506 CHARACTERS OF THE PROCXIATIDJE— LUCAS. vol.xviii. 



process, whether or not developed from a separate center is not known. 

 The vomer is cliaracteristically passerine, with the edges of the anterior 

 extremity much upturned, instead of flattened, as in swallows and 

 tanagers.^ In the approximation of the pterygoids to the basitemporal 

 region, there is a suggestion of such forms as MicropuSj this being 

 j)oticeab]e in many so-called picarian birds. 



The jaw possesses no salient characters, but in spite of its broad, 

 swallow-like shape, its general characteristics are snggestive of tana- 

 griue rather than of hirnndine altinities, and the same is true of the 

 shape of the narial openings, although from the width of the cranium 

 it might be tlnmght that the reverse would be the case. The ventral 

 portion of the ectoethmoid is narrow, as in tanagers, instead of being- 

 expanded, as in swallows, and tlie postpalatines are produced over the 

 pterygoids, which again does not happen in swallows. 



The hyoid bones are short, the tongue itself hirundine in pattern, 

 with its posterior portion covered with short, backwardly directed 

 papillfe. The same style of tongue occurs among the swifts, and will 

 probably be found in other insectivorous birds, in which the tongue is 

 capable of but little protrusion. The manus is strictly passerine, as is 

 also the hypotarsus, which has five tendiual lierforations, whereof the 



postero-outermost is closed by cartilage, as in 



C'J^ -' ■^'^^ . some swallows, although this is a comparatively 

 • . unimportant particular. 

 •.' • The sknll of CliJorophoiiia, although not typi- 

 *•'..'* ij_ cally tanagrine, bears no close resemblance to 

 - — 3 ?^'\ V *^ that i)f Procnias, although the two are usually 

 "' ' placed near one another. 



HEAD OF PROCNIAS TERSA. ti ' 'mi 1 11 • • x. i? • m. i; • 1 



Ecsumr. — The skull, m spite ot its superncial 

 resemblance to that of a swallow, is structur- 

 ally more nearl^'like that of such a typical tanager naPiranf/a eriithro- 

 melas; but in the characters of tlie palate, Prooiias departs so widely, 

 not onh^ from the tanagers, but from tlie large majority of passerine 

 birds, .as to warrant the establishment of a separate ftunily for the 

 members of the genus. 



1 am indebted to Mr, Hubert L. Ulark, who compared the pterylosis 

 of Promias with that of a number of tanagers, for the appended notes. 

 Unfortunately the only specimen of Procnias available was a dried skin, 

 and this at first sight appeared to show a dorsal apterium, although 

 close examination showed tliat, in all probability, this was due to loss 

 of feathers in making up the skin. 



"The ninth primary is the longest and the others follow in regular 

 succession, eighth, seventh, sixth, etc., but the eighth is practically equal 

 to the ninth. While this arrangement is by no means rare among the 

 Passeres, it is not the rule, as the ninth is usually shorter than the 



' Comparison is made with the sAvallows, because snperticially the slciill of Frocttias 

 strougly suggests that of a swaUow. 



