No. 482] 



OSTEOLOGY OF THE TUBINARES 



117 



named species, too, the maxillo-palatines are well-anterior to the 

 ascending plates of the palatine; moreover, its vomer is notched 

 at its apex, and is not especially curved downward anteriorly. 

 These are three w^ell-marked differences in Pujfinus hormlis and 

 P. creatopus, and go to prove, what I have always held, tlint we 

 can never have too much material before as when coiupaiiiiir the 

 skulls or any other part of the anatomy of birds. 



So far as my observation goes I find that Forbes's description 

 of the quadrate bone for the Tvbinares agrees with what I found 

 in other species of the group not examined or seen by him. But 

 my material does not bear him out so well in his description of the 

 foramen magnum of the Tubinares, and he says that that opening 

 "is more or less reniform, with the major axis transverse, in the 

 small species, whereas in the biggest it is oval, especially in Ossi- 

 fraga, with the long axis vertical. The moderately sized species 

 are here again intermediate in structure" (p. 417). Oi the two 

 shearwaters (Puffinus) before me, birds nearly of a size, and both 

 above the "small-sized species" of the group, it is found to be 

 oval in Pujfinus borealis, with its major axis \< iti(al. \\\\\\v in 

 Puffinus creatopus the foramen magnum is sulicin iilar with tin- 

 major axis transverse. 



The mandible of Puffinus borealis has the articular mds some- 

 what massive, truncated posteriorly, with wry tier]) laiiial si(hvs 

 for its hinder half, and very shallow ones anteriorly. Apicahy it 

 is decurved, and there are lacking recurved angular ])r()eesses and 

 ramal vacuities. The articular ends are pneumatic, with the 

 facets for the quadrate, of course, the reverse in form to those 

 found on the last-named bone. 



The distal elements of the greater cornua of tlie liyoideaii appa- 

 ratus are much flattened from above downward-, and, a- in the 

 Albatrosses, the parts anterior to the ba>ihranehial> are not per- 

 formed in bone. The first basibraneliial is siihcireular in form, 



(Puffinusl 



The sclerotic plates in an eye of horralis are >mall, and some- 

 birds. 



Axial Skeleton: — In the skeleton of Pujfinus Ijorrali.s- at hand, 



