1900.] SHUFELDT—OSTEOLOGY OF THE WOODPECKERS. 601 
Passing to the mandible of Dvryodates, it is seen to have the 
common V-shaped pattern of the Pici generally, with its symphysis 
rather deep, with its posterior angular processes well-marked, and 
with quite a sizable ramal vacuity in either of its rather vertically 
deep rami. 
As has already been stated above (in the table quoted from Mac- 
gillivray’s synopsis in Audubon), the hyoidean apparatus in Dryo- 
éates (Picus), in so far as its skeletal parts are concerned, is typi- 
cally picine, and when the ends of the thyro-hyals arrive as far as 
a point opposite the light nasal bone they curve, and thence on 
pass nearly round the outer rim of the right orbit. The ear-bones 
I have not especially examined in this species, but they probably 
very closely agree with what Mr. Parker found in other Wood- 
peckers, and on this point I have quoted him above. With re- 
spect to the sclerotals of the eye, I find them in Dryodates quite 
like what we have given above for the Pileated Woodpecker and 
other forms. 
This is all I have to say in the present place about the skull and 
the osseous structures more or less nearly associated with it in the 
Pict, so that next we will pass to the consideration of the remain- 
der of the skeleton in this group of birds. Our remarks upon the 
skull were led in by an examination of that structure in the genus 
Colaptes, so back to Colaptes we go for material upon which to base 
our remarks upon the trunk and appendicular skeleton. 
ON THE SKELETON OF THE TRUNK AND LIMBS IN THE Woop- 
PECKERS. 
Upon examining the vertebree of the vertebral column of a 
specimen of Colaptes mexicanus at about the time the bird quits 
the nest, we find that there are nineteen of these bones between 
the skull and pelvis, which is the same as we will hereafter find in 
all true passerine types. 
These vertebre in the young Co/apées ossify from the same num- 
ber of centres, and after the same fashion as they ossify in all of 
the higher groups of birds. Zez more vertebrz seem to enter into 
the formation of the pelvic sacrum ; and, excluding the pygostyle, 
six more free ones compose the skeleton of the tail. Later on we 
will allude more particularly to these segments of the entire spinal 
column, and the peculiarly formed one that terminates the chain 
behind. ‘The pelvis at this age still faintly shows the sutural traces 
