ON THE RUDIMENTARY HALLUX OF BIRDS. 359 



Orthonyx having been sometimes mentioned as one of the few peculiar 

 Australian genera of birds also represented in the satellite island *. 



I may take this opportunity of stating that I have, in the course of 

 the last few months, been enabled to examine examples of several genera 

 of Passeres the condition of the syrinx in which has not before, I believe, 

 been recorded. These include, of Old- World forms, Rimator, Ptencedus, 

 Sphenura, Sphenostoma, Climacteris, Creadion, Miro, Certhiparus, Petraeca, 

 Entomyza, Pomarea^PhcEornis^Falcunculus, Nesocichla, Nesospiza, Cracticus; 

 and of American forms, Chamcea, Dulus, Phainopepla, Ptilogonys. In all 

 these genera the syrinx is perfectly Oscinine, as indeed was to be expected 

 from the external structure of the birds. Johannes Miiller at first placed 

 Ptiloyonys amongst the Tyrannidae t, misled by the slightly aberrant 

 structure of its tarsus, but on subsequently examining the nearly allied 

 Myiadestes, and ascertaining its Osciniiie nature, concluded that Ptiloyonys 

 too would, on examination, be found to have the muscular organs of 

 voiced, a surmise the correctness of which is now demonstrated. 

 Pttrceca has been stated by Prof. Parker to be a " Tracheophone " p. z. S. 1882, 

 (i. e. Mesomyodian), having " the muscles of lower larynx quite indistinct." P- 546 - 

 In three specimens, however, of that genus examined by me I find a 

 perfectly Oscinine syrinx with its muscles as well developed as in other 

 birds of the same size. Whether the statement made by that author to 

 the same effect about Sittella is accurate still remains to be seen. 



63. ON THE RUDIMENTARY HALLUX OF BIRDS ||. 



ME. W. A. FORBES exhibited preparations showing the rudimentary 

 hallux of several birds commonly described as three-toed, and made the 

 following remarks : 



" Whilst engaged in working out my * Report on the Anatomy of the 

 Petrels ' for the ' Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger,' I happened to come 

 across Dr. Kidder's note H" on the existence of a rudimentary external 

 hallux in Phoebetria fuliginosa, a bird hitherto supposed, like other 

 Albatrosses, to lack the hind toe altogether. Finding, on an examination 

 of my specimen, his remarks correct, I proceeded to examine examples 



* Wallace, ' Geogr. Distribution of Animals,' i. p. 451 ; but see also Island Life,' 

 p. 453, footnote. 



t Vocal Organs of Passeres, Garrod's ed. p. 41. 

 J i.e. p. 61. 

 Trans. Z. S. ix. p. 336. 

 U Proc. Zool. Soe. 1882, pp. 548, 549. 

 4 Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. i. p. 22. 



