Osteology of the Chatham Island Snipe. 715 



and Lymnocryptes the ulna is longer than the humerus, and 

 the metacarpus ( + phalanges) than the ulna. The ectepi- 

 condylar process in C pusilla is ill developed. 



Conclusions and Queries. 



(1) Coenocorypha pusilla is neither a typical Woodcock nor 

 a typical Snipe, although it is much more Rusticoline than 

 Gallinagine. It appears to be a generalised or primitive 

 Scolopaciue form. It may possibly be regarded as a relic of 

 an ancient stock which at one time had a more northerly or 

 a more general distribution, and from which stock the 

 present-day Woodcocks and Snipes arose by still further 

 specialisation. 



(2) The status of the genus Coenocorypha, originated by 

 Gray and re-instated by Mr. G. M. Mathews (Ibis, 1913, 

 p. 261), is amply confirmed by osteological examination. 

 It is interesting to note that neither Gray, Seebohm, nor 

 Mathews had studied the skeletal features of this form, but 

 that, nevertheless, by the examination of what are generally 

 held to be superficial characters, they arrived at a near 

 appreciation of the peculiarities of this interesting Snipe- 

 like form. 



(3) Judging merely by the only form [Homoptilura 

 undulata giganten) whose skull I have been able to examine, 

 the South American " semi- Woodcocks " have no close 

 affinity with the " semi-Woodcocks " of the New Zealand sub- 

 region. It appears probaljle that they represent relics of 

 ancient disconnected stages in the evolution of the true 

 Woodcocks from a primitive Snipe-like form. 



(4) The exact relationships of the Eroliinse (the Dunlin 

 association) to the Scolopacinse would form an interesting 

 subject of debate. Do the former represent a more direct 

 and jjrogressive line of descent from some common ancestral 

 stock ? Are the latter merely specialised and indirect offsets 

 from this same stock ? Does Coenocoi'ypha represent one of 

 the first stages in the gradual process of evolution of the 



