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VIIL. On the Axial Skeleton of the Pelecanide. By St. Grorce Mivarr, E.RS., 
F.Z.S., Professor of Biology at University College, Kensington. 
Received March 27th, 1877. Read May Ist, 1877. 
[Puates LV. to LXI.] 
In selecting the above-named group as the one to succeed that the axial skeleton of 
which formed the subject of a previous communication to this Society’, I have thought 
it well to take Pelecanus as my type and standard of comparison, first comparing it, 
as regards its axial skeleton, with Struthio and the other Struthionide, and then 
comparing the other Steganopodes with it and with one another. 
The osteology of Pelecanus was very briefly described by Mr. Eyton in his ‘ Oste- 
ologia Avium,’ p. 219, with a figure of the entire skeleton (pl. 71), and with figures 
of the pelvis and sternum (pl. 38. no. 2). It has been described with more detail 
by Brandt, with figures of the entire skeleton, of the sternum, and pelvis (table vii.), 
in the ‘Mém. de l’Acad. Imp. des Sc. de St.-Pétersbourg, 1840, 6th series, Sciences 
Mathématiques, Physiques et Naturelles, tome v. seconde partie, Sciences Naturelles, 
tome iii. p. 141. 
PELECANUS. 
The materials I have been able to make use of for the examination of this genus 
are :— 
The mounted specimen, No. 1167, of P. onocratalus, disarticulated skeletons 
Nos. 11688 and 1168 c, and a sternum, all in the collection of the Royal College of 
Surgeons. 
A disarticulated skeleton of P. rufescens, lent me by the kindness of Professor 
Garrod, F.R.S. 
A mounted skeleton of P. mitratus, No. 70. 3. 30.1; another of P. onocratalus, 
No. 527A; two other mounted skeletons unnamed, Nos. 64. 12. 20. 1 and 67. 7. 8. 4 
respectively; and a disarticulated skeleton, No. 65. 5. 3. 12,—all in the British 
Museum. 
The total number of vertebre in this species seems generally to be 42, without 
counting the pygostyle’. 
’ Read on the 17th of November, 1874. See ante, p. 1. 
2 In P. mitratus in the British Museum there are but 40 vertebre in all, there being but 3 lumbar and 
5 caudal. In Nos. 67. 7. 8. 4. and 5274 there are but 41 vertebrie, there being but 3 sacro-caudals, 
VOL. X.—PART VII. No. 1.—August 1st, 1878. 2x 
