ON THE STRUCTURE OF PHILEPITTA. 145 



included a striking illustration of the unsatisfactory results that a 

 classification founded on external characters only always leads to. 



More recently, M, Alphonse Milne-Edwards has figured the two 

 known species of Philepitta, as well as the tongue and osteology of 

 P. castanea, in Grandidier's magnificent work on Madagascar *. In this 

 work (the plates only of the part in question having been issued) he 

 places it next to the Nectariniidae, apparently on account of the eye- 

 wattle of the male and the bifid tongue approximating it to such a form 

 of that group as Neodrepanis. Having written to M. Milne-Edwards to 

 ask if he had examined the syrinx or other soft parts of the bird under 

 discussion, he was kind enough to reply by sending me the viscera, 

 including the trachea &c., of a specimen (in all probability P. castanea}, 

 and by generously granting me permission to make any use of them I 

 liked. He also informs me that in the text to the plates he has fully 

 described the osteology. 



As regards this part of the structure of Philepitia, I only wish to p. 

 remark on and give a figure of the palate, extracted from a skin of P- 388- 

 P. castanea by Prof. Grarrod, M. Milne-Edwards's figure of this (pi. 112. 

 fig. 2 a) being rather indistinct in some important points. As will at 

 once be seen, the vomer is truly Passerine, being split behind and trun- 



Fig. 1. 



Palate of Philepitta castanea (nat. size). 



cated in front ; to its outer and anterior angles are articulated two small 

 nodules of bone, probably corresponding to the " septo-maxillaries " of 

 Prof. Parker. The maxillo-palatines are slender, long, recurved apically, 

 and pointed backwards ; the transpalatines are distinct and slightly 

 curved inwardly, and the palatines tend to diverge behind. In Pitta 

 (cyanura) the vomer is proportionally broader, the maxillo-palatines are 

 much shorter and broader and more transversely directed, and the pala- 



* Hist. Phys. Nat. ot Polit. de Madagascar, tome iii. Oiseaux, Atlas ii. l rc partie, 

 pis. 109-112. 



