FuLiCA, Brain Measurement. 159 



away anything of real value from it. To the anatomist, such a 

 mode of viewing the various types is perfectly natural, how- 

 ever hard it may be to satisfy the pure zoologist as to its great 

 value. Certainly, the structure of the skull and face govern the 

 whole body, as it were; every other part of the organism corres- 

 ponds to what is observable there. Nor must it be forgotten 

 that the true mode of studying any kind of creature is that of 

 Its development^ and the head undergoes the most remarkable 

 morphological changes."' And again, after giving an outline of 

 the system : — '• The above scheme is a nail in a sure place, and 

 in it, for the present, we may hang all that we know, or are 

 learning, of the anatomical structure of this class of verte- 

 brates. That which relates to the Carinatce. must, however, be 

 regarded merely as a list of Birds having :i similar facial struc- 

 ture." When we reflect that the Carinatce include nearly all of 

 our present birds, the last sentence is significant. 



The illustration chosen, Fulica aniencana, may be consid- 

 ered a crucial test of the value of using the bulk of the pro 

 sencephalon as a criticism of classification, in that it combines 

 the essential characteristics of the .\lectorides (cranes, rails, 

 etc.), with the external appearance and habits of the anserine 

 birds (ducks, etc.). The coot, although possessing a bill and 

 frontal plate like the gallinules, has the depressed body, thick 

 under-plumage and natatorial feet of the duck : it is eminently 

 aquatic, swimming by means of lobate, rather than webbed 

 feet. 



Were it assumed that the proportions of the brain are con- 

 ditioned by the size and habits of the bird, we should expect 

 close agreement in brain measurement between our species and 

 the duck. On the other hand if the proportionate of the brain 

 is determined by phylogeny, we should rather expect agree- 

 ment with those groups with which Fulica is morphologically 

 alied The consensus of orinthologists associates this form with 

 the rails, and thus with the cranes and herons. A comparison of 

 the measurements appended show that, in accordance with the 

 scheme proposed by Mr. C. H. Turner, in this /on ma I, Vol. I, 

 page 39, the place of Fulica in the scale is a little above the 

 duck, still more above the domestic fow*l, ranking between the 

 LiftiicolidcE and the Herodiones. 



