1876.] MR. A. H. GARROD ON THE ANATOMY OF COLIUS. 417 



notus I have taken special care ; and I find that the bird, as will be 

 seen by the drawing which I exhibit, is without doubt desmogua- 

 thous. Moreover, as the desmoguathism apparently depends on 

 the fusion of the feebly developed maxillo-palatine plates across 

 the middle line as well as with the ossified nasal septum, it should, 

 according to the valuable nomenclature of Prof. Parker *, be 

 termed direct (of the first variety), as in the Falcons. It is not, 

 however, possible to determine with certainty from the adult skull 

 (from mine at least) whether the nasal septum has intervened 

 between the maxillo-palatines, as in the Eagles, Vultures, and Owls, 



Palate of Colius castanonotus, X 2i. 



and as it is in the Alcedinidse, because in them there is a demon- 

 strable interval between the free posterior ends of these plates, the 

 intermediate septal bond but incompletely uniting them. A slightly 

 more extensive ossification in this region would reproduce a Parrot's 

 palate in that of the Coly. 



Next, with reference to the vomer, the result of carefully watch- 

 ing the skull during maceration, and of a minute inspection of the 

 palate in the prepared specimen, convinces me that that bone is not 

 ossified. In thus lacking the vomer, Cotius and Alcedo agree. 



The sternum of my specimen closely resembles that figured by 



* Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. is. p. 2f»3 



