Osteolofjy 0/ Aram us scolopaccns. 41 



a2;ain fuse into a single median liypapopLysiSj rather than as 

 detaclied processes from the sides of the ventral preeentral 

 fossa or parapophyses *, I may conclude this particular part 

 of the subject by mentioning that Aramus agrees with the 

 Cranes in having upon the fifth vertebraj behind the fossa 

 already spoken of^ a pair of low elevations which undoubtedly 

 correspond to those of other Cranes, and are, in my opinion, 

 the first pair of catapophyses. I shall not go into a com- 

 parison between Aramus and birds other than Cranes with 

 regard to the matters that have just been treated of; I 

 shall simply remark that in no bird which I have examined 

 from this pinnt of view are the likenesses to Aramus more 

 considerable than are exhibited by the true Cranes. Indeed 

 the similarity, as will have been apparent from the foregoing- 

 descriptions, almost, if not quite, amounts to identity. 



Aramus has seven dorsal vertebrse, of which the last is 

 fused with the sacral series, and is, as is shown in the ac- 

 companying figure (fig. 2, p. 42), covered by the ilia. The 

 first, second, and third dorsals are also fused with each other ; 

 this fusion is complete, and there are no demarcations between 

 the spinous processes of these vertebrae any more than there 

 are between their centra : I could detect no traces of the 

 sutures. At either end this series of three vertebrae is quite 

 free from those adjacent. Other Cranes shew some differ- 

 ences from Aramus in the degree of the fusion of these 

 vertebrae of the dorsal series. 



In Gras caruncuJata there is a ventral fusion which is not 

 quite complete, and, moreover, only involves dorsal vertebrae 

 2 and 3. Dorsally, save for irregular splints of bone, which 

 confer a practical rigidity upon this part of the vertebral 

 column, the vertebra? in question are not fused with each 

 other at all. 



Grus australasiana exhibits a further advance upon 

 G. carunculata. As in Aramus^ there are three dorsal ver- 

 tebrae which are fused together ; but the fusion is un- 

 doubtedly partial, and they are only completely fused as 



* In the Ostrich, for example (see Mivart, Trans. Zool. Soc. viii. p. 38;")), 

 the cntapophysps do appear to arise from the parapophyses. 



