50 Transactions of the 



and in this part there is a separate bone, the " medio-palatine." 

 The short pterygoids (pg.) are flat in front and rounded behind ; 

 they grow towards the basi-pterygoids, but by a point, not by a 

 facet. The meso-pterygoids (Plate V., Figs. 1 and 2, m.pg.) are 

 large and spongy, and divide the palatines above the posterior nasal 

 canal (Plate VI., Fig. 3). The maxillaries (mx.) are in themselves 

 small, but their " maxillo-palatine processes " are large, spongy, and 

 hugely developed, fore-and-aft. As in Bicholophus, they unite by 

 harmony in the young ; but in the old bird they are thoroughly 

 ankylosed, both with each other and with the nasal septum. The 

 jugal process of the maxillary, the jugal and quadrato-jugal bones 

 (j. q.j.), are all long and slender styles. The large quadrate (q.), 

 with its small, blunt-pointed orbital process, is best seen from the 

 front (Plate VI., Fig. 2, q.), and from the side (Plate V., Fig. 2, q.) ; 

 it has two articular heads above; the outer articulates with the 

 " squamosal " and " pterotic," and the inner with the " prootic " and 

 " opisthotic." Below (Plate VI., Fig. 2) it articulates in the usual 

 manner with the mandible. This latter part (Plate V., Fig. 1, 

 ar. d., s. ag., ag.) is composed of an endosteal " articulare," and of 

 the ordinary splints, namely, dentary, sphenial, coronoid, suran- 

 gular, and angular. The posterior angular process is blunt; the 

 internal long and pneumatic ; the dentaries (d.) are well ankylosed 

 by a short, strong symphysis ; they are deflected in front. The "os 

 hyoides" (second and third post-oral arches, Plate VI., Fig. 4) is 

 composed of two rod-like " cerato-hyals " (c. h.) which partly ossify 

 and afterwards unite at the mid-line; a broad "basi-hyal" continuous 

 with a slender " uro-hyal "; and the elements of the third arch (br. 1) 

 are of the usual form, but are very straight in the Eaptores ; the 

 " stapes " has a bony rod with three cartilaginous forks, the " supra- 

 extra-" and "infra-stapedials." 



In conclusion, I may remark that this last-described type, the 

 Raptorial, is full of interest, as full as the forms that have already 

 come under consideration, namely, the " Passerines." The working- 

 out of these types has been microscopic from first to last ; but the 

 power to see the image of one type reflected in another — to trace 

 the same touch — the same habit or fashion, and to be able to 

 deduce arguments for the absolute unity of morphological law — 

 these seem to me to be precious results of painstaking labour, in 

 which " the hand of the diligent maketh rich." Only he who, 

 counting the cost, is willing to become foot-sore and weary, not 

 once nor twice, can have the serene satisfaction of beholding Nature 

 in her broader features of beauty and never-cloying variety. 



Intellectually, out of even these foul eaters of flesh there comes 

 forth meat ; and out of these strong robbers there comes forth the 

 sweetness of new light, shed on the old paths of Creation. 



