Affinities of Smithornis. 501 



Muscicapiclse the least so ; but even where least marked, the 

 characteristic shape is unmistakably seen. It seems to be 

 a special development by which the little bone is made to fit 

 more perfectly to the cartilage of the throat. In other 

 orders of birds the tip of the urohyal has no flat margin, 

 but is a little rod or point, often slightly bent to one side. 

 In the tongue of Smithornis, the tip of the urohyal is rod- 

 shaped and not flattened at the edges. 



Podotheca. — The covering of the metatarsus in Smithornis 

 (Text-figure 8, B) is difi^erent from that found in normal 

 Passeres, in that there are no horny plates or scutes on the 

 posterior part, but only horny granulations or tubercles 

 situated, on the hinder edge. Six or seven large scutes in a 

 single row form the covering of the front of the metatarsus ; 

 between these and the granulations behind, on either side, 

 is bare skin. 



Toes — The second and third toes have most of the first 

 joint united by a web. The third and fourth toes are firmly 

 united as far as the distal end of the second joint of the 

 fourth or the middle of the second joint of the third, and 

 loosely united by a web a little farther. 



After shaft. — Not the least interesting fact discovered with 

 regard to the birds under consideration, is the seeming 

 absence of any aftershaft to the feathers. On examination 

 of feathers from birds of all three species of Smithornis, no 

 aftershaft — not even a rudimentary one large enough to be 

 seen without a microscope — has been found. 



Fterylograjjhy oj the Wing. — The number of the remiges 

 is not peculiar in Smithornis. There are, on the cubitus, 

 nine, and in some cases — perhaps regularly in some species — 

 a tenth small one near the elbow-joint ; there are eleven 

 (Text-figure 8, A) on the manus, that is, ten functional ones 

 and the remicle. The remicle, in a number of specimens of 

 S. camarunensisj was found to vary much in length, but to 

 average about 5 millimetres ; in two specimens of >S'. sharpei 

 it measured 5 or 6 millimetres ; in two of S. rufolateralis, 

 2 or 2*5 millimetres. 



Of the wing-coverts, only a peculiarity in the relative 

 lengths of the major upper coverts is to be described. The 



