Gallino-Gralline Group of Birds. 427 



Hemipodii. 



The Hemipodes resemble the Qaails in their general ap- 

 pearance to so great an extent that many ornithologists find 

 a difficulty in overcoming the superstition that they are very 

 closely allied. A comparison of the osteological characters 

 with those of the Gallinae shows that the Hemipodii differ 

 widely from the Gallinse, but resemble closely the Schizo- 

 rhinal Grallse, 



The Hemijjodes possess the following characters : — 



1. They are heterocoelous in the articulation of their dorsal 

 vertebrae. 



2. None of the dorsal vertebrse in front of the ankylosed 

 sacral vertebrse are ankylosed. 



3. Only two dorsal vertebrse in front of the ankylosed 

 sacral vertebrse are unfurnished with ventral processes. 



4. They are schizorhinal. 



5. The coracoids are furnished with subclavicular processes. 



6. They possess basipterygoid processes which articulate 

 with the pterygoids nearer the quadrates than the palatines. 



7. The humerus is not pneumatic. 



8. The vomer is very short, very broad, and truncated in 

 front. 



9. The episternum is not perforated to allow the coracoids 

 to touch each other at their bases. 



10. The sternum has only one lateral xiphoid process on 

 each side. 



The Hemipodii may be diagnosed in various ways, either 

 by their combination of the 1st and 8th characters ; or of the 

 6th and 8th; or of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th. They differ 

 from the Gallinse in no less than eight characters, the 2nd, 

 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th. On the other hand 

 they only differ from the Gavise and the Grallse in two cha- 

 racters (from the former in the 1st, from both in the 6th, 

 and from the latter in the 8th), and it is to these suborders 

 that the Hemipodes are nearest allied. 



Grallte. 

 I propose to include in this suborder the Fulicarise and the 



