490 SHUFELDT. [Vol. XVII. 



to have been a modified columbine, and considering the Ptero- 

 cletes to represent rasorial modification of the columbine series, 

 the order Colii7nb(2 may be separated into three groups, or 

 suborders, Didi, Pterocletes, and Perister/E, the first two 

 certainly, and the last probably, of a single family. The 

 PeristercB alone are American " (p. 562). 



By the American Ornithologists' Union they are considered 

 to be an Order, ColunibcB, which is the arrangement also 

 adopted by Mr. Ridgway in his Manual. Finally, Fiirbringer 

 makes his " Columbiformes " an intermediate suborder stand- 

 ing between his orders, Alectorornithes and Coracornithes, 

 classifying them thus : 



r G. s. str. Pterocletes. F. Pteroclids. 



Im. S. O. Columbiformes] r p. s_ ^tr. Dididx. 



I G. s. str. Lolumbfe-^ t- . ^ 1 1 • 1 



\^ r . s. str. Columbida. 



They constitute in the present volume my suborder, ColumbcB. 



Ectopistcs affords us a good average columbine type, and 

 from its skeleton we may study the osteological characters 

 generally met with in the family. 



The brain-case in the skull is comparatively capacious, being 

 rounded for the most part above and behind, while its basal 

 floor is nearly horizontal. It projects backwards considerably, 

 being situated largely posterior to the orbital cavities and 

 the quadrates. In outline the foramen viagnuvi is cordate, 

 and the condyle small, sessile, and notched posteriorly. The 

 occipital ridge is fairly well marked, and it passes across 

 the median, not very conspicuous supraoccipital prominence. 

 Viewed superiorly, the interorbital area of the skull is markedly 

 broad, being gently and uniformly convex from the parietal 

 region to the mandibular base. These superficies are smooth 

 and show no sutural traces. P"or the most part, the entire 

 periphery of an orbit is sharp and unbroken in outline, being 

 continuous behind with the anterior edge of the down-point- 

 ing, spiculiform sphenotic process. The apex of this latter is 

 well removed from the apex of the much aborted, stumpy 

 squamosal process. Either orbit is here a capacious cavity, 

 while the mesial septum between them is quite deficient poste- 

 riorly and above. This vacuity merges with the large common 



