466 



MR. W. A 



FORBES ON LKPTOSOMA DISCOLOR. [JunC 15, 



in it of powder-down patches, as well as other of its peculiarities. 

 Since then I am unaware of any thing more having been done to 

 elucidate its structuretill 18/8. In M. Grandidier's magnificent work 

 on Madagascar', in the plates of the Atlas devoted to the birds, M. A. 

 Milne-Edwards has figured the entire skeleton, together with separate 

 views of the bones, as well as the tongue and ahmentary canal, and 

 has likewise given pictures of the bird when plucked, showing the 

 external nares, the position and shape of the powder-down patches 

 and its naked oil-gland. In reply to my inquiries on the subject, 

 M. Milne-Edwards kindly replied that he intended to describe m 

 full the osteology of Leptosoma, together with that of Atelorms, 



Fig. 1. 



Eistt foot of Lcytosoma (nat. size), seen from before, to sliow the disposition 

 of the toes. (The fourth toe is slightly removed outwards, to better show 

 its position.) 



Brachypteracias, &c., of which figures are given also in the above- 

 named work, in the text, but that, as regards other points, only an 

 explanation of the plates was to be given. I have therefore thought 

 it would be of interest to bring before the Society some additional 

 notes on its pterylosis and soft parts, derived from my examination of 

 Prof. Newton's specimen. 



Before proceeding further, I should like to call attention to the 



structure of the feet in Leptosoma, which has already been accurately 



described by Mr. Sclater (l. c. p. 688). They are in no way " zygo- 



dactyle," in the sense in which that term is applied to the feet of such 



' Hist. Phys. nat. et pol. Madag., Zool., Ois. pis. 85-88. 



