674 



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



rather than a cleft, and a single foramen. Its distal or inferior end 

 has trifid knuckles. The middle one is the largest, and a very trifle 

 longer than the lateral ones, whilst its fissure is the deepest ; so that in 

 the inferior view there appear four condyloid eminences, and a fifth, 

 counting the metatarsal element. The latter metatarsal piece of the 

 tarso-metatarsus is relatively of fair size. 



In small forms such as that I am dealing with, where there is 

 great difficulty in instituting accurate comparisons with other skele- 

 tons, oftentimes but partially cleaned, the proportional lengths of 

 the segments acquire paramount importance. The Tables I have 

 constructed subserve better than lengthened verbal comparisons. I 

 regret the want of a diminutive Motmot skeleton. I could have 

 added a series of measurements and their proportions of the limbs of 

 Merops, GalLula, &c, in my possession, but believe the genera now 

 given sufficient for my purpose. 



] . Absolute lengths of the long bones of the extremities, in decimals 

 of an inch, in Todus and some of its supposed allies. 



The mode of measurement of the above is the same I have adopted 

 in the Kingfishers (I.e. p. 53), where I state: — "In estimating the 

 extreme length of the wing the radius has been excluded, and the 

 sum of the other bones added together to obtain the approximate 

 results. With the exclusion of the fibula the leg's length has been 

 similarly reckoned. Concerning the ulna's long diameter the olecra- 

 non process has not been included, nor has the depending outer 

 process of the metatarsus been taken into account. These extra pro- 

 cesses, so to speak, exceed the actual jointed leverage of the individual 



