1/2 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Opisthocomi or Heteromorphae of Professor Huxley, indicates, 

 as he has hinted, the existence of an old line of descent, now almost 

 obliterated, in the direction of the* Musophagidae, and thence, we 

 may not unreasonably infer, to the Coccygomorphae of the same 

 authority." ^ 



Another eminent authority who has paid attention to the classi- 

 fication of these vertebrates is Prof. E. D. Cope and in his article 

 on the Synopsis of the Families of the J^ertebrata [Am. Natural- 

 ist, 1889. 23:871] he places the Gallinae in his second suborder of 

 the Euornithes, defined as having " maxillopalatines not united 

 across the palate; vomer narrow and acute in front. "- 



Important forms to compare osteologically with our Gallinae, 

 are certain plover types, also Chionis and the ostrich forms ; 

 Opisthocomis cristatus ; various Musophagidae; the 

 Turnicidae, especially of the genus Turnix ; Ortyxelos meif- 

 f r e n i ; P e d i o n o m u s t o r q u a t u s ; the Mound-birds 

 (Megapodidae) ; the American curassows (Cracidae) ; Pavo ; 

 Numida and allied genera; and finally, the Phasianidae or Pheasants 

 and their many allies. 



During the 10 past years, as stated above, the writer has published 

 accounts in various places of the osteology of our many species 

 and genera of Gallinae, including a description of the skeletons of 

 the cock and hen of the wild G a 1 1 u s b a n k i v a , specimens of 

 which were kindly procured for him in India by Dr Richard W. 

 Burke of the Indian Veterinary Service, then stationed at Cawn- 

 pore. I shall republish the osteological part of that paper here, 

 for the reason that not only do the Gallinae occupy a central group 

 among birds, and are not a bad point to start from for the study of 

 the skeletology of the class, but also for the reason that the skeleton 

 of G a 1 1 u s b a n k i V a forms an excellent standard for com- 

 parison with all our galline types. 



I have examined skeletons of representatives of all the allied 

 suborders of the Gallinae, and have before me on the present occa- 

 sion skeletons of many species representing all the genera of the 

 United States forms. I am also indebted to Air F. A. Lucas of 

 the United States National Museum for the loan of a skeleton of 



^ Ornithology, Encyclo. Brit., ed. 9, 18: 46. 



' From the arrangement of the characters in that article, it would seem that Professor 

 Cope agreed with Coues in the statement that the Gallinae are " schizorhinal " birds. 

 This is, however, by no means the case, as they are typically " holorhinal." [5"^* 

 Coues's Key, ed. 2, p. 572, and compared with Garrod, Zool. Soc. Lond. Proc. 1873. 

 P- 33 1 



