352 



the nervus vagus and glossophargyngeus. The os petrosum is di- 

 stinguished by a spheroid flat bulla ossea, which is quite different 

 from that in some Mammals, being there the ossified cavum tym- 

 pani, here a part of the vestibulum ; it is very thin and transparent, 

 so that the calcareous concrement may be seen. The upper part of 

 the cranium is as broad as the os basilare is expanded ; from the 

 broad united ossa parietalia and frontalia suddenly projects a narrow 

 long bone, situated between the nostrils, parallel with the ascendent 

 processes of the intermaxillary bone, and nearly reaching the sym- 

 physis of the intermaxillary bones. This is formed by the frontalia 

 anteriora ; and there is in front a vestige of a suture, perhaps of for- 

 merly-separated nasal bones. The edge of the maxillary and inter- 

 maxillary bones is sharp ; and the latter are provided with very long 

 and narrow ascending processes. There are nine vertebrae, the second 

 with hammer- like, the third and fourth with long cylindrical diapo- 

 physes ; that of the sacral vertebra is moderately dilated, triangular, 

 and flat, and joined with the ossa ilea by a much-developed cartila- 

 ginous symphysis. The scapula is not notched on the inner edge ; 

 the bones of the extremities are distinguished by their shortness 

 and by the large size of their condyles. There is no processus 

 xiphoideus. 



The contents of the stomach consisted of a great many excessiveh 

 small beetles, some lumps of earth, and small pieces of stick. I 

 suppose that the animal catches those insects by stretching out the 

 tongue, as some other animals do. In this action small particles 

 of earth, &c. adhere to the tongue. The lumps of earth found were 

 balled together only in the stomach, being too large to have passed 

 the narrow cleft of the mouth * . 



2. A FEW REMARKS ON THE HABIT AND ECONOMY OF THE 



Brown-Capped Pomatorhintjs (P. ruficeps, Hartlaub). 

 By G. Krefft. 



The range of this bird does not appear to be a very extensive one ; 

 it was first discovered in the Polygonium Flats bordering the Murray 

 River and its backwaters ; but on the Darling they were not found 

 so plentiful. Their favourite haunts are clusters of dead box timbers, 

 and scrubby flats studded with salt bush, &c. 



This bird is remarkably shy, and so cunning, that in almost all cases 

 it will evade pursuit by running into some scrubby bush, and hide 

 there till the danger is over. Its power of flight is exceedingly mo- 

 derate, and closely resembles that of the brown Tree-creeper. 



* M. Salle, to whom science is indebted for the discovery of this strange animal, 

 writes in a letter, " Je sais hien pen de choses sur le Rhinophrynus dorsalis; il 

 vient des terres chaudes et temperees de l'Etat de Vera Cruz ; on le trouve dans 

 la terre et assez profondement enfonce, quclquefois a un pied on deux ; il parait 

 y vivre, il a des mouvements ties lents et il est tres mou, ce qui fait, que les in- 

 digenes le designent dans des endroits sous le nom de Sapo sin hueros (Crapaud 

 sans os) ; je ne sais pas comment il peut s'enterrer ni de quoi il se nourrit." 



