1903.] - OSTEOLOGY OF THE CUCULIFORMES. 259 
the palatines are cut away so as to expose the parasphenoidal 
rostrum. & 
The Occipital Region. 
The plane of the occipital foramen slopes obliquely backwards ; 
the orifice is either reniform or cordiform. In the obliquity of 
this foramen the Cuculiform skull differs conspicuously from many 
Coraciiform skulls wherein the foramen looks directly downwards, 
its vertical axis lymg parallel with the long axis of the skull. 
The supra-foraminal ridge is but ill-defined, but can be indistinctly 
traced running downwards, on either side, into the processus ale 
occipitalis. 
The lambdoidal ridge in the Cuculiis generally well-defined and 
bluntly conical in outline. In some genera, e. g. Crotophaga, 
Centropus, Guira, Rhopodytes, Rhinococcyx, and Sauwrothera, rts 
extremities bifurcate, sending forward an anterior band across 
the inferior border of the squamosal to terminate in a pointed 
squamosal prominence overhanging the quadrate; and a posterior 
branch, which turns downwards and backwards to disappear on 
the free edge of the lateral occipital. Where the lambdoidal 
ridge is well- -developed, the cranial roof, lying immediately in 
front, is more or less flattened, often, indeed, marked by deep 
temporal fossee. 
In many genera the lambdoidal ridge is much less distinct. 
This occurs where the cranial roof is str ongly arched so as to rise 
above the ridge with a strong curve, and Rae as fossee are 
wanting or confined to the sides of the cranium, e.g. Coua, 
Cacomantis, Chrysococeysx. 
The supraoccipital region is marked by strong muscular depres- 
sions, which in the case of Cowa, for example, take the form of 
widely- separated oval scars, each surrounded by a swollen border ; 
whilst in others, as in Budynama ys, these depressions are only 
divided in the middle line by a narrow ridge, and are bounded 
infero-laterally by slightly swollen bull produced by the lateral 
occipitals. 
The lateral occipital wing is produced downwards on either side 
into a small or medium-sized processus ale exoccipitalis inferior 
(paroccipital process). 
In the Musophagi the lambdoidal ridge is fairly well-defined in 
Schizorhis, but only very imperfectly so in T'uracus. 
The ridge in Schizorhis is formed by the scooping-out, so to 
speak, of the supraoccipital to afford depressions for the insertion 
of the cervical muscles. On either side, and inferior to these 
depressions, are two rather conspicuous bull lodging the posterior 
and horizontal semicircular canals of the ear. The distal ends of 
the lambdoidal ridge terminate before reaching the free edge of 
the lateral occipital wing. The processus ale exoccipitalis inferior 
is only feebly developed. 
The lateral or exoccipital wings are not greatly developed in 
the Cuculiformes. 
