Gallino- Gralline Group of Birds. 423 



<?•'. Hallux absent, or with basal 

 phalanx shorter than those 

 of other digits. 



fl^. Vomer absent Pterocletes. 



a^. Vomer very broad IIemipodii, 



bK Basipteiygoid processes absent, 

 or (to include Grus antigone, 

 which occasionally possesses 

 them) lateral occipital font- 



anelles present Schizorhinal Grall^. 



h^. Bifurcation of nasals holorhinal. 

 c'. Horny covering of nostrils not 



tubular Holorhinal Grall^. 



d^. Horny covering of nostrils tu- 

 bular TUBINARES. 



d'^. Posterior ends of the dorsal verte- 

 bra;, as seen in lateral section, not 

 convex, 

 c^ Basipterygoid processes absent . . Gavi^. 

 d^, Basipterygoid processes present. Limicol^e. 

 h. Posterior processes of the ilia so closely 

 approximated that a narrow neural 

 ridge is all that they disclose. 

 c\ None of the dorsal vertebrte in front 



of the sacrum ankylosed Colyjibi, 



d^. Most of the dorsal vertebrae in front 



of the sacrum ankylosed Podicipes.' 



. Wing-bones flattened ; first digit of manus 

 fused with the second in the adult ; sca- 

 pular very broad ; • tarsus very short, with 

 deep grooves between the metatarsals . . Impennes. 



Crypturi. 



The Tinamous may be regarded as the least-changed de- 

 scendants of the ancestors of the Gallinse, and^ as sucli, may 

 be associated with that group in the same Order, in spite of 

 their dromseognathous palates. 



They possess the following characters : — 



1. In the bifurcation o£ their nasals they are schizo- 

 rhinal. 



2. The ankylosed sacral vertebrae are preceded by a free 

 vcrtcljra, in front of which arc four ankylosed dorsal vertebrae. 



