330 PEOF. W. K. PARKER ON ^GITHOGNATHOUS BIRDS. 



narial roof and floor, and a much more definite two-toothed transpalatine region. The 

 roof-plate, or ethmo-palatine (e.jm), has lost its highly arched form, and has become more 

 typical ; it coalesces with the vomer. The prsepalatine bars are narrow behind, flatter 

 in front, and bowed like those of Pachyrhani])lms (PI. LVII. fig. 4); their apparent 

 width in front is partly due to their coalescence ^nth the palatine process of the prse- 

 maxillary. That bone, the maxillary, and the jugal are all ankylosed together. The 

 maxillo-palatine processes {mx.p) are of great interest, as they retain the non-peduncu- 

 late shape of the low types, and are large, broad-based, pointed knives of bone, less 

 typical, indeed, than those of the " Formicariidse " and " Dendrocolaptidse." They are 

 like those of Lanms, but simpler (PI. LVIII. figs. 3 & 4, and PI. LXI. figs. 3 & 4, mA-.j)). 



Example 17. Elainea , sp. ? 



Habitat. Barbadoes. Group " Tracheophonas," Miiller ; family " Tyrannidae." 



In comparing together the skulls of an old Lanius colhtrio, a young first-summer bird 

 of the same species, and an adult Elainea, I saw clearly that I had before me three 

 clear morphological strata (see PI. LXI. figs. 1, 3, 4). The likeness in the fashion of 

 these three palates, and their measurable degrees of difference, are neither fanciful nor 

 accidental. If I can show that the skull of Lanius is, morphologically considered, a 

 further metamorphosis of a Tyrannine type of skull, and that of Tyrannas the modifi- 

 cation and ornithic improvement of a Cotingine type, then surely there must be some 

 common root for all these. Below the Cotinga comes the Hemipod, and below the 

 Hemipod the Tinamou and the terricolous Ratitm ; and here we have ground-leaves, 

 stem-leaves, bracts, calyx, and- corolla to our fanciful bird-tree : the metamorphosis is 

 real, however expressed in words. 



The basitemporal region in Elainea is bat-shaped, and the well-shaped rostrum is of 

 moderate size, and without basipterygoid processes (Pi. LXI. fig. 1, b.t, pa.s). 



The cranio-facial hinge is perfect, and is bounded by bone both before and behind ; 

 that in front is a well-formed thoroughly bony nasal septum (figs. 1 & 2, s. oi). This 

 vfall runs, in front, into the two recurrent laminae (re. c) ; it is then alate for the fore- 

 most half, and the hinder part of the base is alate also where the nasal nerves run. 

 The posterior part of the alse nasi is ossified ; and the bony matter runs inwards above 

 and in front of the maxillo-palatine process as the inturned lamina (fig. 1, i. a. I). The 

 vomer (figs. 1 & 2, v), where it has utilized the vomerine cartilages and part of the 

 alinasal cartilage, is formed of two swollen divergent lobes, each of which is open outside, 

 (fig. 2), the hollow cavity vsdthin having a gaping air-passage. The rest of the double 

 bone is flat and quite normal ; no remains of the suture exist between the subsidiary 

 septo-maxillary and the true vomerine piece. The thick spongy ecto-ethmoids are well 

 seen above, have a straight outer mai-gin, a huge common foramen above, and are scarcely 

 pedate below. 



The lacrymal (fig. 2, I) is pedate, and also shows a good face in the frontal region ; 



