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VI. On the Morphology of the Gallinacece. By W. Kitchen Parker, F.B.S., F.Z.S., 

 late Hunterkm Professor of Comparative Anatomy and Physiology, Boyal College 

 of Surgeons. 



(Plates XXII.-XXV.) 



Eead 3rd April, 1890. 



Contents. 



Page 



I. Introduction 213 



II. Skull and Visceral Arches of Chick (Stage 1) 215 



III. The Vertebral Chain of Chick (Stage 1) 216 



IV. Chick (Stage 2) 218 



V. Embryo of rjiasianvs versicolor and of Common Fowl (Stage 3) 218 



VI. Sacral vertebra of Quail's Chick (Stage 6) 220 



VII. Vertebral Chain of last stage (adult Fowl) 220 



VIII. Sternum and Shoulder-girdle of Chick (1st Stage) 221 



FX. Sternum and Shoulder-girdle of Chick (further Development up to Adult) 223 



X. The Wing of Chick and Fowl 225 



XI. Hip-girdle and Hind Limb of Chick 226 



XII. Morphology of Turnix rostrata, juv 236 



XIII. Vertebral Chain of Turnix rostrata, juv 237 



XIV. Pelvis and Hind Limb of Tumix rostrata, juv 238 



XV. Summary 239 



XVI. List of Abbreviations 242 



XVII. Description of the Plates 243 



I. — Introduction. 



ONE of my earlier papers on the Morphology of Birds deals with the skull 

 of the Common Fowl (Phil. Trans. 1869, plates 81-87, pp. 755-807). In a later 

 paper {ibid. 1888, plates 62-65, pp. 385-398) I have described the wing in the 

 phasianine division of this family, and in my memoir on the " Shoulder-girdle and 

 Sternum " I have described those parts (Ray Soc. 1868, plate 16, pp. 182-184). The 

 present paper treats of the spine and the hind-quarters mainly of the Common Fowl, 

 and partly, also, in some allied types, the most important of which is the " Button-Quail," 

 or Hemipod, a type which is dying out, and is manifestly intermediate between the 

 typical Fowls and the semi-strutliious Tinamous. The Common Fowl will always be a 

 convenient and most useful bird to the biologist, whatever part of the organization is the 

 subject of research ; and in this special field — Morphology — he who knows the Fowl 



SECOND SERIES. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. V. 33 



