Osteology of the Chatham Island Snipe. 



713 



than useful, yet it may be pointed out that in C. pusilla 

 the notching of this part of the sternum is typically Galli- 

 nagiiie in character (that is to say, that it agrees exactly with 

 the condition found in the Common Snipe). How unreliable 

 this character is, may be gathered from the fact that the 

 hinder margin of the sternum in the Painted Snipe presents 

 the same Gallinagine^ features, while, on the other hand, 



Anterior view of the sterna of: — A. Ccenocoriipha ; B. Lymtiocryptes ; 

 0. GuUinago ; D. Scolopax. 



a.l.p., anterior lateral process ; c.f,, coracoidal facet ; 

 sp.st., spina sterni. 



in regard to its skull, there is practically not a single 

 Gallinagine character which I can discover. In the Jack- 

 Snipe, too, this part of the sternum is four-notched, while 

 in the Woodcock a fenestrated condition is to be noted in 

 the region of the inner notch. 



With regard to the forward end of the sternum, an exami- 

 nation of text-figure 14 reveals the fact that in Scolopax, 

 Gallinago, Lymnocryptes, and Ccenocorypha the structural 

 peculiarities of the coracoidal facets and the spina sterni 

 have their own distinctive features. 



In C. pusilla however the spina sterni is worth noting. It 

 is bifid and wide from side to side, is seated directly between 



* Taking the sum of the characters presented by the sternum of 

 RhyncTuea, it would seem to be a nice point to decide whether they leant 

 towards a Gallinagine, a Ealline, or a Jacanidine picture. 



