212 Mr. F. E. Bedclard on the Anatomy 



Taking Eudtjnamis as representing most nearly the basal 

 form not only of the subfamily Phcenicophainse but also of 

 the family Cuculidse, the variations of the palate exhibited 

 by other genera can be understood. 



Fiff. 26. 



Skull of Hhinococci/.v curvirostris (nat. size), ventral aspect. 



In Centropus and Pyrrhocentor, representatives of the 

 Old- World Centropodinse, the palatine ridges are widely 

 separated from each other^ as in Eudynamis, and only just 

 come in contact posteriorly, a fact most marked in Pyrrho- 

 centor. Carpococcyx may be regarded as showing a further 

 development of this. The same statement holds good for 

 the New-World Centropodinse ; in short, in no other Cuckoo 

 which I have had the opportunity of examining is there any 

 extensive abortion of the inner lamina of the palatine pos- 

 teriorly, such as exists in the Phcenicophainse. Moreover, 

 the considerable amount of variation in this part of the sknll 

 is distinctive of the Phoenicophainse. This is possibly an 

 additional argument in favonr of the primitive position among 

 the Cuckoos of that subfamily, a view which is accepted by 

 Fiirbringer. 



Vertebral column. — There are 14 cervical vertebrae, of 



