No. 3.] THE OSTEOLOGY OF THE PIGEONS. 503 



and the anterior external pair being found far forwards and of 

 great size. This bone faintly calls to mind the sternum as it is 

 seen in Tinamtis. 



Of the skeleton of the limbs : Returning to our skeleton of 

 Ectopistes, we now come to regard the osteology of its pecto- 

 ral extremity. We note first that the brachium is somewhat 

 shorter than the anti-brachium, which latter in turn is not as 

 long as the skeleton of manus. Humerus then is compar- 

 atively short and straight, with a triangular radial crest, and 

 a very jutting ulnar tuberosity, and this last over-arches a 

 capacious pneumatic fossa, at the base of which are to be 

 seen the little groups of pneumatic foramina. The radius 

 is nearly straight, but the ulna is considerably bowed, and 

 shows the papillae adown its shaft for the insertion of the 

 quills of the secondary feathers. Carpus is composed, proxi- 

 mally, of the two usual ossicles, radiale and tilnare, and the 

 ulnare is crowded well in over to the anconal side of the limb. 

 The terminal finger-joints are stout and long, with their salient 

 edges sharp and pronounced. Especially is this the case with 

 the long distal digit of index phalanx, which exhibits marked 

 excavation down its ventral surface, thus giving its borders 

 this distinct prominence. The flat and expanded proximal digit 

 of index is entire, presenting no fenestras in its expanded por- 

 tion. It develops a conspicuous process posteriorly ; and the 

 little free digit behind it of the middle finger also has a stumpy 

 process upon its posterior margin. There are a number of 

 points in the pectoral limb of this pigeon that call to my mind 

 the limb as we find it in Geococcyx. 



Passing to the pelvic limb of Ectopistes we see its compo- 

 sition stamped with all the most usual characters of the ordi- 

 nary members of this class of vertebrates. 



The individual long bones are somewhat slender, but in 

 their lengths appear to be in proportion to the size of their 

 owner. I fail to find any evidences of pneumaticity present, 

 though more material may show this. Femur has a straight, 

 subcylindrical shaft, with its sharp trochanter raised moder- 

 ately above the proximal summit of the bone. Its head is 

 small, sessile, and placed at right angles to the shaft. A very 



