Paridje.] 



OSTEOLOGIA AVfUM. 



[Paring. 



Parus, Linn. 



Caeruleus, Linn. 



Cranium very round; occipital impression and protuberance very small; space 

 between the orbits narrow, slightly hollowed out ; orbital septum nearly entire. Pala- 

 tine bones truncate previously to the narrow portion going off for articulation with the 

 interarticular, the outer angles armed with a sharp spine, the outer edges bending 

 abruptly downwards. 



Sternum of moderate length, much narrowed anteriorly, much constricted in the 

 middle, with two posterior fissures very much rounded at the upper part ; keel deep, 

 inferior edge rounded, anterior edge scolloped out ; manubrial process long. 



Pelvis very short ; the anterior points of the ilium very far apart, approaching rather J 

 nearer at about half the length of the pelvis ; posterior edge of the ilium, at the junction 

 of the caudal vertebrae, with two spines on the outer edges, which are very straight, 

 and are united to the upper edge of the ischium, which, with the os pubis, points out- 

 wards ; ischiadic and obturator foramina of moderate size. 



Furculum slightly arched, the curve increasing towards the lower junction of the 

 rami, the branches nearly parallel to near their junction, where the inward curve is 

 abrupt; process at the junction large, flattened, and turned backwards. 



Coracoids rather long. 



Wing-bones with the humerus not as long as the scapula ; ulna much longer than the 

 humerus. 



Vertebral column having the penultimate and two next vertebrae with dorsal processes. 



Measurements. 



Tenths. 



Length of humerus 5 J 



Length of ulna 8 



Length of metacarpus .... 4 



Length of femur 5 



Length of tibia 10 



Length of metatarsus ..... 6 



Length of sternum 8 



Tenths. 



Breadth of posterior margin of sternum 5 



Breadth of anterior margin of sternum 3 



Depth of keel 3 



Length of head .... .9 



Breadth of head 5 



Length of pelvis ...... 6 



Breadth of pelvis 5 



Illustrations. 



Palatine bones, sternum, pelvis, and metatarsa, Plate XVII. fig. 4. 



Alauda, Linn. 



Arvensis, Linn. 



Cranium narrow between the orbits, and deeply channelled, channel only extended 

 backwards as far as the vertex ; transverse groove at the base of the nasals very deep ; 



109 



