211 



obliquus being developed. The spina anterior sterni, is a spina 

 communis, being composed of a very feebly developed spina externa 

 and a short and bifurcated spina interna, without a foramen inter- 

 spinale for the reception of the feet of the coracoids. The median 

 apophysis of the furcula is short and rounded off, resembling that 

 of Turnix. The configuration of the pelvis closely resembles that 

 of the Turnices. With regard to the nasal and premaxillary bones, 

 Pedionoimis and the Turnices are schizorhinal, in opposition to 

 the holorhinal Rasores. 



Resume. 



Some of the more noteworthy characters of the various organic 

 systems of Pedionomus are arranged in the following tabular form 

 in which the symbol * indicates agreement with the correspond- 

 ing characters in the Turnices and in the Rasores, the symbol O 

 shows that the characters are either peculiar to Pedionomus or 

 that they agree with Ralline birds. 



To settle the affinities of Pedionomus simply by the numerical 

 majority of coincidences of these characters would be a not un- 

 precedented but utterly fallacious mode of investigation. The 

 quality not the quantity of these '■'■ taxonomic characters" refers 

 Pedionomus to the Turnices as their lowest most KaUo-Galline 

 members. 



Characters of Pedionomus. 



Tvirnices. Rasores. Neither. 



Number of Primary remiges... 



Number of Secondary remiges 



Ab.sence of fifth secondary ... 



Aftershaft structure ... 



Number of rectrices ... 



Pterjlosis 



Oilgland 



Nasal operculum 



Scutillation of Feet ... 



Hallux ... 



Second, third, fourth toes 



Must, caud-ilio-femoralis 



Carotids... 



Syrinx ... 



Absence of Crop 



Liver, three lobes 



Liver, situation of right lobe 



Intestinal convolutions 



Number of cervical vertebrae 



Brachial plexus 



Number of sternal ribs 



Spina communis sterni 



Absence of Proc-obliquus sterni 



Furcula ... 



Pelvis ... 



Nasal bones 



O 



O 



18 



