32 Shufeldt, Skeleton of Kea Parrot {Nestor notahilis). [i^t juiy 



projecting osseous lip or otherwise, as they are in the crania of 

 some members of the class. 



The Mandible (figs, i, 4, and 12). — This element of the skull 

 in Nestor has more the appearance of the jaw of some kind of Hawk 

 or other than of any ordinary member of the Psittacoidea. It 

 is typically V-shaped in form, and entirely lacking in the in-turned 

 apophyses at the mesial sides of the articular ends of the bone. 

 They are aborted to their bases, and it is here that we note the 

 usual pneumatic foramen, upon either side, that admits the air 

 to this part of the jaw. 



The articular ends of this jaw are very elongate antero- 

 posteriorly. In the case of either one, the outer side of the 

 concavity is continuous with the mandibular ramus, with its 

 upper border convex from before, backwards, and rounded 

 transversely. The mesial margin is but feebly developed, the 

 whole end being concave superiorly, and carried far behind the 

 true articulation for the quadrate, which latter is rather a short 

 facet situated above the aforesaid concavity, and is, for its entire 

 length, concaved transversely. These characters are all well 

 shown in the figures on the plates. Either ramus between the 

 articular end and the symphysis is broad and deep, being pierced 

 near its middle by a large, elliptical splenial vacuity, with its 

 major axis placed longitudinally. The ramal borders are rounded, 

 the inferior one being considerably thickened. 



Most Psittacine birds possess a deep and broad symphysial 

 part to the mandible, and we find no exception to this here. It 

 is broadly concave behind, the concavity being directed forwards. 

 Superiorly it is markedly concaved from side to side, and 

 correspondingly convex on its ventral aspect. Anteriorly this 

 jaw is truncate at an angle of about 45 degrees with the longi- 

 tudinal axis of the bone. The margin thus created is extremely 

 thin and sharp. Judging from its appearance and the presence 

 of numerous foramina, the bone seems to be highly pneumatic 

 throughout, as is, indeed, the entire cranium of this remarkable 

 representative of the Parrot tribe. 



The Hyoid Arches (fig. 10, Plate VI.) — This part of the skeleton 

 has received considerable attention at the hands of not a few 

 ornithologists. Some of this Hterature is cited in Beddard's 

 excellent work, " On the Structure and Classification of Birds," 

 where he reproduces for us many of Mivart's figures of the bony 

 parts of the tongues of Parrots (pp. 265-267). 



Nestor appears to have the morphology of the various bones to 

 some extent in agreement with what we find in such a species as 

 Lorhis flavopalliattis. There is one very unusual departure, 

 however, for the Kea has an entoglossum quite different from that 

 of any other Parrot. The twin moieties are very elongate and 

 drawn close together, which is not surprising, inasmuch as the face 

 of the Kea is more extended anteriorly, and the mandibles 

 narrower, than is at all usual among the Psittaci. 



The hasihyal is elongate, being about twice as broad posteriorly 



