OF DENISON UNIVERSITY. 1 3 



ThQpelvis is papery and yet very complete. The obturator fissure, 

 separating the ischium 2iX^A pubic moiety of the pelvis is divided into an 

 elongated posterior and smaller circular anterior foramen. The ilio- 

 siatic foramen is quadrate, with rounded angles. The pubic bone is 

 produced into a slender curved process, as usual in this group. The 

 femur is .91 long and nearly straight and requires no description. 



The tibia is a symmetrical straight bone, 1.30 long, while the fibula 

 is nearly free from it and is about half its length. In the skeleta of 

 adult birds,, such as those before us, it is useless to attempt to distin- 

 guish the tarsal bones which unite with its epiphyses, thus forming the 

 tibio-tarsiis, nor yet the composition of the succeeding segment of the 

 leg, the tarso-i?ietatarsLis. The latter is .80 long and is furnished with 

 a strong process ("calcaneal,") behind, which is at present causing so 

 much discussion. The subdivision at the distal extremity into the 

 four metatarsals is distinct. The first of these, the hallux^ is provided 

 with a separate matatarsal, the accessorius, which is quite large and de- 

 scends to the level of the other united metatarsals. The phalanges 

 of the hallux are two in number, the first being very large, .32 long. 

 The claw borne by the following phalanx is the strongest on the foot. 

 The second toe has three phalanges, the third, four, and the shorter 

 fourth, five, as is the case in all of the present group of birds. 



Such a bare description as is above given of points in the osteology 

 of a species of bird, is of little value, except as furnishing a basis for 

 comparison with others of its own and other groups. Such a com- 

 parative study we cannot at present attempt, but may, perhaps, profit- 

 ably note some points of difference between the present species and 

 others of its own family, Fringillidae. Quite at the other extreme 

 of the family may be found the genus Pipilo, which is represented in 

 our region by the Chewink or Ground Robin, P. erythropthalmus, 

 a bird of singular appearance, in some points resembling the Orioles, 

 while mimicking the habits of the Brown Thrush. A comparison with 

 this species then may be expected to give us the limit of divergence in 

 structure within the family, and those points which are identical in 

 both may, with some probability, be assumed to be of family, ordinal 

 or class rank. 



The skull is of very different form, but the differences are 

 chiefly those accompanying the reduction in the size of the beak, 

 which in the Chewink is slender, almost Icterine. This slender point- 

 ed beak does not extend backward so far as in the true Finches, but 



