SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF EUPETES MACROCERCUS. 281 



origin " for the class Aves. I do not wish at present to raise the issue 

 as to how far the division of all living birds into two groups " Ratite " 

 and " Carinate" is, or is not, a natural one ; for at present we have 

 not, I think, sufficient information or evidence on the subject to allow of 

 any very definite reply. But any one who is acquainted with the 

 structure of a Tinamu will, I think, be unable to conceive of the many 

 resemblances that group of birds presents to some of the " Ratitse " as 

 having been developed independently of any genetic connexion between 

 the two and that is what Prof. Mivart's suggestion practically amounts 

 to. That structures so peculiar as feathers which, as far as we know, 

 are absolutely confined to birds, though universal amongst them should 

 have been twice over developed, is to me in the highest degree 

 improbable as improbable, almost, as that the resemblances of the 

 Tunicates and Amphioxus to the rest of the Chordata should also be 

 accidental. 



44. NOTE ON THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF EUPETES *z. 

 MACROCERCUS.* 



SOME months ago Mr. R. B. Sharpe directed my attention to the 

 remarkable similarity in general facies of Eupetes macrocercus to the genus p. z. 8. 1881, 

 Mesites, and suggested that that bird might be in reality closely allied to ? 8 ^8. 

 the last-named one, and not at all congeneric with the other species usually 

 included in the genus Eupetes. 



Our knowledge of the internal structure of Mesites is due to M. Alphonse 

 Milne-Edwards, who, in the ' Annales des Sciences Naturelles ' t has 

 described its osteology, with some remarks on the muscles and other 

 points. From its osteology, as well as from the presence of two carotid 

 arteries, and of the ambiens and accessory femoro-caudal muscles, the 

 non-passerine nature of Mesites is rendered absolutely certain. M. Milne- 

 Edwards associates it with the Rails. Prom the presence of powder- 

 down patches :, combined with the schizorhinal nature of the skull, I 

 should prefer to locate it near Eurypyga and Rhinochetus in my group 

 Pluviales . 



* Proc. Zool. Soc. 1881, pp. 837, 838. Read Nov. 15, 1881. 

 t 6e s6rie, Zool. t. vii. art. no. 6, pi. vii. 



t First discovered by Mr. E. Bartlett, vide P. Z. S. 1877, p. 299. 

 Antea, p. 221. 



