PICI 



187 



rent continuation was a separate bone, which he regarded 

 as the vomer — the vomers thus being paired. 



A few years later a different complexion was given to the 

 subject by a paper written by Professor Gahrod.' He con- 

 firmed Huxley's description of the supposed vomers, but 

 regarded them" merely as the perfectly ossified edge of the 

 imperfectly ossified palatines. This opinion was chiefly 

 based upon the discovery of a small median bone lying 

 between the posterior ends of the palatines {x, fig. 90), not 

 observed by Huxley. This bone, identified by Gareoi> 

 with the vomer of other birds, occupies, 

 as he admits, a somewhat posterior posi- 

 tion, which is parallel, however, as he also 

 points out, at any rate in Megalcema? 



Paeker's paper upon these birds is a 

 long and elaborate one, but contains no 

 reference to that of Garbod. The bone 

 discovered by Gareod is figured and de- 

 scribed as the medio-palatine, and is in- 

 variably figured as distinct from the 

 palatines, between which it lies. Parker 

 adopts Huxley's identification of the 

 vomers, but finds that they are often 

 divisible each into several splints of bone ; 

 the connection with the palatines in front 

 and a median series of bonelets (collectively 

 termed by Huxley the ossified internasal 

 septum) are spoken of as septo-maxil- 

 laries. It may be sometimes noticed — I 

 have observed it in Leuconerpes candidus- 

 ends of the pterygoids, which in the Pici run for a consider- 

 able way over the outside of the palatines, come into actual 

 contact with the commencement of the vomers.' 



Another peculiarity of the woodpecker's skull is the fre- 



' 'Note on some of the Cranial Peculiarities of. the Woodpeckers,' Ibis, 

 1872, p. 357. 



^ See under ' Capitonida,' p. 196. 



' Shufeldt also ('On the Question of Saurognathism of the Pici,' &c., 

 P. Z. S. 1891, p. 122) argues against Huxley's view. 



Ft-., 



Pig. 90. — Skull of 

 Woodpecker {Oeci- 

 nus vvridis). Ven- 

 TBAL View. (Aftee 

 Gaebod.) 



PZ, palatines ; PI, ptery- 

 goids ; X, vomer. 



-that the anterior 



