310 DR. H. GADOW ON THE INTESTINAL [May 21, 
The Ratite are a very heterogeneous group, because of the great 
diversity in the length and arrangement of the main gut and in the 
development of the ceeca. In none of these birds has it come to the 
development of closed and well-defined loops of the mid-gut (with 
the exception of the duodenum). In this respect they represent 
the lowest type amongst the recent birds; to connect them with the 
Reptiles would, however, be a far-fetched and futile attempt. Their 
connections with recent Carinate are distant. Nearest of them to the 
latter comes Apteryx through more’ defined loops, and the Crypturi 
seem to represent the link. The Gallinz stand more distant. All the 
Ratite agree with each other in having the second loop right- 
handed, and the third left-handed ; this is a feature which occurs again 
only in the Crypturi, Gallinze, Opisthocomus, and in the Cuculide. 
The Galline form a well-defined group ; lowest among them stand 
the Neotropical Wood-fowls, and it is through them that they lead 
towards the Crypturi. The Galline have also an unmistakable 
resemblance to Opisthocomus and thence to the Cuculide. 
The Turnices, to which belongs undoubtedly Pedionomus, are 
traceable to a Ralline or low Gralline stock, with assumed plagio- 
ccelous characters of the second loop. 
The periccelous assemblage is large. It is typically represented 
by the Gralle, of which the Limicole and the Rallide form the 
principal groups. However, the configuration of their intestinal 
folds as well as numerous other characters separate these two groups 
sufficiently to give them equivalent rank. 
The Rallide, to which belong the Alectorides, are connected with 
the Turnices, more distantly with the Crypturi, and still more so with 
Apteryx. Dicholophus is in all points a Gruine form, like Psophia, 
and cannot be separated from them. hinochetus contains Ralline, 
Limicoline, and Ibis-like features ; the only bird which it resembles 
somewhat closely in its very peculiar intestinal convolutions is Podica. 
The Limicole agree with the Laride, and also with the Columba, 
in all essential points. Each of these three groups contains a number 
of forms which lead in an unbroken series from the typically peri- 
ceelous birds with four alternating loops to the typically mesogyrous 
birds. Most Columbe and Laridze are mesogyrous; Sterna and 
its allies represent periccelous or lower forms. Neither granivorous, 
nor insectivorous, nor piscivorous habits have exerted any appreciable 
influence upon their intestinal convolutions, although of course the 
stomach and the ceeca are affected. The presence of the crop of the 
Columbe is repeated in the grauivorous limicoline genera Adtagis and 
Thinocorys. 
It is interesting to note that Limosa and Numenius are both low 
Limicole, and that Mumenius approaches in various ways the Ibises, 
whence of course a continuous line can be traced into Platalea and 
Pheenicopterus on the one hand and into the Pelargi proper on the 
other. 
Rather different from the Limicole are the Pteroclide. They 
have four loops, which are all closed, left-handed, é. e. isoccelous, 
and straight; the second and fourth loops have their apices turned 
