266 PROFESSOR W. K. PARKER ON THE 



accurate form appears prone between these arcuate bars (fig. 7). The anterior emar- 

 gination of the vomer is semicircular, the inferior edge of which has a rim like the 

 rim of a cup ; and in front it is somewhat carinate. But above (fig. 8) it becomes 

 subtubular by the sudden inbend of its high sides ; these intumed plates end sharply 

 behind, diverge in front, and stop suddenly at the thick septo-maxillary region — a 

 compound tract, formed by osseous substance affecting the " intumed alinasal lamina." 

 Beyond these comua the nasal wall is only feebly calcified ; but the septum nasi (s. n), 

 which is narrow, is largely ossified. Where the vomer reaches the " intumed lamina," 

 a small separate ossicle can be seen above, and at the side, further forwards, another ; 

 these are septo-maxillary ossicles added to the endosteal deposit of that part of the 

 nasal labyrinth. 



But that which induces me to illustrate the Cardinal's skull at this point is the pos- 

 session by it of the largest " palato-maxillary" bones seen in any bird (Plate XLVIII. 

 figs. 7 »& 8, f.mx). Here, by comparison of this palate with that of a large Finch, 

 such as Coccothraustes (Plate L. fig. 1), it will be seen how thoroughly independent 

 this bone is of the prsemaxillary. It is pupiform, and takes up considerably more than 

 the middle third of the contiguous palatine, to the flexuosity of which it is accurately 

 adapted. This bone, thickest behind and blunt-pointed at both ends, is a thick slab, 

 with diploe inside ; but I can find in it no pneumatic passage. 



Example 44. The skull of Icterus, sp. 1 Family Icteridse. Group Oscines. 



Habitat. South America ] 



In the Cow-Buntings we have a type from the hotter parts of America, which is 

 verj' interesting in relation to the Virginian Cardinal and the others of its family, and 

 also to the ordinary Buntings (" Emberizidse ") and that Chilian genus Phrygilus, 

 which evidently represents them in another hemisphere. 



Nor can they be considered to be unrelated to the Starlings (Stumidae) ; yet whilst 

 these differ from the larger " Corvidse " in ha^'ing a small lacrymal, in the Icteridse 

 this is large and corvine, as in many South-American Passerines. The skull of the 

 common Starling is altogether lighter and more springy, and has a peculiarity seldom 

 seen outside the Duck family, namely a pair of distinct " interpalatine " bones (Trans. 

 Linn. Soc. ser. 2, Zool. vol. i. pi. 20. fig. 12). 



The skull of the species of the Icteridse, Cardinalidse, and Emberizidse (including 

 Phrygilus) shows a most close conformity ; in these types it differs from that of the 

 Starling in being (1) thick, stout, and FringilUne, (2) in possessing well developed 

 palato-maxillary bones (which are not present in Sturnus), and (3) in not possessing 

 distinct interpalatine bones as in that type. Moreover all these families are American, 

 except the main part of the Emberizidse ; and these very birds are the most divided off, 

 by special morphological characters, from the great Fringilline group. That remark.- 



