486 DR. MURIE ON FREGILUPUS VARIUS. [June 16, 



Proportional Lengths of the Limb-bones of Genera of the Starling 



Group. 



Fregilupus Pastor Sturnus Gracula 



varius. griseus. vulgaris, intermedia. 



Ulna to humerus 120:100 110 114 127 



Metacarpus to humerus 66 : 100 57 76 73 



Mid digit to humerus 40:100 45 57 50 



Tibia to femur 185:100 182 173 152 



Tarso-metatarse to femur 128 : 100 127 105 105 



Mid anterior toe to femur 103:100 104 93 92 



Humerus to wing 30:100 32 28 28 



Ulna to wing 36:100 35 . 33 36 



Metacarpus to wing 20:100 18 22 21 



Mid digit to wing 12:100 14 16 14 



Femur to leg 19:100 19 21 23 



Tibiatoleg 36:100 35 36 34 



Tarso-metatarse to leg 25:100 25 22 22 



Anterior mid toe to leg 20:100 20 20 21 



Femur to humerus 93:100 90 90 90 



Tibia to ulna 144:100 148 137 108 



Tarso-metatarse to metacarpus 180:100 200 125 118 



Mid ant. toe to inid dig. of wing ... 241 : 100 209 150 166 



Leg to wing 142:100 148 123 113 



With certain other Families and Genera. — Likeness to Pastor 

 obviates prodigality of comparison ; but I nevertheless throw out a 

 few desultory remarks. Levaillant's introducing Fregilupus into the 

 company of his " Promerops et Guepiers " insinuates rather than 

 propounds cognation. Possession of a long beak certainly does not 

 warrant their keeping company when incongruity in other parti- 

 culars dissociates. As regards the Grand Promerops (Epimachus 

 speciosus), a study of its cranium shows small oval nares, lofty, broad 

 maxillo-nasals, prepalatine ossification, and sundry other differentia- 

 tions. The skull of the 12-wired Bird of Paradise, Seleucides alba, 

 substantiates these distinctions ; and, moreover, in its sternum, 

 pelvis, and construction of various parts of its limb-bones it offers 

 deviation of type. As to Paradisea (P. minor and P. apoda), quite 

 as telling osteological discrepancies obtain. What between these and 

 external characters, alliance of Fregilupus to the Paradiseidse, at best, 

 is of a secondary or tertiary grade. 



The tenuity and elongation of prsemaxillse exhibited by the Mero- 

 pidae is but a seeming analogy, not borne out by the entire conforma- 

 tion. From this group our bird stands remote. 



The quotation from Diet. d'Hist. Nat. {vide footnote, p. 478) gives, 

 in Vieillot's own words, the attributes by which he affines Fregi- 

 lupus with Coracias. Although the characters he mentions under- 

 mine Upupiue alliance, yet a study of the skeleton does not support 

 Coraciine affiliation. The skull, sternum, pelvis, and limb-bones all 

 justify separation. In brief, Coracias is a coccygomorph, Fregilupus 

 a coracomorph ; and with this I dismiss the idea of union. 



Among the Corvidae I select Fregilus (F. graculus) and Gymnorhina 



