OSTEOLOGIOAL A^T> PTERYL(X>RAI'HIOAL GHAKAOTERS 

 OF THE PROCNIATID.E. 



By r. A. Lucas, 



Curaior of the Department of Comparative Anatomij. 



The striking characters of the skull of Procwia-s' are the total absence 

 of the traiispalatine processes, the small size of the iiiterpalatines, and 

 the slejiderness and outward curvature of the prepalatine bars, which 

 makes the interi»alatine vacuity almost oval iii shape. I do not recall 

 any other passerine in which thetranspalatine process is totally absent, 

 a condition wliich exists in such distant relatives of the I'asseres as 

 Thittoconis and l^xrtii.r. In the skull of a "half-rii)e°' embryo of a 



Fig. 1. Fi-.2. Fig. 3. 



PALATAL REGIONS. 



(1) I'eti'ocln'lidon liuiilVoiis , (2) Procnias ter.sa: (3) IMranga d-ythronielas. 



Sliihtlv 



nUirge.!. 



swallow,^ the transpalatine processes are seen to ossify from se])ai ate 

 centers, so that the condition fimnd in Fmcnias may be considei-ed as 

 due to lack of development. 



The maxillopalatines are long, slender, scarcely expanded at their 

 free ends, and slightly pneumatic. There is a stout palatomaxillary 



Parker, "Skull of ^githognathons Birds,'' Part II, pi. i.ii, fig. 4. 

 Prooeeding.s of the United States >.'iitioiiaI Mn.sciim, Vol. XVIII, No. 1077. 



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