BY WILLIAM A. HASWELL, M.A., B.SC. 307 



M. Edmond Alix in his " JEJssaisur Vappareillocomoteur des Oiseaux" 



(1871), in addition to a minute account of the muscular system 

 in general, gives a description of the differences in the arrange- 

 ment of the long flexors of the toes in various birds, and refers 

 to a few other varieties in the Myology. 



The present paper is intended as a slight contribution to our 

 knowledge of this subject — consisting of a summary of the most 

 important points ascertained by a study of the myology of the 

 Pigeon family, a group whose anatomy appears to have been 

 singularly neglected. In the anatomy of the muscles of which 

 no mention is made in the following descriptions there is nothing 

 specially characteristic to be observed. 



a. — Muscles of the Anterior Extremity. 

 1. — The latissimus dorsi, in all the genera of the family which 

 I have examined is specially remarkable on account of its being 

 devoid of any trace of a posterior belly — a character in which, so 

 far as I have accertained, the Columbidas are distinguished from 

 all other groups of birds (including the columbiform I) i dun cuius). 



2. — The levator anguli scapula, arises from the first three ribs, or 

 the second, third and fourth, with their transverse processes, and 

 is not connected with the transverse processes of the posterior 

 dorsal vertebrae, as in most other birds. 



3. — The bleeps flexor cub it i arises as usual by two heads, a 

 a coracoidal and a humeral ; these blend completely towards 

 the middle of the arm ; but there are two distinct tendons of 

 insertion — one attached to the head of a radius, the other to the 

 coronoid process of the ulna. This arrangement is not an 

 uncommon one, and is found in widely differing genera (e.g. 

 Athene, GrallinaJ. It serves, however, as an important point of 

 distinction from various families of birds : thus certain families 

 (Lariclte, Chionidce, Scolopacidce), have the muscle divided into two 

 parts — corresponding to the coracoidal and humeral heads in 

 the arrangement above described, — which remain separable from 



