552 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxvi. 



the nostrils are intermediate in form between a tj^pical holorhinal and 

 sc'hizorhinal nostril, lioing- elono'ate and posteriori}' somewhat angular, 

 \vhih> thov lit^ well in advance of the postcM'ior termination of the pre- 

 niaxillai'ies. That llesperoriiis was schizognathous is, of course, uncer- 

 tain. 'rh(> ligur(>s a('coini)anying this show the nostril and palate of a 

 voung nestling of Plialncrocin'Wd' nrlle, and similar conditions prevail 

 in th(^ young of /*. dllo^ms. The desmognathism of the cormorants is 

 clear! V a secondary condition and is not brought about until some time 

 after hatching. The closing of the nostril does not take place until 

 very nuich later, or apparently just before the young takes to the 

 water. As previously noted by Mr. Pycraft, a trace of the nostril 

 remains in the shape of a minute orifice closed by horn. My own 

 interpretation of the maxillo-palatines differs from that of Mr. Pycraft, 

 a fact which I regret, as he is usually right; but, in the present instance, 

 the maxillo-palatines are so clearly defined in the nesiling that I have 

 no choice in the matter. The collections of the United States National 

 Museum include a large number of species of cormorants and a series 

 of skulls representing individuals from the time of hatching up to 

 shortly ])efore the young take to the water, and it is upon this series 

 that I have based my conclusions. 



That Hesperornis should stand in the direct line of ascent of the 

 grebes is, of course, quite out of the question, as it would imply the 

 derivation of a modern bird of flight from a degenerate, flightless 

 form. That the two may have had a common ancestor is an entirely 

 different proposition, hut if such be the case we must go far back in 

 time to seek for this hypothetical form. And it must ever l)e borne 

 in mind in dealing with l)irds that our knowledge of early forms is 

 extremely slight, so that we have a very small foundation of facts for 

 a very large edifice of theory, a pyramid resting on its apex, as it were. 

 Our knowledge is indeed so limited that what we are pleased to term 

 theory is really little better than speculation. 



HARGERIA, n.ew genus. 



Ilespei'ornis gracilis differs so much from its larger relative that it 

 should be i)laced w a distinct genus, for which the name ILtrgeria is 

 proposed in honor of Mr. Oscar Harger, who was one of Professor 

 Marsh's assistants at the time of his investigations of the toothed birds, 

 and, as noted in the preface to Odontornithes, rendered valuable aid 

 in its preparation. Th(^ most important character is the size of the 

 quadrate and length of the ascending process, and in l)irds tiiis means 

 much, as there is a remarkable constancy in the shape of this l)one 

 among rehitcd forms. 



As contrasted with Ilesperm'nis the genus Harger in may l)e defined 

 as follows: Quadrate with a large, upwardly directed lachrymal pro- 

 cess; processes of nasals short; length of femur more than twice its 

 greatest width across the head. 



