AND PTERYLOSIS OF EURYNORHYNCHUS PYGMjEUS. 215 



internal, although the under surfaces of the palatines are hut slightly concave. A notch 

 occurs behind the middle of their internal margins ; and from it posteriorly a small de- 

 pendent lamina is prolonged backwards, gradually diminishing in size towards their 

 postero-intemal angles. The concavity of the palatines is continuous with the notch. 

 In Tringa the notch is more strongly marked, and there is a contraction of the external 

 margin of the palatine in its neighbourhood, the dependent plates also in that genus 

 being more developed than in Eurynorliynchus ; and the portion before the notch is like- 

 wise more concave. An anteriorly directed foramen occurs near the inner border a 

 short way before the notch. The maxillo-palatines in no way differ from those of Tringa. 

 The internasal septum has a large imperfection of ossification in its centre ; and its 

 inferior border is jagged, terminating under the middle of the aforementioned lateral 

 lamina of the nasals. It has much the same capacity as in Tringa, in which, however, 

 its lower border slopes upwards in an unbroken line. The jugals and maxillae call for 

 no remark. 



As already stated, the distinctive feature of the skull is the great development of the 

 distal extremities of the prsemaxillse into a broad four-sided spoon — two anterior and 

 two lateral borders, the former meeting at an obtuse angle with 

 each other, and at an acute angle with the latter. It is 



marked by a longitudinal mesial groove on its under surface, ^a^fc, 



and by a corresponding low ridge on its dorsal aspect. At mmm CO^ 



the point of divergence, where the nasal and palatine pro- 

 cesses are given off, there is an orifice, which, penetrating 

 between the plates of the prseinaxillse, divides into a great 

 number of canals for the transmission of the nerves and blood- 

 vessels. These canals appear on the surface as so many fine 

 ridges, radiating forwards and outwards from the point of 

 entrance, and open along the anterior and lateral margins of Fig. 1. Bill of Ewrynorhynehus 

 the spoon, more especially the former. On the under surface pygmmus m profile. 



there is one well-marked regular row, with a few somewhat Fig. 2. Upper view, head of 

 scattered foramina behind it ; and on the same surface, on a f me b £ d \ Both ^ n 



' from a fresh specimen*. 



slight eminence, external and separated from the mesial 



furrow by a slight concavity, there is, on each side, a row of from 6 to 8 foramina. 

 A similar structure prevails- in the mandible ; but the positions of the ridges and orifices 

 are reversed. A similar but less-intensified structure also prevails in Tringa.. 



Vertebral Column. — There are 15 cervical vertebrae, as in Tringa. The atlas is a 

 narrow ring, with the odontoid ligament strongly ossified, and a pair of obscure processes 

 on the under surface of the segment. In Tringa minuta the ligament is unossified, and 

 the two hypapophyses are much more developed. The axis has a thick nodose spinous- 

 process, with a falcate backwardly projecting under process, and wifchtwo nodose processes, 



* Through the kindness of Mr. Harting and the Editor of ' The Ibis ' the use of the above woodcuts has been 

 obtained. In the paper in ' The Ibis,' 1869, Mr. Harting mentions them as being from the pencil of Mr. Swinhoe. 

 They are- here introduced that the head with feathering of this singular bird may conveniently be compared with 

 tha bones of the same, given in Plate XXXV. 



