Vol. XIV. 

 1914 



] Leach, The Myology of the Bell-Magpie. 



that a detailed examination and comparison of the myology of 

 Strepera with that of the Australian Raven, Gymnorhina, and 

 Cracticiis, and an examination of characters of taxonomic value, 

 would yield evidence of a definite nature. The results support 

 Gould's belief that Strepera is closely related to Gvmnorhina and 

 Cracticiis. If one of these birds differs from the Raven in the 

 position and size of a muscle, all three differ, and they differ little 

 amongst themselves. 



Professor W. K. Parker, in the " Transactions of the Zoological 

 Society," vol. ix., 1877, page 327, said : — " In all respects, physio- 

 logical, morphological, and ornithological, the Crow may be placed 

 at the head, not only of its own great series, birds of the Crow- 

 form, but also as the unchallenged chief of the whole of the 

 Carinato'." He further placed Gymnorhina almost equal in rank 

 with it, at the head of another important section. He said, con- 

 cerning Gymnorhina : — " Suggesting to the observer its own name. 

 Crow, with a modifying epithet. Piping, this is yet a bird which 

 is the culmination of a very different branch of the Mgithognathcp 

 from that of the true Crows of the Old World. There are not 

 many internodes between this upper type and the Chilian and 

 Brazilian birds that grow out below it." Again, referring to the 

 posterior lateral processes on the palatines, he said : — " These 

 peculiar styliform trans-palatines are found, so far as I have 

 seen, only south of or upon the equator, and their very curious 

 character, always correlated with other characters, might justify 

 me in dividing the Coracomorphce into Noto-coracomorphce and 

 Arcto-coracomorphce." Parker, apparently, did not examine 

 Strepera or Cracticiis. In the " Dictionary of Birds " Newton 

 uses the term " Austro-coraces " for these birds " leading to the 

 Crows." 



Ridgway referred to Parker's views, and on page 253 of his 

 " Birds of North and Middle America," 1904, considered that 

 these birds should form the family StreperidcB. He said : — 

 " Several of the Old World types which have been referred to the 

 Corvidce are more or less aberrant, and some of them certainly do 

 not belong here. Among the latter may be specially mentioned 

 the Australian genus Strepera, which, with the genus Cracticiis, 

 has by some authors been referred to the Laniidce, though a more 

 consistent view of their relationship would entitle them to the 

 rank of a family, StreperidcB. Besides the Streperidce and Laniidce, 

 the nearest relations of the Corvidce seem to be the Paradiseidce." 

 Ridgway, on page 254, states that " America possesses nearly half 

 the undoubted Corvidce enumerated by Dr. Sharpe in his catalogue 

 of the Corvidce in the British Museum." In a footnote he says : — 

 " The genera Strepera, Struthidea, Picathartes, Glaucopis, Hetera- 

 locha, Creadion, Palculia, Gractilus, Pyrrhocorax, Corcorax, and 

 Podoces are excluded from the above enumeration as being more 

 or less doubtfully members of the family." Struthidea and 

 Corcorax are " anomalous " Australian birds that apparently 

 should be the subjects of a detailed examination. 



