ME. E. DEGEX ON ECDTSIS, 403 



this would be that this bone was probably the carrier of more than that remex VIII. 

 by further including IX. and X. also. 



Inferentially, from their outward order of moult, both VII. and VI. being of digital 

 origin, their position on the first phalanx of digit IV. would require no other altera- 

 tion to my former diagram, except perhaps the cubital remex V. — which, according to 

 its moult, seems to belong to the set of flight-feathers composing Group III. (further 

 shown in the scheme on p. 40'1) — takes up the outermost digital position of digit IV. 

 instead of the most inward metacarpal one to which I then assigned it. 



For exactly the same reasons " carpal remex and covert " become " last metacarpals " 

 of digit III., instead of being, as interpreted previously, " first digitals " of the same 

 finger. It is merely a shifting backward by one place in toto, with the further conse- 

 quence that "cubital remex V." of the specialized Passerine forms requires to be also 

 theoretically included with the remiges (0 carpal remex) I.-IV., our present Group II. 

 and the most distal on the forearm, by means of this disposition. 



Indeed, the greatly vacillating position in the order of its renewal which this flight- 

 feather takes up makes it difficult to determine whether it moults last of Group II. 

 or first of Group III. It seems from four specimens (Nos. 24-27 of diagrams, 

 Plate XXXVIII., left and right wings) that it is connected directly by moult with the 

 remiges of the distal group in Nos. 25 and 26 ; whilst in No. 24 it holds a position 

 strictly intermediate, the new-growth remiges IV. and VI. in the two wings of this 

 specimen having been fully accomplished. Its determination as to new or old growth 

 in specimen 27 being somewhat doubtful (see Table I. parts a & b, and also diagrams K, 

 L, M of Plate XXXVIII.), the latter gives no positive information on this point. 



This slight preponderance in fiivour of its closer association with the distal group is 

 fully counterbalanced by the opposite condition of moult of this remex in specimens 28 

 and 29, which were both received on a later date, namely March 20, and preserved in 

 a dried condition on account of their almost completely finished moult. But the 

 following notes on these, taken down when fresh, will confirm the above: — 



" No. 28, ad. ? , March 20. 



" Eemarkable specimen on account of its white back (albinism or hybrid between 

 G. UMcen and G. leuconota 1). 



" Moult complete with traces of same on wings (both sides) for cubitals V. and VI. 

 Incomplete on dorsal tract." 



And for : — 



" No. 29, juv. ? , March 20. 



" The Uh cubital of the right-side wing a little shorter than corresponding feather of 

 left. The bth cubital apparently the old remex not yet shed." 



By preferring the incorporation of cubital remex V. of the Passerine type of bird 

 with the distad group, we necessarily encroach upon the number of remiges of the 

 middle group, viz. V., VI., & VII., which in this case would reduce this group to only 



VOL. XVI. — PART VIII. No. 8. — May, 1903. 3 l 



