On the " Maniis " of Pha3nicopterus. 183 



-r- XV. — On the '' Manns " of Plioenicopterus. 

 By W. K. Parker, F.R.S. 



In a note "On the secondary Carpals, Metacarpals, and 

 Digital Rays in the Wings of existing Cariuate Birds/' pub- 

 lished in the Proceedings of the Royal Society (vol. xliii. pp. 

 322-325, 1888), I have spoken of the presence of claws on the 

 first and second digits (pollex and index) of birds (see p. 323). 



" In some birds [I said] , e. g. the Passerines, the pollex, 

 or first digit, has only one phalanx attached to its short me- 

 tacarpal, the second only two, and the third only one 

 phalanx. In other birds, such as the Plovers, Gulls, and Cor- 

 morants, an additional or ungual phalanx is found on the 

 first and second digit ; and in some others (e. g. Nuinenius), 

 during their embryonic state, a small nucleus also is seen on 

 the end of the aborted phalanx of the third digit.'' 



Further research, made since the passage quoted above 

 was written, has satisfied me that, besides the Passerines, 

 those Picarian forms that have the wing most like that of 

 the Passerines {e.g. the Picidse, Rhamphastidse, and Alce- 

 diuidse) are entirely without the distal phalanx on the pollex 

 and index. 



Except in these cases, and in the abortive and greatly 

 specialized wings of the Penguins, all the other Carinatae have, 

 either for a time or permanently, an ungual phalanx on 

 both the index and pollex. As a rule, that of the pollex only 

 has a neatly formed horny claw covering the little bone, 

 the claw of the index becoming more and more aborted 

 during growth. In the Parrots, however (e. g. Stringops), 

 the ripe embryo has two well-formed claws, but that on the 

 index is three times as large as that on the pollex. 



In Phcenicopterus ignipalliatus the claw on the ungual 

 phalanx of the pollex is well formed and is 8 millim. long ; 

 that on the index has lost its proper form, and is a thin 

 epidermic skin over the little third phalanx, which is 3-5 

 millim. long. 



The" manus" in this bird is long and slender; the hume- 

 rus is 195 millim. long, the ulna 207 millim., and the mauus 



