“ 
STRUTHIOUS BIRDS. 
[Right-hand side of entrance 
Subclass I. SAURURA. to Gallery. Restoration and 
framed cast of fossil remains. | 
Fossil remains, hitherto’ only found in the lithographic slate of 
Solenhofen, in Bavaria, indicate that birds existed in the Upper Jurassic 
geological age, differing in certain points from those now existing. The 
jaws were armed with teeth, and the three digits of the fore-limb were 
furnished with claws. The tail consisted of a series of elongated 
vertebre, gradually tapering to the extremity, each vertebra bearing a 
pair of well-developed feathers. As the skeleton of the tail rather 
resembled that of a Reptile than that of a modern Bird, the name 
Saurure, signifying ‘ Lizard-tailed,’ has been applied to the group. 
The best known representative of this subclass is the Archeopteryx 
lithographica(1). A cast of the fossil remains of this remarkable form 
is exhibited at the entrance to the Bird Gallery. For full particulars 
the reader is referred to the eighth edition of the Geological Guide, 
pp- 93-95 (1904). 
Subclass Il. NEORNITHES., 
This Subclass includes all the remaining forms, both recent and 
fossil, included in the Class Aves, and may be divided into two sections : 
A. Ratite, and B. Carinate. The first contains the Struthious Birds 
and the Tinamous, and the second all the existing Birds.not included 
in the previous division. 
Section A. RATIT &. 
StrutrHious Birps anp 'TINAMOUS. 
In this Subclass are included all the great flightless species of the 
Ostrich-tribe commonly known as the Struthious Birds, as well as the 
Tinamous. The name Ratitz is derived from the raft-like breast-bone 
of the former, which is devoid of a keel for the attachment of the pectoral 
muscles. As these muscles gradually ceased to be used they became 
degenerate, the keel for their attachment disappeared, and, as a result, 
the birds lost the power of flight. Though at the present period 
represented by comparatively few members, which are confined to 
Africa, the Papuan group of islands, Australia, New Zealand, and 
South America, the “ Ratites ” were formerly much more numerous in 
species, and ranged over parts of the earth where they have long since 
ceased to exist. A number of fossil forms are known. 
The Ratitee may be distinguished from all other birds by the bones 
of the palate, the pterygoid never forming a jointed articulation with 
