SHUi'Ki.nr : ( )srK()i.()(;v of riii. l,i\iicoi,^. 35 



The postpalatiiie i)orlioii of the f^alatiiu- is l)roacli>h with its lamina 

 and process strongl)' de\ elopctl. 'I'hese bones are well separated iVom 

 each other beneath the rostrum, and the pterygoid process is turned 

 outwards. Taken in pro])ortion to the size of the bird, the prejjala- 

 tine portion of the palatine is relatively shorter in N. longirosiris than 

 in any other species, while X. hudsoiiicus diXXiS. A', phccopiis, with their 

 comi)aratively longer crania, have that portion of the palatine corre- 

 spondingly lengthened out. 



The hicrymal, though small, stands out quite prominently at the an- 

 tero-superior orbital border. It articulates largely with the nasal, and in 

 all curlews sends down a slender bony style which unites with the u])per 

 and outer angle oi \}i\t pars plana, by which means a large foramen in 

 this locality is encircled. These ethmoidal wings have the same general 

 appearance in all the members of the genus. l']ach one is a (juadri- 

 lateral plate, projecting nearly at right angles from the mesethmoid, to 

 form an ample |)artition between the rhinal and orbital cavities. 



The interorbital septum is never entire in any of the true curlews, 

 but is pierced in almost identically the same manner in every species. 

 The forms of these interorbital vacuities can best be seen by referring 

 to the several lateral views of the skulls illustrating this memoir. But 

 one specimen of the skull of yV. Jiiidsonicus lies before me, and in that 

 the dividing bar between the two openings is evidently broken out. 

 1 have restored it by dotted lines (Fig. 12, C). The pterygoids d^xt 

 comparatively short bones in all the curlews, more particularly so in 

 our present subject. They are twisted and angular in appearance, 

 with sharj) longitudinal edges. An elliptical facet occupies the middle 

 of the inner aspect of each, which articulates with the basisphenoid 

 process on either side. 



Each ijuadrate bcvie presents the usual undulatory surface u])on its 

 mandibular head for articulation with the lower jaw. Just above this, on 

 the inner aspect, is a small, semiglobular facet for the cup on the outer 

 end of the i)terygoid. The orbital process is a quadrate, lamelliform 

 plate with truncate extremity, while trvo articulating facets are seen to 

 occupy the dilated end of the mastoid process of the bone. On the 

 outer side we find the usual cotyle for the ])rojection on the (juadrato- 

 jugal. The form of the cjuadrate varies but very little among the other 

 representatives of this genus. 



Several foramina are .seen at the l)ase of the deep sunken cavity from 

 which the fifth pair of nerves issue. This is the case in all the spe- 



