276 PROFESSOR W. K. PARKER ON THE 



best medium type, this species ^. This strong skull corresponds with that of the types 

 just described; and so also does the upper face specially: it is that of a feebler 

 Grosbeak. 



The straight strong pterygoid has a long epipterygoid hook ; and, as in the Wax- 

 bills, the spatulate fore end is ankylosed to the palatine and mesopterygoid. The 

 sharp interpalatine spikes (Plate L. fig. 7, i.pa) run backwards into coiled postpalatine 

 plates; the ethmo-palatines, ankylosed to the vomer (e.^ar, v), are of great extent. The 

 transpalatine (fig. 8, t.jio) is bilobate ; the praepalatine {pr.pa) is intermediate between 

 that of Coccothraustes and Estrelda, being articulated externally, and ankylosed inside. 



The Tomer (figs. 7, 8, v, n. w, i. a. I), grafting itself freely on the inturned lamina and 

 upon that part of the nasal wall which runs into the alinasal turbinal, has two paii-s of 

 ear-like processes on each side. The fore edge of the vomer is deeply emarginate 

 by a rounded notch ; and the horns therefrom arising have a lesser horn on them — 

 a falcate plate of bone, the'septo-maxillary {s.mx). 



The jugum is semiarticulated with the maxillary, the maxillo-palatine processes of 

 which are bands of bone, flat and elbowed proximally, and then spreading into a flat 

 foot with a ribbed " sole," lying near to and almost parallel with its fellow ; each 

 inner edge is gently arcuate. The septum nasi, whose alate part rests upon the mass 

 of the scooped prsemaxillary, is largely ossified in old age ; and from it bony matter runs 

 into the anterior alinasal floor. The rest of the labyrinth (turbinals and alae nasi) is 

 scarcely calcified. The two nerves pass through one short oblique chink, as in the 

 Grosbeak. The ecto-ethmoid and pars plana are like those of Estrelda, save that the 

 " foot " is more developed, but shows only a slight sign of the os uncinatum. Here, 

 again, in five skulls, one of them of a fledgeling, I see no lacrymal. 



I flnd, however, a small lacrymal in the Canary bird ; it is a little prickle on the 

 top of the hinder edge of the descending crus of the nasal. 



Example 54. Skull of Skylark {Alauda arvensis). Family Alaudidce. 



Group Oscines. 



Habitat. Great Britain. 



As in its digestive organs, so in its skull, the Lark is close to the Finches, and wide 

 apart fi-om the Sylvice. My description is made with a dozen skulls of this kind before 

 me, of various ages ; and these have been examined and compared with related types 

 of skulls many times, and during many years ; yet, the twentieth time, this skull strikes 

 the eye as very Sylviine. 



The pterygoids are straight and slender, but sti'oug ; they have scarcely any epi- 

 pterj'goid snag, but give ofi" a flat process from the middle of theu- outer edge. The 



' For the development of the palatal elements in the Fringiliidoe, see Trans. Linn. Soo. ser. 2, Zool. vol. i. 

 p. 10-1, tab. 21. 



