1890.] 



THE STRUCTURE OF PSOPHIA. 



331 



project inwards of the palatines. They differ from those of Grus 

 and Fulica in being convex, and not concave, on the outer side. In 

 these points, Psophia agrees with Chunga and Ocydromus. 



In Rhinochetus and Eanipijga the maxillo-palatines are thin 

 curved plates entirely invisible when the skulls are looked at from 

 below. 



In Numenius, Metopidius, and CEdicnemus their structure is much 

 like that of the last-mentioned genera. 



Aramus connects Grus with Psophia. 



The lachrymal hone in Psophia is large and its descending process 

 is club-shaped and swollen ; it nearly comes into contact with the 

 rather thick prefrontal process of the ethmoid. On the whole it 

 appears to me that this bone is most similar to that of Chunga and 

 CEdicnemus ^. 



In Fulica, Aramus, Ocydromus, Aramides, and Grus tlie descend- 

 ing process of the lachrymal nowhere near touches the piefrontal 

 jirocess of the ethmoid. It becomes fused with it in Parra, Flydro- 

 phasianus, Metopidius, and Numenius. 



The palatines of Psophia, as Parker has remarked ^, come nearest 

 to those of the Cranes ; I find that Aramus (which must be regarded 

 as a Crane), CEdicnemus, and Numenius have palatines which are 

 not unlike those of Psophia and the Cranes. 



Ocydromus, Fulica, Porphyrio, Parra so far differ that the anterior 

 half of each palatine is very much narrower than the posterior. 



Before proceeding to discuss the affinities of Psopliia as indicated 

 by the skull, it will be convenient to clear the ground by contrasting 

 several of the more typical Gralline forms, which have, it appears to 

 me, beeu wrongly associated together. The Cranes do not show so 

 many points of resemblance to the LimicolEe as to warrant their 

 inclusion in the same group, while CEdicnemus, usually assigned to 

 the Limicoiae, differs from both. 



Grits. 



CEdicnemus. 



sion for glands. 



HamatojMs. 



The supraorbital ridges The supraorbital ridges The supraorbital ridges 

 are rounded off and the are sharp and the de- are sharp. Nodepres- 

 impressions for glands pressions for supraor- 

 only just furrow their bital glands are con- 

 margin, spicuous. 



Lachrymal does not join Lachrymal completely 

 ectethmoid. fused with ectethmoid, 



forming a ring ^. 



Occipital foramina present. 



present. 

 Basipterygoid processes present. 



absent ■*. 



Lachrymal articulates 

 with ectethmoid, foi-m- 

 ing a ring ; lachrymal 

 also prolonged so as to 

 nearly reach j ugal. 



absent. 



absent. 



^ In a specimen of CE. bistriatus I found this bone aukylosed with the margin 

 of the orbit. 



2 Loc. cit. p. 509. 



^ I find that Garrod (" On the Anatomy of Aramus scolapaceus," P. Z. S. 187K, 

 p. 275) has laid stress upon this characteristic feature of the Limicoline skull. 



* According to Huxley they are present in Grua virgo. 



