330 



MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON 



[Apr. l.T, 



I shall now proceed to direct attention to certain points in the 

 skull, some of which I have not seen referred to elsewhere. 



Skull. 



As to the temporal fossae, Prof. Parker contrasts the Kagu on the 

 one hand with Anthro/wides, Balearica, Fsophia, Eurypijga, Ocydro- 

 mus, and (Edicnemus on the other. 



Psophia and R/ii/wchetus appear to me rather as the two exlreines 

 which are connected by various intermediate types as follows : — 



FsopJiia. 

 (Ediaiemns. 

 Aramus. | 

 Grus. V 

 Fulka. ] 

 Oc/jdromus. 

 -Eur>/Pi/(/n. 

 Rkinochetus. 



In Eurypyga the temporal fossae more nearly approach each other 

 on the occipital face of the skull than in any other type except the 

 Kaiiu. 



In Psophia, as in most of its allies, the postorbital angle and the 

 postfrontal process are one. 



Fig. 1. 



Side view of skull of I'sophia leiccoptcni. 



In the skull of Rhinochetus examined by myself, it seemed to me 

 that this was not the case, and that the original (?) separateneas of 

 the two processes was just visible. This appears to be confirmed by 

 the fact that the two are quite obviously distinct, though both are 

 small, in Eurypyga helias, a bird unmistakably allied to Rhinochetus. 

 Something of the same kind occurs in many Liniicolce. 



The muxillo-pulatines are comparatively large and swollen and 

 are quite visible when the skull is regarded from below, as they 



