43 ox THE ANATOMY OF SCTTHBOPS NOV^E-HOLLANDI^. [Feb. 1 



anteriorly between these bones (see fig. 2), while they diminish 

 instead of slightly increasing in diameter from behind forward. 

 Finally, the pterygoids are not expanded in other Cuckoos in a 

 vertical direction at their junction with the palatines, and the 



Fig. 2. 



Skull of Eudynamis. 

 A, OS uncinatum ; P, palatine. 



maxillo-palatines are incompletely fused behind. The lacrymal 

 bones in ScytJirops are large, the descending process nearly reaching 

 the jugal : between the descending limb of the lacrymal and the 

 massive ectethmoid process is an intercalated bonelet — the os 

 uncinatum, duly referred to by Parker. I have found these bones 

 also in Eudyn'amis^ {cf. figs. '6 & 4, p. 49), where they are larger 

 than in (my specimen of) ScytJirn23s and very neai'ly reach the 

 palatines. Shufeldt has denied their existence in Geococc>/.v ". 



Auiong the other genera of Cuckoos that I have examined it is 

 only Eudi/namis and certain other American genera (viz. Crotoplmga, 

 Guira, Diplopterus, and Geococcyx) that have a massive descending 

 process of the lacrymal. 



In SaurotJiera and in other Old World genera ' this process is 

 short, or, if long, a slender style. 



Scythrops has fourteen cervical vertebra, of which the last three 

 bear ribs progressively increasing in size, those on the 12th being 



' I take this opportunity of mentioning that Eudynamis has better rudiments 

 of basiptei-ygoid processes than any Cuckoo which I have examined, except 

 Bhinococcyx. This is noteworthy in view of the possibly archaic characters of 

 the Phoenicophainse with complete muscular formula of leg and tracheo- 

 bronchial syrinx. 



- " Contributions to the Anatomy of Geococcyx californianus," P. Z. S. 1886 

 p. 488. 



' ? as to Ccniropus. 



