1901.], ATS" ATOMY OP AWASTOMUS. 371 



uiisLiggestive of the riaraingo. It may be noted that the post- 

 frontal process and the process of the squamosal are far from each 

 other as in most Storks : m XenorJujnchus these two processes 

 join. 



In other respects the skull of Anastomus oscitans appears to me 

 to be quite Stork-like. 



Vertebnv. — There are 17 cervical vertebrne as against 18 in Xeno- 

 rliyndius and Tantalus. All Storks that I haA'e examined, except 

 Anastomus and Dissura, possess a catapophysial canal occupying a 

 ■\'arying iiumber of vertebrae. In not having this canal Anastomus 

 agrees with Fhcenicopterus among possible aUies. 



llihs. — 'There are 5 fully developed pairs of ribs, which reach the 

 sternum, and of which the first four are provided Avith uncinate 

 processes. The origins of the last two are overlapped to the pelvis. 

 In front of the series of complete ribs are two rudimentary ribs, 

 of which the first pair are as usual exceedingly small. The 

 vertebra in front of that which bears the latter has very delicate 

 and thus rib-like transverse processes.; but they are firmly ankylosed 

 to the vertebra. On the left-hand side of the body a minute frag- 

 ment represents a posterior pair of ribs. 



The rib-formula of Anastomus may be thus stated and compared 

 Mith some other Storks : — 



Anastomus: r-{-r' ■\-b-\-r. 



Xenorhynclms australis : r-\-r' -\-ll-\--i. 



„ senegaUnsis : r-\-r' + B-[-4-{-r'. 



Tantalus leucocephahis : r-f-r'-l-5. 



Dissura marjuari has five complete ribs. 



The coracoids of Anastomus just overlap at their insertion on to 

 the sternum. Storks dift'er in this feature ; while Tantalus agrees 

 Avith Anastomus, the coracoids of Xenorliynclms and Dissura do not 

 even meet. 



A final point in the osteology of Anastomus to which I desire to 

 direct attention is the proportion of the metatarsals, which are 

 not identical in all these long-legged birds. In the subject of the 

 present communication the second and third metatarsals are nearly 

 of the same length, the middle one being slightly longer as well as 

 slightly thicker. 



In Tantalus the middle metacarpal is very decidedly the longer, 

 and the fourth is even sHghtly longer than the second. 



Ardea has a foot which has diverged in the opposite direction. 

 The second metatarsal is distinctly the longest, and the fourth is 

 much shorter than the third. 



PJioenicopterus agrees with Tantalus in the excess of the middle 

 metatarsal, but the fourth is the shortest. 



