300 



Mr. F. E. Beddard on Photodilus badius. 



ribs are, as usual, seven pairs, but that five of them articulate 

 directly with the sternum ; the first pair alone are floating 

 ribs, while in the little group of the Strigidae two pairs thus 

 remain in the condition of stylets ; the second rib has no 

 uncinate process, and the seventh, remarkable by its slender- 

 ness, is attached to the middle of the last sternal rib but 

 one." These statements are entirely borne out by his figure 

 (on plate 4) of the entire skeleton. 



The skeleton which I have studied was evidently more 

 carefully prepared than that which furnished the material for 

 M. Milne-Edwards's admirable paper. In this specimen (see 

 fig. 4) the seven ribs mentioned by Milne-Edwards are, of 

 course, present ; but, in addition, there is a small free rib (1) 

 attached to the thirteenth vertebra on each side, about one 



Fig. 4. 



Ribs, pelvis, and sternum of Photodilus badius : 1, first rudimentary 

 (cervical) rib ; 2, second do. Nat. size. 



eighth of the length of the next rib (2), and only furnished 

 with one attachment to the transverse process. Moreover, 

 the third (the first complete rib) on both sides of the body 

 has perfectly well-developed uncinate processes, which are 



