1903.] OSTEOLOGY OF THE CUCULIFORMES. 279 
The furcula has long, round, slender limbs, gently arched. 
There is a moderately long and styliform hypocleideum in Geo- 
coccyx, Coua, Rhamphococey yx, and Piaya, for example. In Croto- 
phaga it is spatul: ite. In Centropus, Cuculus, Hudynamys, and 
Cacomantis it appears to be of a degenerate spatulate type; 
whilst in Seythrops the hypocleideum appears to be wanting. 
The nature of the combination of the elements forming the 
inner wall of the foramen triossewm—the acromion of the scapula, 
the procoracoid, and the free end of the clavicle—may prove, 
when exhaustively worked out, to have some slight value from a 
systematic standpoint. I propose, however, here to offer only a 
few remarks, selecting a few genera as examples. 
In Cuculus, Scythrops, Cowa, the whole free end of the furcula, 
passes up cephalad of the acromion of the scapula and separates the 
latter from the procoracoid. In Guwira, Geococcyx, Rhamphococcyx, 
Rhinococeya, Rhopodytes, the acromion turns forwards so as ne: rly 
to join the procoracoid, and forms an opposing surface to the free 
end of the clavicle, which accordingly turns forwards to terminate 
ina point wedged in between the acromion and procoracoid. Cro- 
tophaga vesembles Guira in this respect, but the free end of the 
clavicle is much broader and the articulation with the procoracoid 
more developed. In Centropws the acromion and acrocoracoid 
meet and embrace, as in a wedge, the styliform free end of the 
slender furcula. The procoracoid, which is large, does not come 
in contact with the scapula. 
No two of the genera, however, exactly agree, but the differences 
between them are too slight to be described in words. 
The coracoid of the Musophagi, though closely resembling that 
of the Cuculi, is yet readily distinguishable therefrom by the fact 
that the procoracoid turns downwards and outwards to fuse with 
the acrocoracoid, thus encircling the foramen triosseum with a 
continuous bar of bone. The procoracoid is large and passes 
insensibly backwards into the coracoid shaft, and there is a 
supracoracoid foramen. The processus lateralis is well developed, 
and directed outwards and upwards into a point. In the region 
where the pro- and aecrocoracoid fuse there is an elongated facet 
for the articulation of the fureula. The procoracoid, however, 
appears to take the greater part of the share in furnishing this 
surface. On the dorsal or internal aspect of the coracoid there is 
developed a special articular surface for the dorsal lip of the 
coracoid groove of the sternum. 
The furcula has relatively shorter, broader, and more laterally 
compressed limbs than in the Cuculi. A hypocleideum is wanting. 
The dorsal extremity bears a special projecting facet for articu- 
lation with the procoracoid. 
The scapula resembles that of the Cuculi, but is relatively 
slightly broader and has a large acromial process. 
The pro- and acrocoracoid meet and fuse one with the other, thus 
excluding the furcula from participation in the formation of the 
foramen triosseum. 
