512 THE GANNET 



inches. It is fully described by Professor Mivart (" Trans. 

 Zoological Society," 1878, pp. 336-341). The neck-joint 

 or flexure is at the junction of the seventh and eighth 

 vertebrae, and the difference in the angles of articulation 

 above and below it, is marked. I find twenty-six free 

 vertebrae in all.* viz. seven caudal, six cervico-dorsal, and 

 thirteen cervical — the same in two skeletons — to which 

 Professor Mivart adds fifteen more vertebrae anchylosed 

 in the pelvis, which are less easy of counting. 



The transverse spinous processes on the front of the 

 cervical vertebrae are long, and five in number, diminishing 

 from 1.4 inch, which is the length of the biggest pair {see 

 drawing of the ninth vertebra, after Professor Mivart). 



The Bones of the Wing. — Flight is the most striking 

 attribute of the generality of birds, and of the Gannet 



* This agrees with the total number given by Dr. Gadow, who 

 divides them into seventeen cervical, one cervico-dorsal, three dorsal, 

 four or five thoracic ; l)ut it does not agree with Mr. Pycraft's counting 

 (see "Proc. Zool. Soc," 1898, p. 99). Mr. Pycraft makes thirty-one free 

 vertebrae. Dr. Gadow gives a table showing the niunerical diversity in 

 thirty groups of birds, of which the highest is the Swan (" Dictionary 

 of Birds," p. 849). 



