^"''.ur,' '■ I ^""i ii'-'-"'i'. Mdlcrial for a Study nj the Me^apodin/cc. II3 



is to l)e ohservc'd that tin- ;;(^s((/ hones arc produced unusualh- lar 

 backward, and that they articuhitc witli each other to an extent 

 of at least 3.5 millimeters behind the nasal prolongation of tiie 

 prcmaxillary. This does not occm- in any other family of 

 (Gallinaceous birds at present known to me. and certainly not in 

 any Tetraonine, Meleagrine, or allied geni'ra. and groups. 



Sei-n upon lateral aspect (tig. 24), there is to hv observed the 

 circumscribed and non-e\lensi\-e valley between the short and 

 blunt squamosal and post-frontal processes. Tlie former jjoints 

 directl\- to the front, and the latter directly downward, their 

 ajMces being about I luce millimeters apart. Nearly circular in 

 outline, tin- tliin edge of the osseous periphery of the auditory 

 meatus is unbroken. It is most pronounced posteriorly, though 

 but very slighth' elexaled all round. Posteriorly, as well as 

 above, the orbital wall is concave and smooth, and devoid of any 

 openings. There exists no vacuity in the somewhat thick osseous 

 intcrorbital septum, though the foramina for the olfactory and 

 optic nerves are of good si/.e, the former being triangular in 

 outline and the latter circular. 



Anteriorly, there is an extensive osseous f^ci-rs pliuia. which 

 meets the roof of the orbit within the fronto-lacrymal articulation, 

 and almost reaches down to the palatine bone lielow. Above it 

 there is the usual slit-like foramen for nerves and vessels passing 

 forwards to the rhinal chamber. This latter is capacious, and 

 exhibits in the vertical mesial line posteriorly the sharp edge of 

 the mesethmoid ; while in front there is, in the middle line between 

 the nasals, a laterally compressed osseous column supporting the 

 nasals and the nasal process of the prcmaxillary above, and 

 resting upon the in-turned maxillo-palatines below. 



As in Gallinaceous birds generally, this Megapode is of the 

 holorhinal type ; the external nariai opening is of an elliptical 

 outline, and capacious. On the culmen, the nasal process of the 

 prcmaxillary is very narrow from side to side, and beyond it the 

 anterior superior maxillary part of the osseous mandible curves 

 promptly downward to a rather sharp apex. The edge of this 

 beak of the skull is sharp for its entire length, the maxillary, 

 nasal, and prcmaxillary, at its posterior termination, making the 

 usual articulatory contacts above it. Centrally, there is no 

 osseous lioor to the anterior rhinal chamber between the nariai 

 apertures, though there is quite a horizontal ledge upon eitlier 

 side laterally. 



When we regard this skull directly from l)ehind, there comes 

 into view the smooth, sloping parietal surface of the vault of the 

 cranium ; the low, circular, occipital crest— the area within it 

 exhibiting the usual clcx-ations and depressions for muscular 

 insertion : the large and ncarh* circidar foriiincii iiui'^mnn. and, 

 linalK-. the \-er\- small, Mipri-iorlx' notched (nci/^ilti/ anidvlc. 



■[■uruing to the basal \iew, the basitcmpoial aica is seen to be 

 not \-ery extrii>i\-e, and is bi'oadcr from side to side than it is from 

 before backwards. The anterior openings <if the eustachian 



