886 DR. R. W. SHUFELDT ON THE OSTEOLOGY OF THE [DeC. 1, 



Fig. 8. Comilmna glareosa, p. 855. 

 9. Thalcra ohnwpta, p. 855. 



10. Ephi/ra fluidaria, p. 856. 



11. Idma (jrandindaria, p. 858. 



12. Macaria boaria, <S , P- 8fil. 



13. Zanclopferyx infclix, p. 858. 



14. Hyria volutaria, p. 858. 



15. IdcBCi idaaria, p. 857. 



16. Asthena querula, p. 859. 



17. tristicula, p. 859. 



Plate LVII. 



Fig. 1. Pyralis rohorealis, p. 865. 



2. Deba milvinalis, p. 875. 



3. larthcza ohstitella, 5 , p. 880. 



4. Charltona Mia, c? , p. 879. 



5. MeUssobhptes dcjjressellns, p. 876. 



6. Metasia candidulalis, p. 880. 



7. Eupithecia hilinea, p. 863. 



8. conscensa, p. 863. 



9. Scopiila fntalis, p. 875. 



10. Arrade massalis, p. 866. 



11. Pyralis qiiisqualis, p. 865. 



12. zisanialis, p. 865. 



13. Botys epastalis, p. 874- 



14. Idaa ckotaria, p. 858. 



15. Enpitliecia tesfacea, p. 863. 



16. Scoparia ictericalis, p. 876. 



17. Pyralis xylinalis, p. 865. 



18. Nephopteryx lentalis, p. 877. 



19. Homoeosoma derasella, p. 877. 



20. Nephopteryx crepieralis, p. 877. 



2. Contribution to the Comparative Osteology of the 

 Trochilidce, Caprimulgida, and Cypselidce. By R. W. 

 Shxtfeldt, M.D., Captain Med. Dept. U.S. Army., 

 M.A.O.U., Meml). Soc. Nat. E.U.S., Memb. Philoso- 

 phical^ Anthropological; and Biological Societies of 

 Washington, &c. 



[Eeceived September 16, 1885.] 



(Plates LVIII.-LXI.) 



As our knowledge of the structure of birds widens, it becomes 

 more and more evident to taxonomists that ornithology nowhere 

 presents a more unnatural order than the PicaricB. Of late years 

 authors candidly confess that the families arranged under this head 

 constitute merely a provisional grouping, though at the same time 

 the classification as it now stands must be retained until such light 

 as morphology brings to bear is sufficiently strong to disperse this 

 artificial assemblage and relegate its members to their several and 

 normal positions in the system. 



So far as our American avifauna is concerned, it has always 



