10 MR. W. K. PARKER ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF 



bony lath, which runs from the body of the prsemaxillary to the cup in the outer face of 

 the quadrate (fig. 4, q). The main part of this outer bar is the maxillary ; the terminal 

 style is the jugal (see also Plate I. fig. 2, mx, j). The ear-shaped " maxillo-palatine " is 

 scooped above, where the " inturned nasal wall " (Plate I. fig. 8) and alinasal turbinal 

 (at. tb) rest upon it. Opposite the palato-prsemaxillary hook we see a smallish, oval, 

 bony plate, on the left side of the palate — the palato-maxillary (Plate II. figs. 1, 2, 

 p.mx). 



In this species I cannot pass by the postoral arches without some notice, notwith- 

 standing the greater interest of the prseorals. The structure and development of the 

 mandible (Plate V. fig. 1) corresponds very exactly with that of the Crow-form ; the 

 internal angular process is strong and recurved, and the posterior process short and 

 broad. The five pairs of splints, and one pair of endosteal bones (" articulo-Meckelian "), 

 form but one V-shaped bone in the adult, with but little trace of sutures, and with no 

 fenestra. The ossified " symphysis " is shortish ; and that end of the bone is formed on 

 the model of the upper beak. 



The stapedial apex of the largely aborted second postoral arch has some peculiarities of 

 importance. The true stapedial, or periotic portion (Plate I. fig. 11), is rather large and 

 roughly oval, the side towards the " opisthotic " bar separating the fenestra ovalis from 

 the fenestra rotunda being straightest. 



The capitular portion of the arch, continuously ossified with the base, is the flattish 

 " mediostapedial " (m.st) ; a bony rod from this bar runs down the anterior " infra- 

 stapedial" bar (i.st), bringing to mind the small bone in the "stapedius" muscle of 

 the mammal ; it is its symmorph. This double " infrastapedial " is new to me ; it ends 

 below in a spatulate stylohyal (st.h), which has a proximal ossicle just below the infra- 

 stapedial fenestra. The extrastapedial (e.st) is falcate and broad-backed ; the " supra- 

 stapedial" (s.st) is small; and from it and from the proximal end of the extrastapedial 

 a fibrous fan arises, which supplements the small "tubercular" head of this facial rod. 

 The proximal portion of the large " stapedial fenestra " (/) is hidden in this view ; but it 

 scoops the falcate " extrastapedial " beneath its thick outer or bach part. 



The rest of the arch, save its merest extremity, is membranous ; and the terminal 

 rudiments (" cornua minora ") have coalesced. These (Plate I. figs. 9, 10, c.h) form, 

 even in my youngest specimen, a spearhead-shaped piece, notched deeply above, and 

 less below ; for there the coalescence of the two ossified rods is greatest. The upper sur- 

 face is flat, the lower subcarinate ; the whole piece is covered with a barbed horny sheath 

 (Plate V. fig. 1, c.h). The rest of the hyoidean skeleton is a most exquisitely elastic 

 structure of thread-like bones, ossified, at first, endosteally (Plate I. figs. 10, 11, b.br). 



The basihyal (Plate V. fig. 1, b.br) is If inch in length, the proximal part of the next arch 

 (1st branchial) (br. 1) 1 inch 2 lines, and the distal portion is about 4f inches in length ; 

 each ramus of the 3rd postoral is therefore about 6 inches long. There is no " urohyal." 

 In this the Woodpeckers agree with the Gannet, Balseniceps, Rhea, and some other 

 " Microglossse." 



Besides the smooth, shallowish, double groove on the upper part of the head, there are 

 to be noticed the feather-pits with which this skull is dinted. The whole skull is very 



