PLOVERS AND ALLIED SPECIES. 69 



the end straight and attenuated. The cervical vertebrae are 

 thirteen, the dorsal nine, the lumbar and sacral twelve, the 

 caudal nine. The ribs are nine, the first rudimentary, the 

 second incomplete, all very slender, compressed. The sternum 

 is large, its body of moderate breadth, with the sides parallel, 

 its posterior margin slightly oblique on each side, with a 

 small sinus and smaller foramen ; the crest, which extends 

 its whole length, is very high, anteriorly concave. The 

 coracoid bones are moderately stout ; the furcula rather 

 narrow, considerably curved, and very slender. The scapula 

 is uniform and pointed. The wings are long; the humerus 

 rather long ; the cubitus considerably longer ; the hand of 

 the same length as the latter. At the base of the larger 

 metacarpal bone the anterior process is thin and rounded, 

 but in some species is elongated, and covered with a conical 

 horn or spur. Of course, if the tarsal spur of the Rasores 

 be analagous to the hallux, the carpal spur of many of the 

 Grallatoriae and Natatoriae corresponds to the pollex. Beyond 

 this process is the slender bone of the first or alular finger ; 

 the other two fingers are united ; the anterior having a large 

 metacarpal bone, and two phalanges, both of which are more 

 or less flattened and posteriorly thin-edged ; the other having 

 a slender metacarpal bone attached at both ends, and a single 

 phalanx united with that of the other. The pelvis is com- 

 paratively small, but very wide beneath. The sacrum is 

 quite distinct, not being anchylosed with the innominata, of 

 which the anterior or iliac plate is narrow, rounded, and 

 does not rise above the level of the vertebrae, of which the 

 spinous processes are extremely short. The sciatic foramen 

 is elliptical, the thyroid roundish. The pubes is linear, 

 slightly recurved, and free, or united only anteriorly. The 

 thigh bones are very short and of moderate strength; the 

 tibia very long, slender, roundish, the fibula rudimentary, 

 scarcely extending a third of the length of the tibia ; the 

 tarsus rather long or moderate. The toes are slender ; the 

 first either wanting, or extremely small and running off above 

 the level of the rest, with two phalanges and a basal bone ; 

 the second shorter than the outer, of three phalanges ; the 

 third longest, of four ; the fourth of five. 



