254 



GENERAL ORNITHOLOGY 



PART II 



several special conditions of desmognathism. The parrots are 

 another case ; among other cranial characters of these birds is to be 

 noted the articulation of the palate bones with the upper beak, like 



that of the zygoma. The multi- 

 farious Picarian birds, or non- 

 passerine Insessores, are desmo- 

 gnathous, excepting the schizo- 

 gnathous trogons (Trogonidm) and 

 the "saurognathous" woodpeckers. 

 Parker has described the follow- 

 ing categories of desmognathism : 

 (a) Perfect direct, the maxillopala- 

 tines uniting below at the mid- 

 line; either with the nasal septum 

 free from such bony bridge, as in 

 a duck; or ankylosed therewith, 

 as in many birds of prey. (J) 

 Perfect indirect, very common, as 

 in eagles, vultures, owls ; maxillo- 

 ^^'Pl, palatines separated from each 

 other by a chink, but ankylosed 

 with nasal septum, (c) Imper- 

 fectly direct ; maxillopalatines 

 sutured together but not anky- 

 losed. " In young falcons and 

 hawks the palate is at first in- 

 direct, is then imperfectly direct, 

 and at last perfectly direct." {i) 

 Imperfectly indirect; maxillopala- 

 tines closely articulated with, and 

 separated by, the "median septo- 

 maxillary " ; but there is no 

 ankylosis. («) Double: the pala- 

 tines united as well as the maxUlo- 

 palatines ; as in the pelican and 

 coramcOTc^MtSTfrom'iiSSl by dZr cormorant above noted, in certain 



W. Shufeldt, U.S.A. Letters as before, flnnrimnlo-inp Viirric! Tinrn-Tiill=! ptfi 



N.B. The misplaced reference line, V, goes to yaprimuigme DiraS, norn DIUS, eic. 



the ossified nasal septum borne upon the end ( /) Compound : when the properly 

 of the vomer, which latter bone begins at the ..t ., in j. 



thickest part of the central projection. Mxp CegitflOgTMt/WUS SKUll 01 a passer- 



Sdther?' ^ '""^ °™''"'' ^'' ^"* *'""''"'' ine bird becomes also desmo- 



gnathous. 



.ffigithognathism (Gr. alyidaX6<s, aigithalos, some small bird) is 



exhibited almost unexceptionally by the great group of Passerine 



birds ; it is also nearly coincident with Passeres, though a few other 



birds, notably the swifts (Cypselidce), also exhibit it. Huxley's term 



