310 ANATOMY AND AFFINITIES OF CCEREBIDM— LUCAS, volxvii. 



developed interpalatiues cliaracteristic of the -Mniotiltidae, and well 

 shown by the common warbler of this Galapagos group, Dendroica 

 aureola. 



The Coerebine skull, on the other hand, is characterized by the fining 

 down of the palatal region, the transpalatines being reduced to mere 

 spikes, while the interpalatine spur is abortive or small. The cranium 

 of Certhklia is a trifle shorter than that of the majority of the Mniotil- 

 tidie examined and has a little more material in the palatines. The 

 hypotarsus is also like that of Dendroica in its configuration, slight 

 but perceptible differences existing between it and the corresponding 

 region of any of the Coerebidii?. There is apparently nothing specially 

 characteristic in the shoulder muscles, their arrangement being prac- 

 tically similar in Certhidia, Dendroica^ Coereha, and many other small 

 birds. 



The tongue is warbler-like in shape and character, being moderate 

 in length and slightly cleft and bifid. It is a trifle thicker and more 

 fleshy than in such a bird as Dendroica aureola and not at all gutter- 

 shaped. All this is in direct contrast to the elongate, feathered, hol- 

 lowed-out tongue of Gcerehaj and not at all like the cleft, brushy tongue 

 of Certhiola, although all three forms agree in one respect: long or short, 

 plain or feathered, the tongue is not suctorial, for even in long-billed 

 Coereha the hyoid stops low down on the base of the skull and lacks the 

 elaborate arrangement of muscles found in truly suctorial birds. The 

 intestinal convolutions are quite simple, much as in Coereha and Den- 

 droica coronata and aureola, but not exactly like either, although, 

 curiously enough, precisely similar to the convolutions of Cinnyris 

 hifasciata. There is, however, no crop-like dilatation of the (esopha- 

 gus as in Coereha. The coeca are moderate, and in the best specimen 

 examined the hursa fahricii was very large. 



All in all, the anatomy of Certhidia points to a very near relation- 

 ship Avith Dendroica, and indicates that the genus surely belongs 

 among the Mniotiltidae. 



Remarks on the Affinities of Myadestes and Phmornis. 



The skull of Myadestes is rather short, and on its superior aspect 

 bears a considerable resemblance to that of Ampelis. The maxillary 

 process of the nasal is short, not expanded distally, and abuts upon, 

 but does not fuse with the maxillary. In the thrushes this process is 

 wider and contiuued for a little distance along the maxillary, but does 

 not unite with it. Fhtmrnis resembles the thrushes in these j)articu- 

 lars. In Tyrannus the descending process of the nasal is narrowest 

 near its origin, expands distally, and ankyloses with the maxillary. 



The prepalatine bar of Myadestes is narrow, as in Ampelis, the trans- 

 palatine angle much like that of Fhceornis. The interpalatine angle is 

 blunter in Myadestes than in Ampelis, in this respect resembling that of 

 Phceortiis and the thrushes. 



