Ardeino- Anserine Assemblage of Birds. 95 



7. The palatines resemble most closely those of the Phoe- 

 nicopterij the laminte heiiig widely separated. 



8. The maxillo-palatines most closely resemble those of 

 the Anseres, being thin plates fused with each other across 

 the palate for their entire length. 



Within the order they may be diagnosed not only by the 

 absence of uncinate processes to the ribs, but by the 4th 

 character. The combination of the 5th and 6th characters 

 will distinguish them from every family except from the 

 Cygnidse. 



Inasmuch as they agree with the Anseres in the 1st, 2nd, 

 3rd, 6th, and 8th characters, and with some of them in the 

 5th, they appear to be closely related to that group. In the 

 other two characters, the 4tli and 7th, they most resemble 

 the Phoenicopteri^ which are probably their next nearest 

 relatives, though they differ from them in the 5th character. 



Anseres. 



The Ducks, Geese, and Swans form a well-marked group 

 of birds, which differ from all the other groups of the order 

 in having basipterygoid processes which articulate with the 

 pterygoids as near the palatines as possible. In this respect 

 they differ from every other group of birds, with the single 

 exception of the Galliuse. 



They possess the following osteological characters : — 



1. They are heterocoelous iu the articulation of their dorsal 

 vertebrse. 



2. They are holorhinal in the bifurcation of their nasals. 



3. They have only one xiphoid process on each side of the 

 median process of the sternum. 



4. They have basipterygoid processes on the rostrum of 

 the basisphenoid which articulate with the pterygoids as near 

 as possible to the palatines. 



5. They may or may not have lateral occipital fontanelles. 



6. The angle of the mandible is much produced and 

 recurved, 



7. The laminse of the palatines are widely separated from 

 each other, and are much narrower posteriorly and much 

 broader anteriorly than in any of the allied suborders. 



