148 



ON THE STRUCTURE OF PHILEPITTA. 



P. Z. S. 1880, 

 p. 391. 



syrinx from all the other " Haploophone " Pas seres. In Pitta (cf. P. Z. S. 



1876, pi. 53. figs. 1-6) the bronchial semirings are much less modified, 

 being nearly entirely simple semirings ; the lateral muscle, too, is slender 

 and not spread out as in Philepitta. This fact, taken with others, as the 

 scutellation of the tarsi, osteology, &c., justifies, in my mind, the 

 establishment, as has been done by Sundevall under the name Paictidae, 

 of a separate family for the bird under consideration *. The Eurylae- 

 midse differ in their retention of a plantar vinculum (cf. Grarrod, P. Z. S. 



1877, and supra, p. 139), as well as in the structure of their feet and 

 other points. In the form of their syrinx, however, they approach 

 Philepitta perhaps more nearly than any form yet described, though in 

 them too the lateral muscle remains slender and unexpanded. The 

 peculiarities of the EuryleBuridsa, and especially their oft-spoken-of 

 retention of the plantar vinculum, are sufficient, I think, to justify their 

 forming a main division of Pas seres by themselves, as suggested by Prof. 

 Garrod f, which may be termed DESMODACTYLI in distinction from the 

 other or ELETJTHEEODACTYLI. Prof. Garrod's arrangement of Passeres J 

 may therefore be modified as follows : 



a 



i. DESMODAOTYLI. 



(The plantar vinculum retained ; 

 manubriura sterni not forked.) 



ii. ELEUTHEKODACTYLI. 



(The plantar vinculum lost; 

 manubrium generally strongly 

 forked.) 



A. Mesomyodi. 



HETEROMEEI. 



HOMOSOMERI . 

 Haploophonae. 



Tracheophonse. 



B. Acromyodi. 



New World. 



Pipridcs. 



Cotingida. 



Rupicola. 

 Dendrocolaptidce . 



Pteroptochidee. 



Old World. 



Euryl&midce. 



Philepittida. 

 Pittidce. 



ABNORMALES. 



Atrichiida. 



Menuridce. 



NORMALES. 



* The general myology and vascular system of Philepitta are still, it must be 

 remembered, unknown, but are in all probability perfectly Passerine. 



t Voice-organs of Passeres, p. 73, and P. Z. S. 1877, p. 449. 



| P. Z. S. 1876, p. 518. 



I place Philepitta only provisionally amongst the Homceomeri, presuming that, 

 as in all Passeres but the Pipridae and Cotingidse (minus Rupicola), the artery of the 

 leg is sciatic. 



