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ON THE ANATOMY OF PASSERINE BIRDS, 373 
In questions of doubtful affinity among the birds under consideration, 
this character proves to be of service. For example, the genus 
Margarornis is differently placed by leading ornithologists—by some 
along with the Sclerurine on account of the shortness of its outer toe, 
- by others with the Dendrocolaptine because of the stiffness of its 
tail-feathers. From the skull, an example of which I have had the 
opportunity of removing from a skin of Margarornis perlata, through 
the kindness of Mr. Salvin, I feel no doubt that it is not Dendroco- 
laptine, because the nasal bones agree exactly with those of Furnarius 
rufus and the other schizorhinal Passeres above mentioned. 
I may also mention that in these schizorhinal tracheophone 
Passeres, as also in their allies the Pteroptochide, the maxillo-pala- 
Palatal view of skull of Pteroptochus albicollis. 
tine plates of the maxillary bones, instead of terminating by blunt 
uncurved tips, as in the non-oscine (mesomyodian*) Passeres gener- 
ally, including Dendrocolaptes, Thamnophilus, and their nearest allies, 
are slender and curved backwards as im the Oscines. A study of the 
superb plates in Mr. Parker’s Memoir on Aigithognathous Birdst will 
illustrate this point, which an inspection of other skulls still further Page 453. 
verifies. Figure 4 shows this formation in the palate of Pteroptochus 
albicollis. 
These facts, when correlated, suggest a slight modification of the 
arrangement of the Tracheophonez as based upon the nature of the 
tarsal scutellation and the structure of the tails. In their valuable 
“Nomenclator Avium Neotropicalium,” Messrs. Sclater and Salvin 
divide the suborder thus :— 
* “Proceedings of the Zoological Society,” 1876. (Supra, p. 366.) 
+ “Transactions of the Zoological Society,” Vol. IX. p. 289, Pl. LVI. figs. 8-10, 
LVIL. figs. 8-10, et LIX. figs. 1-3 and 6-8. 
A 
