238 DR. H. GADOW ON THK [Mar. 15, 



3. CASUARII. 



Australasian. 



Maxillo-palatines large, fused with vomer and premaxilla. 

 Vomer long, articulating with palatines and pterygoids. 

 Hallux absent. Front toes with claws, middle phalanges 



shortened. 

 Procoracoid process small. Clavicles rudimentary. Tibia 



without bony bridge. 

 Aftershaft very large. Caeca small, functional. 



4. APTERTGES. 



New Zealand. 



Maxillo-palatines as in Casuarii, but vomer fused with 



palatines and pterygoids. 

 All the four toes well developed, with claws. 

 Procoracoid process rudimentary. No clavicles. Tibia with 



bony bridge over extensor tendons. 

 Aftershaft absent. Caeca large. 



.5. DINORNITHES. 



New Zealand. 



Palate as in Casuarii. Hallux variable. 



Whole shoulder-girdle and wing fragmentary. 



Procoracoid process rudimentary. Tibia with bony extensor 



bridge. 

 Aftershaft very large. 



6. iEPYORNITHES. 



Madagascar. 



Hallux present. Tibia without bony extensor bridge. 



2ud Division. NEORNITHES CARINATiE. 



This division comprises all those Neornithes to which the sum cf 

 characters descriptive of the Ratitse does not apply. 



As a rule the Cariuatae are described as birds possessed of a carina 

 sterni ; an acrocoracoid process; separate scapulae and coracoids, 

 which form an acute or a right angle ; complete furcula ; ischiadic 

 foramen ; single-headed quadrate ; a vomer which is not fused with 

 the neighbouring bones of the palate. 



The existence of such forms as Orypturi, Didus, Ocydromus, 

 Stringops, Hesperomis, &c., does not permit the employment of these 

 characters to differentiate the Cariuatae from the Ratitae. These 

 are reasons sufficient to contest the validity of these two divisions, 

 which are, however, retained more for the sake of convenience than 

 on the ground of demonstrable facts. 



7. COLYMBIFORMES. 



Cosmopolitan. Aquatic. Nidit'ugous. Zoophagous. 

 Scbizognathous. No basipterygoid process. Nares per- 

 vious. 



