1888.] 



ANATOMY OF BAL^NICEPS REX. 



28-9 



In a postscript added to his paper Prof. Parker again dwells upon 

 the Ardeine affinities of Balceniceps, quoting the discovery of powder- 

 down patches by Mr. Bartlett. 



Prof. Reinhardti, while admitting that Balceniceps comes nearer 

 to Cancroma than to the Pelicans (to which group it was referred by 

 Mr. Gould), is disposed to think that the resemblances in the beak 

 to the former bird are merely superficial, and that as the middle 

 claw is not pectinated Balceniceps canndt be referred to the Herons. 

 Prof. Reinhardt would associate Balceniceps particularly with 

 Sco2Ms. 



After reviewing the general structural characters of the birds in 

 question, I cannot agree with Prof. Reinhardt's conclusion any more 

 than could Mr. Bartlett. 



Balceniceps agrees with Scopus in many osteological characters, 

 through apparently not more closely than it agrees vrith Cancroma 

 &c. The syrinx also is somewhat like that of Scopus, but differs in 

 certain particulars, such as the absence of the syringeal muscles. 

 The syrinx of Balceniceps, however, agrees equally with other 

 Ardeidas in all these particulars. 



Balceniceps differs from Scopus in having powder-down patches, 

 and only one caecum to the intestine. 



The differences seem to me to be more striking than the resem- 

 blances. I should regard Balcsniceps, in fact, as a rather aberrant 

 Heron, having no near affinities to the Storks nor to Scopus. The 

 following diagram expresses the conclusion with respect to the 

 mutual affinities of the Herodiones to which our present knowledge 

 of the structure of the group appears to me to point : — 



Fig. 4. 



Abdimia. 



Balceniceps. Ardeidse, 



Ciconia. 



Diagram of the Herodiones. 



Scopus, which combines in so many ways the structural charac- 

 teristics of Herons and Storks, probably comes near to the ancestral 

 form of both groups. 



1 " On the AfEnities of Balcsniceps," P. Z. S. 1860, p. 377. 



