298 



Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



The Deep Plantar s in the Trochilidte. — On page 617 of 

 Newton's ' Dictionary of Birds ' is a figure, V<=, purporting to 

 show the arrangement of the deep plantars in the Trochilidse, 

 while on the opposite page occurs the following emphatic 

 statement : '' any other description and figures of these 

 Trochiline tendons are either incorrect or misleading." 

 Now I regret exceedingly to be compelled to differ from 

 Dr. Gadow, but at the same time I have no hesitancy in 

 saying that the figure and description given in the ' Dic- 



Deep plantars of Lampornis dominicm and Florisuga mellivora. 

 A. Flexor perforans digitorum. 

 P. Flexor longus hallucis. 



tionary of Birds ' are probably as incorrect and misleading 

 as any that ever have been, or ever will be, published. 

 Both Dr. Shufeldt and myself have had the misfortune to 

 describe the deep plantars of the Trochilidse as being, like 

 those of Passeres, schizopelmous, an error to which I will 

 refer later on. On going carefully over the subject again I 

 find that the flexor longus hallucis is connected by a short 

 branch with that division of the flexor perforans digitorum 



