1889.] ON THE ANATOMY OF PICARIAN BIRDS, 587 



Dalgleish, and pointed out its resemblance to that of the Geese 

 (Anser). The egg was one of a clutch of four taken in October, 

 1873, by Mr. E. Gibson (as described, 'Ibis,' 1880, p. 166) near 

 Cape San Antonio, Buenos Avres. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. Contributions to the Anatomy o£ Picarian Birds. — Part I. 

 On some Points in the Structure of the Hornbills. By 

 Frank E. Beddard, M.A., F.R.S.E., &c. 



[Received October 5, 1889.] 



Under the above heading I propose to offer to the Society a series 

 of notes upon the structure of IPicarian birds which may form a 

 parallel series to the valuable communications upon Passerine birds 

 by Prof. Garrod and Mr. Forbes published in the ' Proceedings ' of 

 this Society. 



The anatomy of the soft parts of the Hornbills has not been 

 much studied, excepting as regards those points which were made 

 use of by Garrod in his scheme of Bird-Classification ; further 

 details are, however, to be found in Gadow's work upon Birds ^, 

 and in Max Fiirbringer's recently published monograph upon the 

 shoulder-girdle and muscles of Birds ". 



Visceral Anafomy. 



The Z/rer-lobes present some differences in different Hornbills. 



Commencing with Bucorvus abyssiniciis, in which tlie right lobe 

 is larger than the left, the series terminates with Buceros coro?iatits, 

 in which the left lobe is larger tlian the right. The following table 

 shows the relations of the liver-lobes in such Hornbills as have been 

 examined ^. 



Bucorvus ahyssinicus. II >L. 



Aceros nipatensis. Il>L. 



Buceros biconiis. Il>L. 



Sphagolobus atratus. R > L. 



Bycanistes subcylindricus. R > L. 



Buceros plicatus. R=L. 



Buceros rhinoceros. R=L. 



Buceros coronatus. K < L. 



I have noticed a peculiarity in several species of Hornbills which 

 is not found in all other birds. In all birds the two lobes of the 

 liver are com.pletely separated from each other by the umbilical 

 ligament, which bears the umbilical vein (this appeared to be 

 particularly large and well developed in all Hornbills which have 



^ Bromi's 'Klassen und Ordnungen des Thierreicbs,' Bd. vi. 

 ^ ' Uiitersuchungen zur Morphologie und Systematik der Voge].' 

 ^ The greater part of these observations are to be found in MS. notes of 

 Garrod and Forbes. 



39* 



