Prof. Reinhardt/s Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps. 169 



members of the Stork group does the corresponding articulation 

 show a similar form. But, as already remarked, it is equally as 

 little the case with the Herons, in which the process, verging 

 inside towards the orbit, is at the same time turned ; so that, 

 contrary to what is seen in Balceniceps as well as in Scopus and 

 the Storks generally, it does not present an angular but a flat 

 surface above towards the brain-pan. 



The skull is the only part of the skeleton of Balceniceps which 

 the author has himself seen. Of all the remainder he has only 

 such knowledge as he can glean from Mr. Parker's investigations 

 of the bird's osteology ; and it is but an abridgement from them 

 that he has at his disposal, — the entire paper intended to be em- 

 bodied in the Zoological Society's ' Transactions,' if it has already 

 appeared, not having yet met his eye *. It cannot be expected 

 that this abridgement in every particular point should give a full 

 explanation ; and further, Mr. Parker, who considers Balceniceps 

 as " strictly an Ardeine bird," and " more nearly related to 

 Cancroma than to any other known type," having taken no no- 

 tice of Scopus in the comparisons he has instituted between the 

 former bird and sundry others, it is very possible that there may 

 be similarities as well as dissimilarities between the bony struc- 

 ture of the body and limbs of Balceniceps and Scopus which have 

 escaped the author. He believes, however, from the short de- 

 scription of the English naturalist, that the similarities can be 

 proved to predominate. 



From what Mr. Parker remarks, it may be seen that the 

 osteology of Balceniceps differs in many points from that of Can- 

 croma, in spite of the near affinity which he thinks exists be- 

 tween them. Thus, for example, a difference appears in many 

 respects in the sternum and furcula, and the former is (in Mr. 

 Parker's words) intermediate between that of the Stork and the 

 Cormorant. For in one way its keel, as in the last-named bird, 

 extends further in front of the articulation of the coracoids than 

 in the Herons and Storks ; and again, the furcula, as in that 

 bird also and in the Pelicans, is completely anchylosed with the 

 extremity of the sternal keel. Moreover the latter is lower than 



* This has lately been published, and forms Part 6, vol. iv. of Trans. 

 Zool. Soc. ; vide antea, pp. 78, 79. — Transl. 



