SKTJLL or THE ^GITHOGNATHOTJS BIEDS. 265 



the subterminal part, and united at their folded part to form such a symphysis as is 

 common in visceral arches. 



The prsenasal bar grew during incubation, and for some time afterwards, forwards 

 from the recuiTent part. 



Example 43. Skull of Virginian Cardinal (Cardinalis virginiana). Family Cardinalidae. 



Section Oscines. 



Habitat. Virginia. 



This type has been put here both for comparison and to show contrast ; it is as 

 massive as some of the more Southern American kinds are delicate. The pterygoids 

 (not given in the figui-e) are, in this genus, straight, moderately strong, and furnished 

 with a long epipterygoid. The palatines (Plate XLVHI. figs. 7 & 8) are very 

 strong, and are well provided with postpalatine keels, each ending in an inter- 

 palatine spike {pt.pa, i.pa). The large backwardly growing transpalatine {t.pa) is foli- 

 aceous, and lies on a lower level than the rest of the bone ; eacli grows obliquely 

 inwards as an isthmus, the lower lamina of which is of moderate extent, whilst that 

 which forms the ethmo-palatine [e.pa) is very broad and shell-like, where it passes 

 into the crura of the short broad vomer (v). 



Looking at the palatine apparatus from above (fig. 8, pt.jpa) we see that the post- 

 palatine groove is formed of two distinct parts until we reach the shell-like ethmo- 

 palatines ; there the vomerine crura and the palatines are all ankylosed together into 

 a very elegant two-winged tract, from which the U-shaped vomer springs. In front, 

 the prsepalatine bars are flat planks of bone, that converge until they come nearly 

 together — a key-stone process from the median palatal region of the preemaxillary 

 (here a very solid rostrum) binding them into one mass. Into this mass the pi-aepa- 

 latine bar can be traced for some distance in the old birds ; here the rostrum is bent 

 upon the skull with great abruptness, although it is much more than a right angle 

 (135°). Yet here, and above, the cranio-facial hinge is formed by elastic splints, 

 and not by any separation of the bony elements. 



The maxillary {mx) is overlapped by the thick downturned angle of the praemaxillary 

 {d.px) ; and to this the jugal is joined by a direct hinge without a joint-cavity. The 

 front part of the maxillary is thick ; but within it flattens and passes to the palatine. 

 It joins the praemaxillary by ankylosis ; and its jugal process {j.mx) is a fiat-pointed 

 plate lying on the inner edge of the jugal [j). At the point where the maxillary 

 reaches the prsepalatine bar, it sends inwards and backwards its inwardly bowed max- 

 illo-palatine process {mx.p) ; this is a flat band of bone which runs over the palatine, 

 is bound strongly, in its course, to the outer edge of the two-horned vomer, and has 

 at its free extremity an elegant cup or ladle, the opening of which looks forwards, and 

 is made at the expense of the inferior face. 



The vomer is supported on these two arms of the maxillary ; and much of its most 



