V. OSTEOLOCiY OF THE HERODIONES. 

 By Dr. R. W. Shufeldt. 

 (Two Plates, V-VI, and 43 Figures in the Text.) 

 Introduction. 



Ten or twelve years ago, as stated in the body of this contribution, 

 I published my memoir on " Osteological studies of the subfamily 

 Ardeinee," and it appeared in two consecutive issues of The Journal 

 of Comparative Medicine and Surgery of New York City. My mate- 

 rial was somewhat limited at that time, however, and the place in 

 which the memoir appeared prevented its being seen except by 

 a very limited number of comparative osteologists. This being the 

 case, the utility of the paper was to a great extent restricted, and it 

 failed to be of the use to those interested in the osteology of birds 

 that it might otherwise have been, had it appeared in some medium 

 more distinctly devoted to such subjects. The work accomplished by 

 me in the osteology of the Herons in that paper is incorporated in 

 large part in the present contribution, but it has been almost entirely 

 'rewritten, and greatly augmented through my researches upon far 

 more extensive material than I commanded at the time when my first 

 work in the group was attempted. 



Moreover, the present contribution aims to present the osteology 

 of the entire suborder of the American Herodiones, and that in 

 a comparative way, dealing with the representatives of the several 

 genera of this country, and also with some of those of foreign avi- 

 faun<Te. It also offers the taxonomical schemes of not a few distin- 

 guished writers who are authorities on the subject of the classification 

 of birds. Finally at the close of the contribution is added the writer's 

 individual opinion as to the probable place of the Herodiones in the 

 system. It is hoped that a work, with which so much pains has been 

 taken, so much material examined, digested, and illustrated, will prove 

 helpful to the avian osteologist in particular and students of compara- 

 tive osteology in general. Should this prove to be the case my object 

 will have been attained, and my labor more than repaid. 



R. W. S. 



Washington, D. C, 5th Oct., 1900. 



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