fOo Recent Literature. 



which is composed of only a pair of coracoids united in the median line, and 

 a pair of scapulae placed over the ribs parallel to the hack hone and at right 

 angles to the coracoids. No sternum, so characteristic of birds, and no 

 clavicles Mere present. The " clavicles " of Professor Owen are considered 

 by Professor Vogt to he the pubes anchylosed as in the Ostrich. The arm 

 is as one would expect till we come to the carpus, where only the radio- 

 carpal is developed ; the metacarpals were tree and three in number. They 

 bore fingers of j. 3, and 3 phalanges respectively, the distal phalanx in 

 each case incased by a claw, [n describing the manus of birds Professor 

 Vogl makes the following statement. "In the latter [birds] the pollex 

 — sometimes wanting, as in Eudyptes — is placed at the base of the meta- 

 carpus and directly on the carpus ; its single segment sometimes hears a 

 spur or a nail : the metacarpus is formed by two hones that coalesce at 

 their extremities, hut sometimes still separate, as in Eudyptes. This char- 

 acteristic metacarpus hears two digits — one. the longest, with two pha- 

 langes ; the other, often rudimentary, witli one phalanx."* Now on 

 studying the manus of an embryo chick any one will at once see its 

 strong resemblance to Vogt's figure of the manus in the Archceopteryx. 

 The only differences are in the proportions of the parts, the number of the 

 phalanges in the TIT digit and the remains of the IV metacarpus in the 

 chick. 



In considering the genetic relations of the Archceopteryx Professor Vogl 

 says that it "doubtless forms abond of union between Reptiles ami Orfon- 

 tornithes" but that the development of the win- prevents the origin of 

 thin-' birds from the Dinosaurs. Yet he senilis to consider the Apteryges 

 and Struthiones t<> be derived from the Dinosaurs, not modified from 

 flying birds. These conclusions Professor Vogt sums up in the following 

 words. ■• A second consequence of this view would be the polyphytetic 

 origin of the class of birds. The Dinosaurs would lead to the Ratitce, 

 the Archceopteryx to the birds that fly."t Allowing this view to be true, 

 it would be very difficult to explain the strange likeness in the structure 

 of the win-- of the Ostriches and flying birds. The flying birds have the 

 arm and wrist joints so articulated as to allow adduction and abduction. 

 not flexion and extension, of the fingers, and in accordance with this the 

 morphological flexor and extensor muscles are brought round to the radial 

 edge of the index. The same is true of the muscles in the Apteryges 

 and Struthiones judging from the works of Owen. Schoepss, Riidingerand 



* Vogt, 1. c. p. 244, and p. 444 of " Ibis," from which the text is taken. The original is as 

 follows : 



"La main de L'Archseopteryx ne se laisse pas comparer a celle d'un Oiseau. Chez 

 ceux-ci, If pouce, feisant quelquefois defaut, comme chez l'Eudyte, est place a la base 

 du metacarpeet imm6diatement sur le carpe; son seul segment porte quelquefois un 

 eperon ou un ongle ; le metacarpe est forme de deux os soudes aux deux extrem- 

 ites, quelquefois encore separes, comme chez l'Eudyte; ce metacarpe charact6ristique 

 porte deux dor'gts : un, plus allonge, a deux phalanges ; un autre, souvent rudimentaire, 

 a une phalange." 



t Vogt, I.e., p. 247. 



