ZOOLOffV 



377 



arc tlie Mosasauioids, first introduced to science tbrou^b a gigantic 

 '' Sauriau" whose remains were found in the valley of the Meuse in Ger- 

 many (whence the name). Recent discoveries in America have greatly 

 enlightened ns as to the characteristics and pecnliarities of structure of 

 the type. The group was much better developed in America than 

 in Europe, and the skeleton is now tolerably well known. It has been 

 asserted that the form was tkestitute of limbs, or at least of a pelvis and 

 sternum, and that in this as well as in other resjiects it approached the 

 Ophidians rather than tlie true Saurians. Professor Marsh has recently 

 discovered remains which prove conclusively that they had a well-de- 

 veloped scapular arch and a sternum of goodly proportions, and that 

 there was an equally well developed pelvis, with pubic, iliac, and ischiac 

 bones, all distinct and of good size. Another bone, not previously found, 

 is the "transverse bone" of Cuvier, or "ectopterygoid" of Owen. This 

 has likewise been detected in several genera, and is an Lshaped bone, 

 suturally united by one ramus with the corresponding processes of the 

 "pterygoid" and joining at the other the posterior end of the maxillary. 

 Professor Marsh has further identified (1) as pterygoid bones, those 

 also called pterygoid by Cuvier and which have well developed teeth, 

 while he considers (2) as palatines, small edentulous bones in front and 

 outside the pterygoids, and interposed between them and the slender vo- 

 mers. Hence Professor Marsh concludes that the new characters thus 

 presented are all Lacertilian rather that Ophidian, but inasmuch as the 

 Mosasauroids are distinguished by various important characters, he 

 proposes to segregate them, as a suborder under the name " Mosasauria." 

 As a previous name had been given to the group, however — Pythouo- 

 morpha — that name should be retained, whatever may be the valuation 

 that attaches to the distinctive characters. 



BIRDS. 



ILLUSTRATED VOLUMES, ETC. 



The usual activity has been manifested by ornithologists. The tend- 

 ency to give an exaggerated value to trivial characters still lingers. 

 One author,* for example, recognizes two subclasses and 20 orders in 

 this most homogeneous of types, and for the little morphologically diversi- 

 fied Passeres not less than oo families are i^rovided ! Numerous memoirs 

 on the birds of special regions, on various groups of the class, on the 

 anatomy of certain types, and on the system in general have been pub- 

 lished in the organs of sundry societies and in other periodicals and 

 reviews. A number of special volumes have also been issued, and among 

 such the following serial publications are the most noteworthy. 



Of faunistic works are: 'P. DuC. Godman and O. Salvin's "Biologia 

 Centrali-Americana " (parts 1 to 7); J. Gould's "Birds of Asia" (parts 



*Sclater(P. L). Remarks ou the iireseut state of the Systema Avium. Ibis, (4,) 

 vol. iv, pp. 340-350, 399-410. 



