On the Anatomy of the Kingfishers. 97 



It is not such an energetic bird as otliers of the family, and 

 does not remain on the wing for so long a time, preferring to 

 rest for coiisiileralile periods on dead trees, of wlrch it nearly 

 always selects the largest. These Swallows sit in small 

 parties of five to eight on a tree singing away gaily, whilst 

 others preen themselves. Every now and again they all 

 leave together, take a short flight, and again return one by 

 one. 



VIII. — On the Anatomy of the Kingfishers, with Special 

 Reference to the Conditions in the Winy known as Eutaxy 

 and Diastatud-y. By P. CuALMiius Mitchell, F.Z.S., 

 F.L.S. 



(Plates IV. & V.) 



Since the classical observations of Wray (1) were published, 

 it has been known that in many birds a gap occurs in the 

 series of cubital quills after the fourth large quill, while in 

 other birds no such gap is found. The term aguintocubital 

 was applied to the former condition, and quinto cubital to 

 the latter, as it seemed that in the one the fifth cubital 

 quill, counting upwards from the wrist, was missing, while 

 in the other it was present. In 1899 Mr. Pyeraft and I 

 made simultaneous communications (7 and 8) to the Linnean 

 Society, in which we brought forward reasons against the 

 supposition that the aquintocubital condition was due to 

 the loss of a quill, and we adopted my name diastataxy to 

 indicate the condition in which there was a diastema or gap 

 in the series, eutaxy for the condition devoid of a gap. In 

 the communication referred to, I showed that among the 

 Columbidse both eutaxy and diastataxy occurred, and gave a 

 series of anatomical facts which seemed to bear the interpre- 

 tation that those birds presenting the eutaxic condition were 

 more modified than those with the gap in the quill series. 

 It has been known for some time that the two conditions 

 were both present among the Kingfishers. I have had the 

 opportunity in the Prosectorium of the Zoological Society of 



SER. VIII. — VOL. I. H 



