SKULL OF THE AGITHOGNATHOUS BIRDS. 289 
in this specimen, from its being a captive. ‘The maxillo-palatines have been injured ; 
their pedicle is straight (m.p); that contiguous part of the maxillary is broader than 
in Panurus, but runs on into the rostrum in a similar manner. ‘he hinge, above, 
does not even show the notch in the outer edge of the nasal, as in Panurus. The 
premaxillary has a better median process; but the palatine processes are indistinct. 
Altogether, we lack here the strong cultrate dentary edges to the premaxillary, and 
the rostrum is very much like that of Muscicapa grisola, although neither so long nor 
so wide and gaping. 
The whole nasal labyrinth, in front, is soft; and I miss the large ale (tr, s.n) to the 
base of the septum; they are much less developed. Palate for palate, this is most like 
that of the Australian Sittel/a (Plate XLVII. fig. 6), a form in which I find the syrinx 
imperfect, and which zoologists class with the Paride. If S%ttedla belongs to the 
Paride, Liothrix must be related to them; it has at any rate a vomer in their style; 
whereas Sittella has a four-banded vomer, like that of the Mniotiltide and their allies 
in Central America, the Muscicapine Petroice of Australia, and our native Bushchat 
(Pratincola). The ecto-ethmoid of Liothria differs from that of Panurus in that the 
outer emargination is shallower and the nerve-chink smaller; there is here also neither 
os uncinatum nor lacrymal. 
My observations lead me to think that the position of Sittella is more doubtful 
than that of Panurus or Liothrix. It is easy to exclude these latter types from the 
Paridz ; but it is not so easy to include the former. Cyclorhis and, still more, Suthora 
have reason to hold with the Paride. 
Example 62. Skull of Whinchat (Pratincola rubetra). Family Saxicolide. 
Group Oscines. 
Habitat. Great Britain. 
Amongst the modifications shown amongst our native soft-bills, this is one, to me, 
of the most interesting ; for in no other is the vomer so manifestly “ tetramerous”—an 
evident sulcus dividing off the sides, that are belved downwards gently from the ascending 
moieties of the subcarinate median part (Plate LIL. fig. 11, v, s.mx). I have just men- 
tioned this structure as occurring in the Central-American and Australian tenuirostral 
Passerines, and haye already striven to show its great morphological importance. In 
all other things this bird approves itself to be typical, its palate and skull showing no 
important modification of what is seen in numbers of native soft-bills. 
Example 63. Skull of Pied Wagtail (Motacilla yarrelli). Family Motacillide. 
Group Oscines. 
Habitat. Great Britain. 
The extremely delicate and elegant skull of this little bird well deserves a lengthened 
description; but its facial region is introduced here because of certain exceptionally 
