276 PROFESSOR W. K. PARKER ON THE 
best medium type, this species!. This strong skull corresponds with that of the types 
just described; and so also does the upper face specially: it is that of a feebler 
Grosbeak. 
The straight strong pterygoid has a long epipterygoid hook; and, as in the Wax- 
bills, the spatulate fore end is ankylosed to the palatine and mesopterygoid. The 
sharp interpalatine spikes (Plate L. fig. 7, ¢.pa@) run backwards into coiled postpalatine 
plates ; the ethmo-palatines, ankylosed to the vomer (e.pa, v), are of great extent. The 
transpalatine (fig. 8, ¢.pa) is bilobate ; the prepalatine (pr.pa) is intermediate between 
that of Coccothraustes and Estrelda, being articulated externally, and ankylosed inside. 
The vomer (figs. 7, 8, v, n. w, 7. a. 1), grafting itself freely on the inturned lamina and 
upon that part of the nasal wall which runs into the alinasal turbinal, has two pairs of 
ear-like processes on each side. The fore edge of the vomer is deeply emarginate 
by arounded notch; and the horns therefrom arising have a lesser horn on them— 
a falcate plate of bone, the-septo-maxillary (s.m2). 
The jugum is semiarticulated with the maxillary, the maxillo-palatine processes of 
which are bands of bone, flat and elbowed proximally, and then spreading into a flat 
foot with a ribbed “sole,” lying near to and almost parallel with its fellow; each 
inner edge is gently arcuate. The septum nasi, whose alate part rests upon the mass 
of the scooped premaxillary, is largely ossified in old age; and from it bony matter runs 
into the anterior alinasal floor. The rest of the labyrinth (turbinals and ale nasi) is 
scarcely calcified. The two nerves pass through one short oblique chink, as in the 
Grosbeak. The ecto-ethmoid and pars plana are like those of Hstrelda, save that the 
“foot” is more developed, but shows only a slight sign of the os uncinatum. Here, 
again, in five skulls, one of them of a fledgeling, I see no lacrymal. 
I find, however, a small lacrymal in the Canary bird; it is a little prickle on the 
top of the hinder edge of the descending crus of the nasal. 
Example 54. Skull of Skylark (Alauda arvensis). Family Alaudide. 
Group Oscines. 
Habitat. Great Britain. 
As in its digestive organs, so in its skull, the Lark is close to the Finches, and wide 
apart from the Sylviw. My description is made with a dozen skulls of this kind before 
me, of various ages; and these have been examined and compared with related types 
of skulls many times, and during many years; yet, the twentieth time, this skull strikes 
the eye as very Sylviine. 
The pterygoids are straight and slender, but stroug; they have scarcely any epi- 
pterygoid snag, but give off a flat process from the middle of their outer edge. The 
‘ For the development of the palatal elements in the Fringillide, see Trans. Linn. Soc. ser. 2, Zool. vol. i. 
p. 104, tab. 21. 
