Internal Structure of the Bearded Titmouse. 319 



some of them of a good size/ together with four of the latter. 

 Now none of the Parinte, nor indeed any bird of the whole order 

 of Cantatores, has a crop, which on the other hand occurs in a 

 greater or less degree of development in all the Degluhitores." 



While coinciding perfectly with Professor Macgillivray in all 

 that is here quoted, I cannot but regret that he has in this, as 

 in so many other instances, neglected to support his conclusions 

 by osteological evidence, a deficiency I now venture to supply. 

 The genus Ammodramus I do not know. 



On viewing the bill in profile, its upper outline is seen to form 

 one uniform curve from base to tip ; and the lower margins of 

 the same mandible have a somewhat similar curve, but less in 

 degree, the regularity of which is interfered with by a slight 

 prominence near the middle. The greatest depth of this mandi- 

 ble is at the nostrils, and its lower margins are bent imvards as 

 in Emberiza. Seen from above, it is much the broadest at the 

 base, and its sides present two nearly straight lines. The lower 

 mandible is rather peculiar : its upper margins are bent imvards 

 to match the inferior ones of the upper mandible, and they main- 

 tain a moderately uniform curve, the regularity of which is only 

 interfered with by a slight prominence about the middle ; in 

 this respect it may also be said to resemble the upper mandible. 

 It is altogether much weaker relatively than the superior one ; 

 and the line which constitutes the symphysis menti is quite 

 straight and ve7-y short, not being more than equal in length to 

 two-thirds of the distance from the nostrils to the point of the 

 bill*. To this form of lower mandible I find no approach 

 amongst those slender-billed Finches, of which the Goldfinch and 

 Lesser Redpole are examples ; and still less is it visible in the 

 Tits, in which the lower maxillae are united for the whole length 

 of what is ordinarily termed the bill. But in the genus Embe?-iza 

 some little approximation to this form is observable. The Reed 

 Bunting appears, of the British species, to approach it most 

 nearly. " In some resjiects," Professor Macgillivray says, speak- 

 ing of the Calamophilus, '' it is distantly allied to Emberiza schoe- 



* The figure given by Professor Macgillivray of the lieail indicates, by the 

 forward extension of the feathers of the chin, the shortness of the sym- 

 pliijsis menti. 



