202 



ON THE CUBITAL COVERTS OF BIRDS. 



[Apr. 6. 



Lastly, come two birds whose wings I cannot refer satisfactorily to 

 any one of the groups above described. One is the Osprey 



Fi-. 35. 



Gi/pogeranus. 



(fig. 37 )j whose wing seems to occupy an outlying position some- 

 where between the style of the Pygopodes and that of the Accipitres. 

 The other is represented by Pernls apivorus : several stuffed speci- 

 mens of this bird showed the posterior row of cubital coverts lapping 

 distally, somewhat as in the Ciconiine birds, and there were in 

 addition some minor differences of less importance. Stuffed birds, 

 at the best, afford data of a very untrustworthy character in this 



particular ; but on laying my difficulty before Mr. Gurney, who had 

 some Honey-Buzzards alive, he courteously replied by sending me 

 from the Norwich collection a skin that showed the feathers disposed 

 as they were in his own living birds. This agreed exactly with the 

 style observable in the stuffed birds, and differed from all the other 

 Accipitrine birds as herein limited. Perhaps the nearest repre- 

 sentative style is that presented by some of the Peristeropods, as, 

 for example, Crax. 



In regard to any conclusions connected with taxonomy that may 

 be drawn from a study of the facts herein referred to there will 

 probably be much difference of opinion. The facts themselves may 

 be, in general, easily verified by a careful stud}' of healthy living 



