his 'American Ornithology' " as 

 being heard by night as well as by day, crying out in a sonorous 

 voice carau V' He also states, " that it is well-entitled to the name 

 of the supposed crying-bird of Bartram.'^ In some parts also it 

 is called the clicking hen, under which designation I have re- 

 ceived it from Honduras, all which names however denote that 

 it has a peculiar power of voice which the conformation of the 

 trachea fully bears out. 



Among the series of skeletons of Grallatorial birds in my pos- 

 session*, there is not one that approaches to that of Aramus in 

 the form of the sternum, the whole of them having either two 

 or four deep fissures in the posterior margin of that bone. I have 

 never seen the skeleton of Tantalus, but suspect that Aramus 

 approaches very nearly to that genus. 



The sternum of Aramus is much longer also than that of any 

 of the Grallatorial genera named in the note. 



In the structure of the pelvis, legs and ribs, Aramus agrees with 

 Porphyrio and Rallus, but the coracoids, os furcatum, scapulse and 

 wings are much stronger considering the respective sizes of the 

 birds. The os furcatum also difiers in form. 



Most Grallatorial birds have the septum between the orbits of 

 the eyes more or less perforated; I cannot therefore derive any 

 information from this character, and I have no grallatorial ske- 

 leton in my possession which has the lacrymal bones of the same 

 form. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE IIL 



Aramus scolopaceus, male. 



Fig. 1. Lower portion of the trachea, nat. size. 



Fig. 2. CEsophagus and stomach half the natural size. 



Fig. 3. A portion of the intestine and left caecum. 



Fig. 4. Posterior portion of the sternum, nat. size. 



* I have in my collection the skeletons of species of the following genera : 

 Tinochorus, Porphyrio, Ardea, Egretta, Rallus, Botaurus, Nycticorax, Cha- 

 radrius, Tringa, Totanus, Scolopax, Strepsilus, Vanellus, Squatarola, Li- 

 mosa. Machetes, Gallinula, Rhynchaa, Crex, Numenius, Hoplopterus, Hcb- 

 matopus, Himantopus, Ibis, Fulica, Phoenicopterus, CEdicnemus, Ciconia. 



