SKULL OF THE AGITHOGNATHOUS BIRDS. 265 
the subterminal part, and united at their folded part to form such a symphysis as is 
common in visceral arches. 
The prenasal bar grew during incubation, and for some time afterwards, forwards 
from the recurrent part. 
Example 43. Skull of Virginian Cardinal (Cardinalis virginiana). Family Cardinalide. 
Section Oscines. i 
Habitat. Virginia. 
This type has been put here both for comparison and to show contrast; it is as 
massive as some of the more Southern American kinds are delicate. The pterygoids 
(not given in the figure) are, in this genus, straight, moderately strong, and furnished 
with a long epipterygoid. The palatines (Plate XLVIII. figs. 7 & 8) are very 
strong, and are well provided with postpalatine keels, each ending in an inter- 
palatine spike (pt.pa, ¢.pa). The large backwardly growing transpalatine (¢.pq) is foli- 
aceous, and lies on a lower level than the rest of the bone; each grows obliquely 
inwards as an isthmus, the lower lamina of which is of moderate extent, whilst that 
which forms the ethmo-palatine (¢.pa) is very broad and shell-like, where it passes 
into the crura of the short broad vomer (v). 
Looking at the palatine apparatus from above (fig. 8, pt.pa) we see that the post- 
palatine groove is formed of two distinct parts until we reach the shell-like ethmo- 
palatines ; there the vomerine crura and the palatines are all ankylosed together into 
a very elegant two-winged tract, from which the U-shaped vomer springs. In front, 
the prepalatine bars are flat planks of bone, that converge until they come nearly 
together—a key-stone process from the median palatal region of the premaxillary 
(here a very solid rostrum) binding them into one mass. Into this mass the praepa- 
latine bar can be traced for some distance in the old birds; here the rostrum is bent 
upon the skull with great abruptness, although it is much more than a right angle 
(135°). Yet here, and above, the cranio-facial hinge is formed by elastic splints, 
and not by any separation of the bony elements. 
The maxillary (mz) is overlapped by the thick downturned angle of the premaxillary 
(d.px); and to this the jugal is joined by a direct hinge without a joint-cavity. The 
front part of the maxillary is thick; but within it flattens and passes to the palatine. 
It joins the premaxillary by ankylosis; and its jugal process (j.mx) is a flat-pointed 
plate lying on the inner edge of the jugal(j). At the point where the maxillary 
reaches the prepalatine bar, it sends inwards and backwards its inwardly bowed max- 
illo-palatine process (map) ; this is a flat band of bone which runs over the palatine, 
is bound strongly, in its course, to the outer edge of the two-horned vomer, and has 
at its free extremity an elegant cup or ladle, the opening of which looks forwards, and 
is made at the expense of the inferior face. 
The vyomer is supported on these two arms of the maxillary; and much of its most 
