172 MR. W. K. PARKER ON THE OSTEOLOGY 



the toes, is more than half the length of the middle toe. There is no spur, as in the 

 other " Cracinse." 



The pelvis is like both that of the Talegalla and of the Curassow, being smoother 

 than in the Fowl ; but the preacetabular spur is longer than in Crax. Anteriorly the 

 ilia are more expanded than in Talegalla and Gallus ; but this is a Cracine character : 

 posteriorly the ilia are suddenly truncate and flat, very different from the same part in 

 Gallus, and more so than in Ci-ax and Talegalla. The postacetabular part of the 

 ilium is still shorter and broader than even in Talegalla ; the posterior outline of the 

 ischium is convex as in Crax, and not concave as in Talegalla. The " ossa pubis " 

 are slender as in Crax, and not strong as in Talegalla. Therefore, although there are 

 leanings in Oreophasis on the one hand to the type-form through Numida, and on the 

 other to Talegalla, yet on the whole the characters belong, in principle, really to the 

 subfamily " Cracinse." 



e. The First Inosculanl Group of " Gallina," viz. the " Hemipodiince." 

 Examples : Hemipodius varius and Hemipodius ? 



It is impossible to determine anything with regard to the skull of the Hemipodius 

 without the most careful examination of the skulls of related species. But these allies 

 are very numerous ; and it is hard to say which of them should be placed nearest this, 

 one of the most " mixed " forms in the whole range of ornithology. 



As instances of the numerous candidates for relationship with the Hemipodius, I 

 may mention the Quail, the Ptarmigan, the little Ground-Pigeon {Chamceopelia), the 

 Didunculus, the Dodo, the Syrrhaptes, the Tinamou and the Plover. Which of all 

 these has the strongest claim upon or is nearest of kin to the Hemipodius we shall 

 only learn by going through a mass of minute detail. 



In speaking upon this subject, I shall have to anticipate certain results of study ; for 

 a considerable amount of minute observation upon the structure and development of 

 the ornithic skull, which at present only exists in drawings and manuscript, will be 

 imperatively called for to clear up difficult points. As I can find but little of what 

 is needed in the published literature upon the anatomy of birds, it is necessary that a 

 large amount of collateral investigation should be made, not only in the class of birds, 

 but also in Ihe other great vertebrate groups. 



Some good will arise out of this apparent evil ; for a more perfect unity will be thus 

 attained, and the extreme difficulty of the task assigned me by the Council of the 

 Zoological Society will act as a stimulus to the prosecution of fresh embryological 

 research, by which alone, and not by splendid a priori theories, can the meaning of 

 a structure be determined. 



It will be well to examine the skull by a " region " at a time, as this for the most 

 part falls in with what is natural, and will harmonize best with the study of those trans- 



