OF THE PALATE OF THE NEOGNATH SA. 347 
the size of the maxillo-palatine processes, they begin to come 
into contact with the palatal process of the premaxilla: the one 
touching the other by the tip only. The shifting forward of 
the palatine and vomer is a feature of great importance, as 
thereby an approach is made towards the Neognathine palate. 
The approximation of the palatines to the palatal process of the 
premaxilla is another Neognathine feature. 
Some confusion seems to exist, even now, as to the nature of 
the palate in the Struthious birds. Thus, in so recent and 
authoritative a work as the‘ Dictionary of Birds’ (article Skull) 
the palates of Struthio, Apteryx, and the Crypturi are said to be 
Schizognathous, whilst the palate of Dromeus is described as 
Desmognathous. Now Huxley, who introduced these terms, added 
yet another—Dromeognathous, for the special purpose of 
expressing the fact that the palate of certain “ Carinate ” birds— 
the Crypturi—was Struthious in type, and could not therefore 
be included amongst his Schizognathous forms. 
The palate of the Paleognathz might be described as Desmo- 
gnathous; but certainly there are no members of this group in 
which it is Schizognathous. It would be better to adopt the 
term Huxley coined for the Crypturi—Dromzognathous. This 
form of palate is not Desmognathous in the sense in which 
Huxley used this term. 
In the Dromeognathous palate the palatines never meet one 
another caudad, in the middle line, and never overlap the 
palatal process of the premaxilla anteriorly. The pterygoid is 
never segmented, and consequently is never free, but is 
immovably united with the vomer, vomer and palatines, or 
palatines only—as in Struthio. 
We may now pass on to consider the peculiarities of the 
Neognathine palate, and the changes which it undergoes within 
this group. This, indeed, is the avowed purpose of the 
present contribution. At the same time, so far as is possible, 
we shall attempt to show how the Neognathine has arisen out 
of the older Paleognathine form. 
The Neognathine form may be briefly characterized as that 
in which the palatines meet one another in the middle line, 
caudad. If, for working purposes, we confine our description to 
adult skulls, we might define the Neognathine skull, in all but 
a few cases to be dealt with presently, as that in which the 
