ON THE PTERYLOS1S OF MESITES. 331 



57. DESCRIPTION OF THE PTERYLOSIS OF MESITES, P.z.s.1882, 

 WITH REMARKS ON THE POSITION OF THAT P' 267 ' 



GENUS* 



WHEN making some observations on the pterylographical and other 

 peculiarities of Eupetes macrocercus f, I expressed regret at not having 

 been able to obtain any specimen of Mesites, which in external appearance 

 somewhat approaches Eupetes macrocercus -, to study its pterylosis also. 



Since then, having obtained through Herr Q-. Schneider, of Basel, a 

 skin of Mesites variegatus, I have been able, from an examination of it, 

 to complete our knowledge of this most peculiar form as regards the 

 distribution of its feathers. All that was previously known of this part 

 of the structure of Mesites was the existence in that bird of five pairs of 

 powder-down patches :, M. A. Milne-Edwards in his paper on it 

 having confined his observations to its osseous and internal structure f|. 

 Those interested in the various opinions which have been held by natu- 

 ralists as to the exact systematic position of Mesites, I will refer to 

 M. Milne-Edwards's paper just quoted, only adding Mr. E. Bartlett's 

 suggestion " that the genus Mesites should be arranged in the Natural P. Z. S. 1882, 

 System next to Eurypyga and its near ally Ehinochetus." P- 268 - 



The nostrils of Mesites are long, linear concave-upward slits, extending 

 for more than half the length of the beak, and covered above by a well- 

 marked membranous valvular operculum, being in this respect very 

 unlike the ordinary form of nostril in the Rails. 



The tarsi have about 10 or 11 distinct transverse scutella anteriorly, 

 best developed internally, and there nearly meeting, along the lateral 

 surface, a similar but somewhat more numerous series of smaller scutella, 

 which are developed along the posterior aspect of the leg, but become 

 obsolete about \ inch above the metatarso-phalangeal joint. Externally 

 the two series of scutella are separated by a distinct space covered by 

 smooth, non-scutellated skin. This tarsal scutellation extends upwards 

 above the " knee " for about \ inch, for which extent therefore the tibia 

 is bare of feathers. 



The digits are all free from their bases ; the hallux is considerably the 

 smallest of them ^[. 



* Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, pp. 267-271. Read Feb. 21, 1882. 



t P. Z. S. 1881, p. 838. 



\ Vide E. Bartlett, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 292. 



Ann. Sci. Nat. (6) Zool. vii. 1878, art 6. 



|| An imperfect skull, extracted from the present skin, shows that the palate is 

 schizognathous, the recurved maxillo-palatines being free in the middle line, and the 

 vomer small and pointed points not evident in Milne-Edwards's figure, his specimen, 

 I believe, being somewhat imperfect. 



^[ By soaking out the plantar tendons, I have been enabled to ascertain that there is a 

 good vinculum between the flexores longus hallucis and profundus digit orum, the tendons 



