Osteology o/Aramus scolopaceus. 49 



to shew the justice of my comparisons of this part of the 

 sternum in Aramus with that in the Cranes sensu stricto. 



I may finally observe that the coracoids of Aramus overlap 

 at their articulation^ as they do in Balearica, but not ia 

 Griis. 



§ Pelvis. 



The pelvis of Aramus (fig. 2, p. 42) presents no marked 



divergences from that part of the skeleton in Grus and 



Balearica ; nevertheless it can be readily distinguished by 



certain characteristics of its own. The chief difference in 



the pelves of these various Gruine birds consists in the ratio 



of the pre- acetabular to the post-acetabular half of the 



ilium ; this is shown very plainly in the following series of 



measurements : — • 



mm. mm. 

 Aramus scolopaceus 44 40 



Grus carunculata 81 81 



Grus australasiana SQ 92 



Tetrapteryx paradisea 75 82 



Balearica chrysopelargus 75 79 



The measurements were in every case made from the 

 anterior end of the ilium to the anterior edge of the 

 acetabular cavity, and agaiu from the anterior edge of the 

 acetabular cavity to the posterior end of the ilium. It is 

 plain from them that Aramus has a relatively longer pre- 

 acetabular region than has any other Crane. These 

 measurements do not bring out any resemblance between 

 Aramus and Balearica ; on the contrary, Balearica is in 

 the proportions of the two halves of the pelvis much more 

 closely allied to Tetrapteryx. I may add that in these same 

 proportions Aramus is less Crane-like than are Psophia, 

 Cariama, and Rhinochetus ; but it will be noted also that the 

 true Cranes differ very considerably among themselves in the 

 pre-acetabular and post-acetabular lengths. The breadth of 

 the ilium o^ Aramus is greater in proportion to the length of 

 the same than in any Crane of which I have made measure- 

 ments, with the exception of Balearica. This will be 



SER. VIII. VOL. II. E 



