136 THE INFANCY OF ANIMALS 



and one at the end of the first finger ; but such cases are 

 rare. In the very young bird, however, we find a passing 

 stage of development which in the fossil archaeopteryx was 

 an adult stage. Herein we find the remains of the second 

 row of wrist-bones. The remains, as is shown on p. 135, 

 take the form of a semi-lunar mass of bone (Dc) applied 

 to the end of the middle palm-bone (Mc2). In the fowl 

 this mass speedily fuses therewith, and so obliterates itself, 

 but in the fossil bird it remained distinct throughout the 

 creature's whole life. 



Here again, a reference to the embryo completes the 

 story ; for this will reveal the presence of two little nodules 

 of cartilage answering each to a wrist-bone, one belonging 

 to the palm-bone of the thumb, the other to that of the 

 third finger. In archaeopteryx, as in living birds, these 

 two bones lost their identity by becoming merged with the 

 larger central mass, which is therefore a compound of 

 three elements, just as is the shaft of the foot or sole- 

 bone of the adult bird of to-day. 



There are some who hold that the daintiest morsel in a 

 roast fowl is the " parson's nose " — there is no accounting 

 for taste. Now, if the roast fowl happen to be that 

 " spring chicken " to which we have several times already 

 referred, that same " parson's nose " can be made to yield 

 a story, as well as a bonne-bouche. 



In its very centre will be found a triangular plate of 

 bone, which during life served as the basis of attachment 

 for the tail-feathers, the stumps of which are arranged fan- 

 wise around it, as in the illustration. This bone is known as 

 the pygostyle. If it be carefully examined good luck may 

 reveal one or more transverse grooves across its surface ; 

 creating a suspicion that at an earlier stage of growth it 

 may have been composed of several pieces now welded 



