SHrKK.i.Di' : Osteology of the Li.micoi,/E. 17 



belong to the limicoline assemblage — everything in fact from a Sheath- 

 bill to a Bustard. 



The author's views on the i)osition of the 1 jmicolnc are presented 

 with a discussion of their aftinites at the close of the present Memoir. 



More or less typical limicoline birds are found in nearly all parts of 

 world, and they are particularly well represented in the avifauna of 

 the I'nited States. So that the full description of their osteology 

 given bevond will thoroughly characterize the group as a whole. 



Much has been written on the subject of their skeletology, and of 

 this I have availed myself. My own writings, published for a number of 

 years in \\\^ Journal of Anatomy of Loudon, \ht Journal of Morphol- 

 og\ and elsewhere, ilkustrated by many plates and figures, have al- 

 ready set forth the osteological characters of the American Limicolce 

 quite exhaustively. This work will be used to the fullest extent here, 

 and thoroughly revised. In dealing with the Aphrizida;, as I remark 

 further on, I have only employed my monograph in the Journal of 

 Morphology to the extent of using the facts set forth in it, and not in- 

 corporated it here as a whole. 



My private cabinets afford the skeletons of many American limico- 

 line forms, and these have been handsomely supplemented by the loan 

 of many others from the collections of the U. S. National Museum, 

 and from still others from the collection of Mr. F. A. Lucas. Pro- 

 fessor Alfred Newton has also sent me for my inspection several speci- 

 mens from the Museum at Cambridge, England, and others from his 

 own collection. These very well illustrate points in the osteology of 

 Scolopax rusficola, Pavoncclla pngnax, Vanellus vancllus and others, 

 for all which my thanks are here tendered. Others have also sent me 

 useful material and it is referred to later. 



Osteology of the Phalaropcs. 

 (Complete skeletons of Cryinophilus fulicarius and Phalaropus lobatus 



examined. ) 

 Phalaropes have a skull of much the same general form as we find 

 it among the Sandpipers, the narrow and extended superior mandible 

 being considerably larger than the 'cranium, while the very open 

 structure of the latter gives it a peculiarly delicate appearance. Upon 

 severe maceration the premaxillary does not appear to come away, 

 and detach itself, as it does in most Tringa;, and it is rather more 

 spread out laterally than it is in those birds. The narial vacuities are 





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