207 



composed of three quills of which the distal one is the longest, and 

 the proximal one the shortest. The poUex shows no indication of 

 a horny nail. The rectrices are twelve in number ; they are all 

 soft and very short ; the central pair is the longest, the others 

 shorten gradually towards the outside. The Turnices have like- 

 wise twelve rectrices, while in most of the Rasores the number 

 is increased. 



The dorsal feather tract is interrupted by a long spinal apterium 

 which l)egins on a level with the shoulder-joint and is continued a 

 little beyond the level of the hipjoint. Each half of the tract is 

 composed of three to seven rows of feathers of which those nearest 

 the middle line are the strongest. Behind the spinal apterium 

 the tract is continued on to the oil-gland. The humero-scapular 

 tract is very broad, its feathers are longer than the cubitals and 

 form a conspicuous parapteron. This humeral tract is connected 

 through sparingly developed feathers on to the ventral middle 

 cervical tract, but not at all with the dorsal cervical tract, which 

 latter occupies the whole dorsal surface of the neck. The femoral 

 tract is isolated and very distinct ; its feathers are so long that 

 they form the chief covering of the outer surface of the fleshy 

 part of the leg. The feather tracts on the under surface : — the 

 under surface of the neck is covered uniformly, then the tract 

 divides, leaving a bai'e interclavicular space. Each tract divides 

 again on a level with tlie anterior end of the keel, into a lateral 

 thick patch which extends over the lateral part of the sternum, 

 over the sternal ribs, and into a narrower branch which runs 

 nearer the middle line, where it swells out on the abdomen and 

 then narrows again, Ijeing continued by scattered feathers towards 

 the hinder end of the os pubis. The whole distribution and shape 

 of the feather tracts closely resemble that of the Turnices. 



The aftershaft is present, very thin and delicate, but much 

 longer than in the Rasores. The oil-gland is large and tufted, it 

 is otherwise naked except on the dorsal middle line on which the 

 spinal tract is continued. The nostrils are formed by very long 

 and wide slits ; they are protected Vjy a large, soft upper valve, 

 which internally is composed of a cartilaginous thin plate. The 

 whole operculum is quite bare of feathers. The sheath of the bill 

 is composed of one piece only. The tarso-metatarsus is covered 

 in front with one row of about twelve or more transverse scutes, 

 which reach over to the median and outer side. The posterior or 

 plantar surface is protected by a similar row of transverse scutes. 

 The narrow space between the dorsal and ventral row of scutes is 

 filled by one row of small granular scales on the outer side, by two 

 rows on the median side. The same covering of small granular 

 scales exists on the distal half of the bare portion of the leg. The 

 plantar side of the whole heel is covered with numerous narrow 

 transverse scutes ; the outer and median spaces are filled up by 

 small granular scales. The number of toes is four, the hallux 



