186 MR. W. K. PARKER ON STEATORNIS CARIPENSIS. [Apr. 2, 
the adult. In all cases that I have examined there is, in all young 
birds, a large remnant of the old larval palato-quadrate cartilage, 
the cartilaginous post-palatine ; this is a correlate of the Aigitho- 
gnathous fore palate, and is seen in Swifts. 
Only in a few, just the small family of the Pteroptochide, has the 
sternum four notches on one side; I long ago saw an additional 
notch in the Blue-tit (Parus ce@ruleus) (* Shoulder-girdle and Ster- 
num,’ pl. xvi. fig. 1). 
The “interclavicle” is marvellously uniform in the Passerines ; it 
nearly dies out in some few Australian forms. 
The range of size is considerable, from the Raven to the Nectar- 
bird, but far less than in the Coccygomorphe, if the Humming-birds 
are taken into that group. 
These are a few of the things that show themselves, either 
throughout, or nearly throughout, the Coracomorphe. These 
birds do break down as to their syrinz; both in the Eastern and 
in the Western Notogza there are forms that fail to be true Oscines. 
But these Tracheophonous and Haploophonous types form a very 
small percentage of the whole. 
Such a syrinz as is seen in the vast majority of this huge assem- 
blage of birds is seen nowhere else; nv other bird has an equally 
complex and perfect second larynx; the Parrots come nearest to 
them in this respect; and outside the Passerines the Parrots are 
the highest and most specialized of all existing birds. 
Now if we survey the Coccygomorphe after the “‘Cypselomorphe,” 
* Celeomorphe,”’ and “ Psittacomorphe ” have been taken in, we 
shall, indeed, find a contrast in these two great suborders. 
In the first place this “ mixed multitude ’’ only contains about a 
fourth of the number of the uniform Passerines; but they are fen 
times as polymorphic. 
Taking the characters just mentioned in the Coracomorphe in 
order, we find that the ceca coli are extremely variable; in the 
/Egithognathous Swifts they are suppressed, also in the Rhamphas- 
tidee and Picide; sometimes they are large, as in the Cuckoo and 
Goatsucker. 
The manus shows the interosseous bridge perfect, and completely 
ankylosed with the 2nd and 3rd digit in Picus, Rhamphastos, and 
Alcedo ; in the Swift it is gone, in the Trochilidee it is half as large 
as in the Passerines, and free on its outer edge. 
The pes does not show, in any case that I know of, the five 
tendon-canals ; there is a single canal, as a rule, and this may be 
open behind,—only covered with membrane. 
The palate in this group, instead of being uniform, shows six 
different modifications, namely :— 
1. Aigithognathous—Cypselide. 
2. Saurognathous—Picide. 
3. Schizognathous—Trochilide, Trogonide, Caprimulgidee 
(part). 
4. Indirectly Desmognathous—Coliide. 
