248 



GENERAL ORNITHOLOGY 



foregoing are hyal, i.e. belonging to the second visceral arch ; the 

 following are branchial, of the third arch : The hasibranchial (bbr ; 

 Fig. 72, d) is a single median piece, projecting backward from the 

 basihyal, with which it may be perfectly consolidated, as it is in the 

 figure, or separately articulated ; it may be wanting ; it is usually 

 tipped and prolonged backward with a thread of cartilage. The 

 hasibranchial is oftener called " urohyal," but had better be allowed 

 its strict morphological name. On either side, the basihj^al bears 

 the separately articulated ccraiobranchials (cbr; Fig. 72, e), long 

 slender bones diverging as they pass backward, and bearing upon 

 their ends the epibranchials (ebr; Fig. 72, /), which finish off the 



Figs. 73, 74. — Under Fig. side view of a woodpecker's {Picus) skull, showing the long 

 slender basihyal (bh), bearing slight elements at its fore end, no uroyhal, and extraordinarily 

 long thyrohyals (cbr, cbr) curving up over back of skull and curling together around orbit 

 of the right eye. Upper Fig. top view of skull of Colaptes, showing tliyrohyals running along 

 the skull and into right nostril to end of the bill. (Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, U.S.A.) 



hyoid bone behind, or may be in turn tipped with cartilaginous 

 threads. The cerato- and epibranchials together are badly called 

 the " thyrohyals," and in still more popular language the " greater 

 cornua "or " horns " of the hyoid. All these bones vary in differ- 

 ent birds in size and shape and relative development ; the branchial 

 elements are the most constant in their length and slenderness. 

 The whole hyoid apparatus of the woodpeckers is specially modi- 

 fied ; the basihyal is very long and slender, bearing stunted cerato- 

 and glossohyals at its extreme end ; there is no urohyal, or only 



hyoid, but it is said of the several different elements of which the hyoid bone, or 

 hyoidean arch, is composed, the termination -al being conformable with branchi-al, 



etc. 



