DUCKS AND GEESE. 133 



have here accepted the former view, since it seems to us that the osteology points strong- 

 ly towards the Laraellirostres, while the characters in which they disagree are mostly 

 of a generalized or ' reptilian ' character. The extraordinary interest of this group re- 

 quires that we shall go a little into details. " All the skull and face, except at its two 

 ends, conforms to the lamellirostral type," says Prof. Parker, " point by point, process 

 by process, lamina for lamina, all else is truly and distinctly that which belongs to the 

 sifter, and to no other bird." It has been remonstrated that the lacrymal region is 

 not long in the screamers, though this peculiarity is very pronounced in the Anseres 

 and flamingos, but the Lamellirostral Cereopsis is intermediate in this respect. In the 

 desmognathous character of the palate, in the situation of the articular surfaces for 

 the jugal arches considerably behind the level of their mandibular articulations, and in 

 the configuration of the latter, besides in the prolonged and upcurved angle of the 

 mandible, the screamers are distinctly anserine. As to the breast-bone we again quote 

 Parker : "The sternum of this bird differs from that of the goose or swan by just so 

 much as the sternum of the short-winged rails, especially Brachypteryx [= Ocydromus~\, 

 differs from that of the ordinary types. It is narrower behind, and the episternum 

 is gone from the front : yet it is thoroughly anserine in character, for the keel does 

 not reach the end." The pelvis of the spur-winged goose (Plectropterus}, the same 

 author says, is " exactly intermediate between that of a typical goose and that of a 

 Palamedea" and he also points at the fact that the Plectropterus has the legs longer, 

 more grallatorial, and better under them than the typical forms. It is also probably 

 more than a coincidence that the screamers have spurs on their wings not only 

 claws to the fingers like the goose mentioned. The toes of the screamers are not 

 palmate, but there are true Anseres in which the toes are split nearly as much. Their 

 most extraordinary osteological feature, however, is the absence of uncinate processes 

 to the ribs, unique among living birds, and only shared, so far as we know, by the 

 Archceopteryx. The respiratory organs are truly anserine. Garrod himself admits 

 that "in that the lower end of the trachea is of a smaller diameter than is the tube higher 

 up, in that in the same part the constituent rings are in close contact without scarcely 

 any intervening membrane, in that there are two -pairs of tracheal muscles running to 

 the thoracic parietes, and in that the intrinsic lateral tracheal muscles end before 

 they reach the bifurcation of the bronchi, the syrinx of the screamers approachesthat of 

 some of the Anseres," but adds, " in that there is no special modification of the organ in 

 the male " they are not Anserine. This may be so in Channel, but Cuvier, in speaking 

 of Anhima cornuta, says (according to Dr. Crisp) that " it has a bony box in the mid- 

 dle of the trachea, like that of the velvet pochard ( Oidemia fusca)" a most conclusive 

 Anserine character. The alimentary canal presents features of great interest. In the 

 great length of the large intestine, already pointed out by Dr. E. Crisp, it agrees only 

 with that of Struthio and Rhea, and, like these two types only, the ca?ca are situated a 

 considerable distance from the cloaca. Moreover, the casca agree with those of the 

 Struthiones mentioned in being sacculated, but they are unique in having a well- 

 developed special sphincter muscle guarding the opening into a special cavity common 

 to both caeca, which again is separated off from the colon proper by a very constrict- 

 ing sphincter. As to the primary myological features it may be remarked that the 

 thigh-formula is ABXY-f, while in none of the Anseres proper is the Y present. The 

 latter muscle, however, is of little account to short-legged birds, and seems to be very 

 easily lost, by swimmers especially. We will see, further on, that the flamingo has 

 retained the Y, but lost the A. The pterylosis of the screamers is peculiar, since the 



