N. GYLDENSTOLPE, HEEL-PADS IN CERTAIN BIRDS. 13 



Fam. Irrisoridse. 



In a young specimen from Kasindi in Belgian Congo the 

 heel-pads are rather short and fairly high, and they are only 

 visible beyond the joint. This may be declared by the fact 

 that the papillse on the rest of the joint ha ve already been 

 shed. In another specimen, collected at Njoro in British East 

 Africa, the papillse are of the same shape and structure as 

 in the Kasindi specimen, but they are present even above 

 the joint. On the pad, which measures 8 mm in length, the 

 tubercles are placed irregularly and are of variable shape and 

 structure. As a rule it seems, as if the largest are situated 

 along the sides with a few smaller ones wedged in between 

 the other. They are quite smooth and without any pointed 

 cusps. 



Fam. Meropidae. 

 Merops apiaster Linn. 



An immature specimen from Holland has been examined, 

 and in this specimen the pads are quite prominent and re- 

 sembling those found among the Barbets and Woodpeckers, 

 though in the present specimen there are no pointed tu- 

 bercles to be noticed. The pad is rather high and extends 

 about 1,5 mm above the scutse of the tarsus. The tubercles 

 are longer than high and placed in irregular rows. 



In a specimen of Merops ornatus Lath. similar pads occur. 



Fam. Momotidae. 



Momotus momotus Linn. 



The specimen examined is too old and the dermal papillae 

 are almost already shed so that only the scars are visible. 

 However, the tubercles appear to have been situated in re- 

 gular rows, decreasing in numbers towards the middle of the 

 pad. At the upper end, exactly at the joint, there seem to 

 have been 4 small papillse. The papillse are growing larger 

 towards the middle of the pad, where they have been longer 

 than broad, one single papilla covering almost the whole of 

 the pad. 



