324 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



V. The Galline Style. — The succeeding modification is 

 represented by the normal Gallinaceous birds. In these the 

 number of rows between the Marginals and the Majors is 

 usually greater than in the Picarians ; so that the wing 

 coverts occupy a still larger proportion of the cubital area. 

 The Medians and the Minors overlap proximally throughout 

 nearly their entire extent in the MELEAGRiDiE (Fig. 8), which 

 in this respect stand alone amongst the Gallinaceous birds. 

 In the remaining groups the inner or proximal third, or 

 more, of each row of Minors, as well as the Medians, overlap 

 distally. In the closed wing of the living birds this arrange- 

 ment makes the whole of the visible wing coverts appear to 

 have a distal overlap. In the whole of the Gallinaceous birds 

 I have examined there is no trace whatever of any break, 

 interruption, or " faulting " of the coverts. The Peristeropods 

 {Talegalla, Crax, etc.) have a simpler style of wing coverts 

 than the Alectoropods {G-alhis, Tetrao, etc.); and in many 

 respects approach the confines of the group next to be 

 described. See figure of Crax (Fig. 9) and of Phasianus 

 (Fig. 10). 



The wing style of the Tinamous (CEYPTURI) differs in no 

 essential respect, I have observed, from that of the Gallinse. 

 The same observation applies also to the HEMIPODII. 



VI. The AcciPTPJNE Style. — In all the birds previously 

 noticed (except the Goatsuckers in Group III.) the typical 

 number of the Cubital Eemiges is present. In those now to 

 be considered most of the genera agree with each other in 

 the particular that the fifth cubital remex is absent. This 

 remarkable feature was first noticed by M. Gerbe, and has 

 since been further investigated by the late Mr Wray, Prof. 

 Flower, Dr Gadow, Dr Sclater, and others. At the time 

 my paper in the Proc. Zool. Soc. was read, I was unaware 

 of the curious fact referred to, and, in consequence, I failed 

 to perceive the true significance of the feature next to be 

 described, although I had described some of the phenomena 

 resulting from it, in detail. Notwithstanding that the fifth 

 cubital remex is wanting in the group now under notice, 

 its corresponding covert is invariably present. The reason 

 of so anomalous an arrangement is difficult even to guess at. 



