Anatomy &c. of the Colies. 233 
Pt. ventralis (text-fig. 11, p. 232, pt.vent.).—This tract is 
not divisible into the usual short outer and long inner 
branches, but forms a band of great width, extending from 
the shoulder backwards to the cloaca, and meeting its fellow 
of the opposite side, so as very nearly to obliterate the apt. 
mesogastrei ; indeed this is only traceable with difficulty. 
Pt. femoralis (text-fig. 11, p. 232, pt,fem.).—This tract 1S 
of great width, confluent above with the pé. spinalis, and 
below with the pt. ventralis caudad of the thigh. Antero- 
ventrally it passes into the 
Pt. cruralis—This tract is unusually well developed, the 
tibial region of the leg being completely covered externally 
with weak feathers: the inner surface of the leg, however, 
is bare. 
Pt. humeralis (text-fig. 10, p. 231, pt.h.).—Short and 
narrow, this tract presents no special characters of note. 
Pteryla alaris :— 
Metacarpo-digital remiges or primaries.—These are ten in 
number, the 10th being comparatively long. The outer 
primaries are particularly short, giving the expanded wing 
the much rounded appearance characteristic of birds which 
live among undergrowth and fly little. 
Cubital remiges or secondaries —These are eight in number, 
but the two innermost are greatly reduced in length, so 
much so as to be hardly distinguishable from their coverts. 
The wing is eutaxic, and this condition has probably been 
reached through the earlier diastataxic. Many of the Swifts 
have similarly become eutaxic. 
Tectrices : upper surface :— 
T. majores.—Those of the primaries are rather below the 
normal relative size. The carpal remex is long and downy, 
while its covert, of equal length, is pennacecous. 
T. medie.—These present no characters demanding com- 
ment. The specimen having been in spirit 1 found it 
impossible to determine the overlap of this row and the 
remaining coverts. 
T. minores.—There are three cubital rows of these coverts, 
but neither this series nor the preceding occur on the manus. 
