666 DR. J. MURIE ON THE SKELETON OF TODUS. [May 21, 



This is all I find which has been done towards elucidation of the 

 osseous organization of Todus, and justifies my portraiture of the 

 separate bones. These I have most carefully sketched twice their 

 natural size, to bring into relief those discriminating lineaments sub- 

 dued and lost sight of in a diminutive skeleton. 



Of the Cranium and Mandible. 



The skull, on the side view, I should as lief compare to that of the 

 Rose-cheeked Kingfisher (Ispidina picta), the Motmots (Momotus), 

 or even the Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa grisola), as merely to 

 that of the Bee-eaters (Merops). In fact, it is not too much to say 

 that, pari passu, it has no mean resemblance to some of the Wood- 

 peckers', Picus viridis for example ; but critical investigation shakes 

 such hasty conception. 



In profile, the hinder segment, or that containing the brain, is full, 

 roundish, and high. The supraoccipital area, particularly, is unduly 

 prominent ; and beneath this the outline shelves sharply downwards 

 and forwards. The vacuity of the orbit equals the long diameter of 

 the cerebral region ; and the beak (or prsemaxillse) has a length nearly 

 corresponding with the two parts behind. In other words, the 

 osseous beak occupies half the length of the skull, or, indeed, slightly 

 over that. This coincides with Ey ton's observation, but does not 

 agree with the proportions extant in the Bee-eaters, Jacamars, and 

 Hoopoes, where the prsemaxilla is often twice the length of the re- 

 mainder of the cranium. 



Amongst most of the Kingfishers, the beak is greatly in excess of 

 half the long axis of the skull, Ispidina picta in its proportions 

 (likewise Momotus lessoni) coming nighest to what obtains in Todus. 

 The basal plane of the skull, in the view now under consideration, is 

 almost on a horizontal line, there being only a very slight indication 

 of depression towards the tip of the prsemaxillae. The latter through- 

 out are very shallow and low compared with the orbito-central regions. 

 The nasal orifice attracts attention by its elongate magnitude. From 

 the root of the beak the prefrontal region rises very abruptly, and 

 continues by a steep inclination to the vertex, the highest part of the 

 skull being almost vertical with the posterior margin of the orbit. 

 The latter is large and somewhat triangularly outlined, the narrow 

 truncate end being forwards. 



The posterior or occipital aspect of the skull of the Tody is cha- 

 racterized by smooth plumpness, tendency to quadrature of figure, 

 the corners being bluntly rounded, and by the node-like elevation of 

 the supraoccipital. In these respects it assimilates to Ispidina 

 among the Alcedinidae — yet, withal, is trenchantly separate therefrom 

 by several particulars, which I shall notice in speaking of the separate 

 cranial bones. 



The general rotundity of the occiput and very feeble squamous 

 groove more stringently belong to Muscicapa, though Merops, Mo- 

 motus, Eumomota, Galbula, and Picus all manifest the same ten- 



