42 MR. W. P. PYCRAFT ON THE [May 2, 
Menuride and other Passeriform types, owing to lack of material. 
Such a comparison I believe would be valuable. 
So far, the peculiar squamosal of the Eurylemide resembles 
most nearly, among the Coraciiformes, that of the Capitonide. 
But the likeness is but general, and seems to point to the Capi- 
toniform type as being the more primitive. Herein, this element 
is roughly quadrangular in type, but has the antero-dorsal angle 
produced into a point, which, however, does not extend on to the 
frontal. Its mesial border is, indeed, exactly coterminous with the 
external lateral border of the parietal. The alisphenoid in this 
skull is prominent and forms a large triangular block fitting into 
the deeply concave anterior border of the squamosal on the one 
hand, and overhung by the postorbital region of the frontal on 
the other. The postorbital process appears to be formed in part 
by the alisphenoid, and in part by the frontal. The squamosal 
takes no part whatever in its formation. These relations can be 
seen in the skull of Calorhamphus. 
The resemblance to the squamosal of the Passeriformes is close, 
but is of a kind such as to leave little doubt but that this element 
in the Eurylemid is much the more specialised: a fact which is 
somewhat surprising, and is at the same time not without 
significance. 
Comparing the squamosal of Hurylemus ochromelas with that 
of the Rook (Corvus frugilegus), it will be found that in the latter 
this element is of considerable size, conical in form, and rises 
superiorly to overlap the frontal as in Hurylemus. The base of 
this cone is broad, and its postero-internal angle is produced 
backwards and inwards to form a wedge between the parietal and 
lateral occipital. 
It is from a squamosal of this type that the squamosal of Hury- 
lemus has been derived. This evolution has resulted in a much 
greater extension of the base mesiad, between the parietal and 
exoccipital, and in the lateral reduction of the body of the bone so 
as to transform the sometime cone into a xiphoid shaft springing 
from a broad base. These changes will become the more apparent 
by a reference to fig. 1 a, Pl. IT. 
The nasal varies considerably in form in this group. Unfor- 
tunately, I have not material at my command which will enable 
me to make a comparison of the early stages of growth of these 
several varieties. 
The lachrymal is not yet ossified. 
The premaailla apparently lacks palatine processes. What appear 
to be vestiges of these seem rather to be ossifications of the mem- 
brane forming the floor of the anterior region of the nasal chamber. 
This point can only be solved by a further examination of well- 
preserved material. 
The masxilla appears to be unusually large in the skull, but the 
decalcification caused by the formalin in which this specimen was 
preserved has almost obliterated the premaxillary and quadrato- 
jugal sutures, 
