﻿368 
  

  

  Mr. 
  F. 
  A. 
  Lucas 
  on 
  

  

  Coming 
  to 
  the 
  skull, 
  we 
  find 
  that 
  Professor 
  Stewart 
  

   considers 
  the 
  palate 
  of 
  the 
  Humming-bird 
  as 
  a 
  modification 
  

   of 
  the 
  ffigithognathous 
  type 
  * 
  ; 
  and 
  if 
  this 
  he 
  so 
  f^ 
  Swift, 
  

   Swallow, 
  and 
  Humming-bird 
  would 
  in 
  this 
  particular 
  be 
  

   alike. 
  

  

  Fi-. 
  I. 
  

  

  Right 
  coracoids 
  of 
  : 
  — 
  6. 
  Progne 
  suhis, 
  X 
  1 
  ; 
  7. 
  ChcBtura 
  j'^^ogif^a^ 
  X 
  2, 
  

   f, 
  liue 
  to 
  foramen 
  ; 
  8. 
  Macropteri/.v 
  coronnta, 
  X 
  2 
  ; 
  9. 
  Camjiylopterus 
  

   hemileucunis, 
  X 
  3. 
  

  

  We 
  read 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  Swifts 
  the 
  coracoids 
  are 
  '^'^mucli 
  as 
  

   we 
  find 
  them 
  in 
  Swallows,^' 
  while 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Humming- 
  

   bird 
  are 
  " 
  totally 
  unlike 
  this 
  bone 
  in 
  Cypseli." 
  The 
  

   miqueness 
  of 
  the 
  Humming-bird^s 
  coracoid 
  consists 
  largely 
  

   in 
  having 
  the 
  " 
  tendinal 
  canal 
  closed 
  by 
  bone 
  and 
  the 
  shaft 
  

   perforated 
  by 
  a 
  large 
  foramen 
  below 
  it." 
  Now 
  all 
  the 
  Swifts 
  

   that 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  possess 
  the 
  lower 
  perforation 
  mentioned, 
  while 
  

   the 
  ossification 
  of 
  the 
  ligament 
  which 
  holds 
  in 
  place 
  the 
  great 
  

   levator 
  tendon 
  would 
  give 
  the 
  closed 
  canal. 
  How 
  little 
  

   change 
  in 
  the 
  existing 
  state 
  of 
  things 
  is 
  needed 
  to 
  bring 
  

   about 
  this 
  result, 
  especially 
  in 
  Macropteryx, 
  can 
  be 
  seen 
  at 
  

   a 
  glance. 
  Also 
  the 
  coracoids 
  of 
  Swifts 
  and 
  Humming-birds 
  

   agree 
  in 
  lacking 
  the 
  epicoracoid 
  of 
  the 
  Swallow, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  

   the 
  vastly 
  more 
  important 
  feature 
  of 
  being 
  supported 
  on 
  

   facets 
  instead 
  of 
  being, 
  like 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  birds, 
  

  

  * 
  Cf. 
  Sharpe, 
  '■ 
  A 
  Eeview 
  of 
  the 
  Recent 
  Attempts 
  to 
  Classify 
  Birds,' 
  

   p. 
  81, 
  footnote. 
  

  

  t 
  Professor 
  Stewart 
  will, 
  I 
  trust, 
  pardon 
  this 
  quotation, 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  seen 
  

   any 
  publication 
  of 
  his 
  views 
  other 
  than 
  the 
  note 
  alluded 
  to, 
  and 
  know 
  not 
  

   whether 
  subsequent 
  dissections 
  have 
  confirmed 
  his 
  opinions. 
  The 
  Hum- 
  

   ming-bird's 
  palatp 
  rortriinly 
  siijrpests 
  a 
  case 
  of 
  arrested 
  development. 
  

  

  