1901.] 



W ATOMY OF RHYXCH.EA. 



593 



arrangement. These differences are correlated with different 

 habits in feeding. 



Text-fig. 61. Text-fig. 62. Text-fig. 63. 



!'( 



Text-fig. 61. — Extremity oi' bony bill of Scolopax rusticnla. X 3. 

 Text-fig. 62. — „ ,, Tringa canuttu. X 3. 



Text-fig. 63. — „ ,. Rhynchaa capensis. 



On the ventral aspect of the skull various features call for notice. 

 The shape of the foramen magnum is as in Tringa, Scolopax, and 

 OaTlinago ; it is, that is to say. somewhat heart-shaped, the pos- 

 terior margin being bayed out between the occipital foramina at 

 the sides. It is interesting to notice that in Hydro-phanawus there 

 is, just above the foramen magnum, a small perforation which seems 

 to possibly represent in a rudimentary way this baying out of the 

 foramen magnum itself; it cannot be, I think, a vestige of the 

 lateral occipital foramina. The latter are well developed in 

 Khynchaa as in all typical Limicolines, with, as it appears, the 

 occasional exception of Machetes 1 . 



1 Shufeklt state- Ui:it the occipital foramina are absent in Hamafopus.vrhile 

 Forbes assertt their pretence. In view of this conflicting testimony, 1 maj 

 remark th&l in one or two examples of //. ottralegw the foramina were pi 

 , d conspicuous ; in the other they were represented by minute perforations, 



which might re;idi!v he missed. 



