MR. W. K. PARKER ON THE OSTEOLOGY OF BAL^ENICEPS REX. 



341 



true hsemophyses. In typical birds the sternum is ossified from five centres ; and this 

 extreme expansion of hsemal spines, by pairs of lateral, with an intercalated central 

 carinated piece, is the exact counterpart of the so-called neural spines of the skulls in 

 certain mammals — e. g. : the Hyaena, Badger, &c. 



Upper Extremities. (PI. LXVI. fig. 1.) 



Before proceeding to describe the bones of the extremities, we insert a table showing 

 the comparative lengths of the arm, fore-arm, hand, thigh, leg, shank, and toes (in inches 

 and lines) in various birds. 



n a 



0) 3 



j3 





J^ 



■2 , ^ 



to o "S 



i-3 J3 



o -a 

 a, ■- 



^ a 



J3 +- 



Balceniceps rex 



Cancronia cochlearia . . 



Ardea cinerea 



Leptoptilus argala. . . . 

 Pkcenicopterus ruber . . 



Fulica atra 



Parrajacana 



Podiceps riibricoUis . . 

 Pelecanns onocrotalus 

 Phalacrocorux carbo . . 

 Diomedea exulans .... 

 Apteryx australis .... 



Dromanis ater 



Cypselus apus 



Trochilus colibris .... 

 Himantopus melanopterus 



in. I. 

 9 3 



3 



6 

 12 



7 



3 



1 



4 U 

 12 



6 3 

 15 8 



1 10 

 3 9 



6 



^ 



2 6 



in. 1. 

 10 10 

 4 2 



3i 

 2 9 



in. 1. 

 5 



2 4 



3 3 

 5 10 

 3 4 



in. 1. 

 U 

 4 5 

 7 2 

 16 10 

 11 8 



4 

 3 

 4 

 7 

 5 



9 8 

 6 7 

 17 

 1 1 

 7 

 5 1 



in. 1. 



8 10 



2 11 



5 5 

 12 8 

 10 



2 



2 



2 



4 



2 



4 



3 



in. 1. 

 3 3 



3 

 3 

 6 

 5 

 2 

 8 

 6 

 



14 8 



6 



3 



4 6 



2 2 

 1 6 



in. 1. 

 4 7 



1 8J 



2 rt 



4 2 

 2 5 

 2 5 



2 1. 



1 11 



3 1 



2 1 



5 8 

 1 10 



3 6 

 5 

 3 



1 4 



in. I. 

 6 3J 



in. 1. 



5 n 

 1 ii| 



2 11 



4 8 



6 10 

 2 8 

 5 6 



5t 



4 



1 6 



For a description of the structure of the bones of the upper and lower extremities in 

 birds, the reader is referred to that invaluable little book in ' Orr's Circle of the Sciences,' 

 The Skeleton and the Teeth,' by Professor Owen, page 222. Notwithstanding 



viz 



the variety there is in the relative proportions and comparative strength of these parts, 

 there is a truly wonderful uniformity of structure in the bones of the limbs ; so that 

 Professor Owen considers them to be merely " teleologically divided appendages of the 

 occipital and pelvic vertebrae." As compared with the size of the head, the strength of 

 the cervical vertebrae, and the great development of the sternal apparatus, the bones 

 of the limbs in this young Balaeniceps have a somewhat delicate and feeble appearance. 

 To say nothing of the very strong wing and leg-bones of the larger Storks, the Balaeniceps 

 has these parts relatively weaker than those of the Grey Heron. The Boat-bill {Can- 

 croma) and the Umbre {Scopus) appear to be about equal in this respect (considering 

 their size) to the Balaeniceps. The anterior articular head of the humerus (PI. LXVI. 

 fig. 1 h), the upper and lower crests (the latter with its interna! pneumatic foramen), 



VOL. IV. PART VII. 3 B 



