290 Bitl. W. p. PYCRAFT ON THE [^W- 15, 



In the Vultiu'es the vomer appeai-s to be wanting, save in 

 GypaettfjS, whei'e it is large. In Neophron and Gypohierax vestiges 

 remain, and it may be that these traces ai'e lost in maceration in 

 other skeletons. In the remaining Accipitres it is either vestigial 

 or wanting. 



The podatine perhaps more nearly resembles that of Cariama 

 than any othei-. It extends forwards as far as or slightly beyond 

 the level of the external narial apertures, running beneath the 

 maxillo- palatine process. It increases gradually in width from 

 before backwards, I'eaching its maximum expansion at a point 

 immediately below the prefrontals. From this point backwards 

 it comes into relation with the parasphenoidal rostrum ; the palatine 

 of the right and left sides combining to form a nari'ow, very 

 shallow trench, gliding up and down the rostrum with the move- 

 ments of the facial appaiutus. That portion which is connected 

 with the rostrum is somewhat scroll-like in form, the free anterior 

 edge of the sci'oll passing downwards and forwards into the mesial 

 border of that portion of the palatine which is continued forwards 

 to terminate below the maxillo-palatines as a rod- or rather strap- 

 shaped blade. Seen fi-om below, it would seem as if the scroll- 

 shaped region of the expanded palatine plate were caused by a 

 grooving out of substance of the palatine itself, causing a deep 

 median trough, bounded on either side by a sharply- defined ridge 

 repi'esenting the mesial border of the palatine, e. g. Elanus and 

 /Serpentarius. In other Accipitres, in varying degrees, this ridge 

 projects downwai'ds and foi-ms a more or less conspicuous keel. 

 This keel is especially sti-ongly marked in the Falconidee. 



The pterygoid in the lower forms, e. g. tSerpentarms, Gathartes, 

 bears an articular surface for the basipterygoid process. In the 

 Accipitres it forms either a cylindrical or twisted rod- shaped 

 bone. The adult palato-pterygoid articulation is of the typical 

 Neognathine type in all but Pandion. In Pandion the anterior 

 end "^ of the pterygoid is Y-shaped, the external fork of the Y 

 articulating with the external postero-lateral angle of the palatine. 

 This is, so far as I am aware, a quite unique f eatui-e ; but never- 

 theless a quite secondary charactei', and in no way comparable to 

 the forked pterygoid of Apteryx. 



The maxillo- jugal bar in the Cathartfe furnishes some interesting- 

 matter for study, in certain peculiar features connected with its 

 antei'ior end. These features may be traced through a series of 

 stages gradually increasing in complexity, and associated with a 

 gradually developing fronto-nasal hinge. 



In Gathartes {G. aura) this bar, when it reaches the middle of 

 the lachrymo- nasal fossa, splits into a long inf ei-ior dorso-ventrally 

 depressed lamella and a superior shorter rod-shaped portion, 

 which extends forwards to within a short distance of the maxillary 

 process of the premaxilla. [In one skull (1186 6) in the Museum 

 Collection, on the left side, the terminal poi'tion of this maxillary 

 process, it should be mentioned, is segmented off to form a very 

 small separate triangular ossicle.] 



