254 MR. A. H. GARROD ON THE [May 5, 



Respecting Lopholcemus, it may be mentioned that the only oppor- 

 tunity I have had of dissecting it has been through the kindness of 

 Mr. Edward Gerrard, who lent me two specimens, not well pre- 

 served, in spirit*. In these I could not find the least trace of the 

 accessory femoro-caudal muscle, which is well developed in all other 

 Pigeons. This peculiarity, when taken in connexion with the fact 

 that, like Carpophaga only amongst the Phapinae, it possesses a gall- 

 bladder, makes me disposed to make it an independent minor branch 

 from the Carpophagine stem. 



Most ornithologists seem to be very unwilling to place the Ptero- 

 clidse along with the true Pigeons in a single group, notwithstanding 

 the evidence brought forward by Nitzsch, and the statement of 

 M. Blanchard. My own observations tend to show that the two 

 families are most intimately related, and that they must be most 

 certainly included in the same suborder, though forming two quite 

 independent families. 



Commencing with the osteological evidence on this point, which 

 has been very fully discussed by Mr. Parker and Prof. Huxley, 

 the skull presents strong Columbine features. The pterygoid bones 

 are peculiarly curved, in a manner seen nowhere else but among the 

 Pigeons ; and as in them, and not in the Fowls, the basipterygoid 

 facets are situated midway between their two extremities. The nasal 

 bones are, no doubt, peculiar ; they are not at all typically schizo- 

 rhinal, but present the extreme degree of modification of that type, 

 probably the result of the shortness and breadth of the beak. There 

 is, however, a nasal turbinal bone, partly occluding the osseous 

 external nares, as in the Pigeons, whilst the premaxillary process of 

 the nasal bone is also of considerable length. The palatine bones 

 are perfectly Columbine in some species (e. g. Pterocles arenarius), 

 and are notmuch modified in others, never so much so as are those 

 of Bidunculus. In the lower jaw there is no produced and upturned 

 angle, like that in the Gallinse. The cranial articular end of the 

 quadrate bone is also strongly bifurcate. The whole skull seems to 

 be that of a Pigeon modified by the effects of a Grouse-like life. 



The furcula has no median symphysial plate or hypocleidium. 

 The sternum is perfectly Columbine, the similarity extending to the 

 direction taken by the costal processes and the non-development of 

 any true manubrial rostrum, in both which points the Gallinse are so 

 different. 



The head of the humerus presents an important character. From 

 any number of birds' humeri those of the Columbse may be identi- 

 fied, if those of the Psittaci are excluded, because the pectoral 

 lamina or the ridge for the insertion of the great pectoral muscle is 

 peculiar. In most birds the second pectoral muscle is inserted into 



* An additional specimen has come into my hands since the above was 

 written, by which the accuracy of my previous dissections of the species is con- 

 firmed. No accessory femoro-caudal was present ; there were no c&ca coli ; 

 there was a large elongated gall-bladder and a small oil-gland. The gizzard 

 was remarkably small, with irregular pads, one of which somewhat resembled 

 that of Ptilo7iopus. 



