710 Mr. P. R. Lowe on the 



Rustlcoline than Gallinagine. Leaving out of consideration 

 for the present the palatal region of the Jack-Snipe, 

 attention is directed to the following points as regards the 

 palatal region of the other three forms : — 



(a) In all three forms the postero-external angle of the 

 palatal plate is prolonged backwards in a hook-shaped or 

 falcate process, and this appears to be a special Scolopacine 

 character (cf. Ibis, 1915, p. 612). 



{b) In the Woodcock and Chatham Island Snipe the 

 palatal plates are relatively shorter and wider than in the 

 Common Snipe. The pterygoid processes of these structures 

 in the two former types are, on the other hand, longer and 

 more specialised at the expense of the palatal plate. 



(c) In the Common Snipe the palatal portions of the 

 maxillo- palatines are well developed, projecting inwards on 

 either side to such an extent that they just fail to touch the 

 outer margins of tlie vomer. They are long, narrow, and 

 only slightly scroll-like structures, which have fused with 

 the pre-palatal processes of the palatines throughout their 

 whole extent. 



In the Chatham Island Snipe the maxillo-palatines have 

 also fused with the pre-palatal processes of the palatines, 

 but their identity is not nearly so evident as in the Common 

 Snipe. Their inner borders are slightly inverted or directed 

 downwards, and they similarly just fail to touch the outer 

 margin of the vomer of either side. 



In the Woodcock the identity of the maxillo-palatines as 

 viewed from this aspect is practically lost, and the free end 

 of the vomer occupies an isolated position. 



[d) In both the Chatham Island Snipe and the Woodcock 

 the inner laminae of the palatal plates are thickened and 

 specialised, in contrast to those of the Common Snipe. 



The forwardly projecting spur in which the inner laminae 

 of the palatal plate ends at its upper and anterior angle 

 seems to be a Rusticoline character. It is present in 

 Scolopax and Ccenocorypha (and was seen in fossil examples 



