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V. On the Osteology of Gallinaceous Birds and Tinamous. By W. K. Parker. 



Read November 25, 1862. 



[Plates XXXIV.-XLII.] 



Introduction. 



IN the present paper my proper work is to throw some light upon the affinities of the 

 Gallinaceous birds, both among themselves and in relation to the surrounding groups. 

 The main part of the difficulty of my task lies, however, in the determination of the 

 relationships of certain border-groups, viz. the Sand-Grouse, the Hemipodes, and the 

 Tinamous. This cannot be done without an intimate acquaintance with the structure 

 of the grallatorial tribes, whether low and unspecialized, as the Ostriches, or more 

 defined, special, and typical, as the Plovers, Cranes, and Bustards. Then the position 

 of all these families of birds in the great class itself can only be known by a faraiharity 

 with the conditions of structure to be seen in the highest and most specialized types ; 

 and these are not to be found on the side of the running, wading, swimming, or diving 

 birds, but on that side of the class which, as it were, rises upwards from the walking, 

 hopping, and perching birds, viz. Fowls, Pigeons, Crows, and Finches '. 



If the whole class could be worked out anatomically and embryologically, family by 

 family, genus by genus, and species by species, then a perfect classification might be 

 made : until then all our attempts will be mere approximations. Undoubtedly much 

 has been done by the zeal and talent of the numerous cultivators of this most fascina- 

 ting branch of zoology ; yet at present the structure of birds is rather a neglected than 

 a well-cultivated part of anatomical science. Whilst demanding a more perfect acquaint- 

 ance with the morphology of birds, I am not in the least inclined to undervalue the 

 study of their dermal structure and general outward characters, still less to under- 

 rate the importance of a most minute acquaintance with their habits. All these 

 things work together for the good of ornithology ; the mind, however, will not rest in 

 these outward things, and a knowledge of the skeleton, the nervous system, the diges- 

 tive, respiratory, and vocal organs becomes a great desideratum. A knowledge of the 

 latter structure — the vocal apparatus — is of the utmost importance to those who would 

 appreciate the Bird as compared with the Mammal, the Reptile, and the Fish. Perfection 

 of these structures is a correlate of the highest condition of the great nervous masses ; 

 and the whole life of the upper bird-groups answers to their high endowments of struc- 



' Although the true arboreal birds are all "altrices," yet the water-birds are not all "prsecoces"; the 

 " Cultrirostres " and " Totipalmatae " hare their young feeble at the time of hatching, and very rapid in their 

 growth. 



