ORDER GALLT. 217 



of the suborder Galliformes, the other superfamily being the Phasianoidea, which 

 includes all the well-known domesticated fowls and most of the desirable game-birds, 

 with a world-wide range but only three small forms in Australia. The Hemipodes 

 constitute the fourth suborder, Turnici formes, and is strongly represented in Australia, 

 but the forms are small birds. The last suborder, Attagidiformes, for the Seed Snipe 

 of South America, consists of a few small birds, which are purely modified forms, but 

 which on account of the idiosyncrasies of anatomists have been variously classed, 

 commonly with the Plovers, to which they are not nearly related. The internal 

 characters cited in favour of the Charadriiform alliance were obviously misunderstood. 

 'There are no absolute anatomical or osteological features for diagnosis, so we will 

 cite the general characters quoted. The skull shows the palate to be schizognathous 

 with the nasals holorhinal, and basipteiygoid processes are present ; the palatines 

 without internal lamina as a general rule ; the lachrymals are variable, sometimes 

 large with a large descending process as in the Craciformes, sometimes small with a 

 weak or missing descending process as in the Galliformes. The sternum is strongly 

 keeled generally with very deep notching and peculiar lateral processes ; the furcula 

 is always present and curved and there are sixteen cervical vertebrae. The carotids 

 are either one or two, the syrinx is variable and the digestive system is somewhat 

 variable, of apparently low origin and showing relationship to the Tinami, the lowest 

 forms being seen in the Opisthocomiformes and Craciformes. There is a large crop 

 present and the cseca are large. The leg-muscles are generally complete, ABXY-f , 

 the expansor secundariorum present but somewhat peculiar, the biceps slip variable. 

 The oil gland is sometimes tufted, sometimes nude, an aftershaft always present, 

 and the wing quincubital or aquincubital. The pterylosis has only been studied 

 in a few forms without much variation determined, and the nestling is hatched 

 covered with down. Though regarded as an ancient group, the factor, quin- 

 cubitalism of the wing, suggesting this, few fossil forms are known. 



SUBORDER GALLIFORMES. 



We separate this suborder into two superfamilies, Megapodioidea for the 

 Megapodes and other mound -building forms as Leipoa, and Phasianoidea for the 

 Turkeys, Guineafowl, Grouse, Pheasants, Partridges and American Quail. While 

 superficially the Megapodes are rather different from the remainder, the anatomists 

 have pointed out many small peculiarities in their internal structure. Thus Huxley 

 divided the Galliformes into two, the Peristeropodes and the Alectoropodes, the 

 former covering the Craciformes and the Megapodioidea, the latter the remaining 

 Galliformes. The former differed in the less notching of the sternum and the short 

 obtuse costal processes, with the hallux on the level with other toes ; the latter have 

 the sternum very deeply notched and long costal processes and the hallux attached 

 above the level of other toes. We have separated the Craciformes as of subordinal 

 rank distinct from the Galliformes in which we include the Megapodes, and this 

 arrangement agrees with the results of anatomical investigation. 



SUPERFAMILY MEGAPODIOIDEA. 



This superfamily includes the mound -building Galliformes, but the three forms 

 represented in Australia are of diverse appearance and possibly of different origin. 

 We have admitted only one family but possibly three will later be recognised, the 

 three Australian species being each referred to a separate family. It is almost certain 

 that Leipoa has no close relation with the others, and we anticipate careful osteo- 

 logical and myological comparison will reveal more differences than likenesses. The 

 range of the mound -builders is Papuasia and Australia, but the Papuasian group 

 only ranges into the extreme north of Australia, while Leipoa is isolated in 

 the extreme South, both east and west, but not Tasmania. The superficial details 



