STRlTIIIor.S lilKDS. / 



r< « TTT.TTT. 7n [ 1 ! ! gli t -haiicl siUf of eiitianoo 



Subclass I. SAURUR^. to Gallery. K^storation and 



framed cast of fus-il remains. 



Fos.sil reiuaius, hitherto only found iu tlie lithographic slate of 

 Soleiihofeu, in Bavaria, indicate that birds existed in the Upper Jurassic 

 geological age, ditleriug in certain points from those now existing. The 

 jaws were armed with teeth, and the tliree digits of the fore limb were 

 furnished with claws. The tail consisted of a series of elono-ated 

 vertebrae, gradually tajjcring to the extremity, each vertel)ra bearing a 

 pair of well-developed feathers. As the skeleton of the tail rather 

 resembled that of a Reptile than that of a modern Bird the name 

 Savrurce, signifying ' Lizard-tailed,' has been applied to the group. 



The best known rejireseutative of this snbelas.s is the Arc/iceopteri/d- 

 lifhoyraph'ica ( 1 ). A east of the fossil remains of this remarkable form 

 is exhibited at the entrance to the Bird Gallery. For full particulars 

 the reader is referred to the eighth edition of the Geological Guide, 

 pp. <.)3-95 (1904). 



Subclass II. NEORNITHES. 



This subclass includes all the remaining forms, both recent and 

 fossil, included in the class Aves, and may be divided into two sections : 

 A. Rat'tUc, and B. Curinattc. The first contains the Struthious Birds 

 and the Tinamous, and the second ail the existing Birds not included 

 iu the previous divisirn. 



Section A. R A T J T M. 

 Struthious Bikds .and Tinamous. 



In this subclass are included all the great flightless species of the 

 Ostrich-tribe eomiuonly known as the Struthious J5irds and the Tina- 

 mous. The name Ratitte is derived from the raft-like breast-bone of 

 the former, which is devoid of a keel for the attachment of the pectoral 

 muscles. As these muscles gradually ceased to be used they became 

 degenerate, the keel for their attachment disappeared, and, as a result, 

 the birds lost the power of flight. Though at the present period 

 represented by comparatively few members, which are confined to 

 Africa, the Papuan group of islands, Australia, New Zealand, and 

 South America, the " Ratites " were formerly much more numerous in 

 species, and ranged over ))arts of the earth (such as England) where 

 they have long ago ceased to exist. A number of fossil forms are 

 known. 



The Ratitte may be distinguished from all other birds by the bones 

 of the palate, the pterygoid never forming a jointed articulation with 



