264 PKOrESSOE W. K. PAEKEE ON THE 



Example 40. Skull of Geothlypis trichas. Family Mniotiltidse. Section Oscines. 



Habitat. Barbadoes. 



A third specimen, type of a third genus of this family, shows on the whole the same 

 amount of specialization. 



Its maxillo-palatine (Plate XLVIII. fig. 3, mx.p) is a very narrow, decurved scoop, 

 with a curiously bulbous handle. It is worthy of notice that in these small forms 

 the vomer is as large, relatively, as in the Struthionidae. 



Example 41. Skull of Chlorophanes atricapilla. Family CcerebidBe. Section Oscines. 



Habitat. Central America. 



In this bird the transpalatine is much longer, and the interpalatine feebler (fig. 4, 

 t.pa, ipa), the palatine isthmus is narrower, the maxillo-palatines (nix.p) less pedate, 

 the recurrent cartilage (re. c) shorter, and the trabecular base of the septum nasi (tr., 

 s. n) has wider and shorter alse. The palato-maxillaries {p.mx) are equally distinct, and 

 the ecio-eih.mo\A% {e.eth., p. p) as large and as spongy. It is evident, then, that the 

 Ccerebida? and the MniotiltidEe are near of kin. 



Example 42. Skull of Vireosylvia olivacea. Family Vireonidae. Section Oscines. 



Habitat. Panama. 



In this larger and more strongly built skull the pterygoids are arcuate forwards, 

 and the epipterygoid hook is long (Plate XLVIII. fig. 5, pg., e.pg). The ptery- 

 goid is separate from the palatine, and has yielded up the usual mesopterygoid seg- 

 ment to that bone. The postpalatine ridges are well developed, and end in a stout 

 blunt interpalatine spur as in the last described type {pt.pa., i.pa) ; but in this kind 

 the prsepalatine is broader, the transpalatine bilobate {pr.pa., t.pa), and the palato- 

 maxillary is not apparent. There is no evident pneumatic opening into the maxillo- 

 palatines (figs. 5 & 6, mx.p), which are large, dentate, pedate, and possessed of a 

 thickened inner margin. The large vomer is emarginate, clearly four-membered ; and 

 the points of the outer pieces (s.mx) project beyond the cleft between the posterior 

 crura. Two more smaller ossicles appear upon the under surface of the intumed 

 cartilage [i. a.l) ; and these, with the side piece, make three centres corresponding to the 

 lacertian or ophidian septo-maxillary. 



The nasal wall {n. w) only gains the palatine region behind ; so that the large alinasal 

 turbinal {a.tb) is freely unveiled below. The expanded subterminal region of the 

 trabeculse forms a long leafy base to the septum nasi, which is only thickened behind 

 [tr., s. n) ; this narrowed part projects below the alate tract. But the most instructive 

 part is the recurrent cartilage (re. c), which is very large and ends in two rods, which 

 are the actual distal ends of the trabecular bars, normally turned backwards under 



