402 



Presents. 



[Feb. 23, 



plate 24, figs. 1-3), I showed that the " post-palatine " tract of cartil- 

 lage was developed as a distinct nnclens in the Axolotl (Siredon). 



That distinct nucleus representing the post-palatine region of the 

 Frog's skull also re-appears in the Crow, in the Sparrow, and in all 

 the Passerines, as far as I have been able to work thern out. It lies 

 outside the hinder part of the normal parosteal palatine bone, becomes 

 a solid ear- shaped tract of hyaline cartilage, acquires its own osseous 

 (endosteal) centre, and this, when ossified, coalesces with the normal 

 palatine bone. 



The only Reptile in which I have discovered any distinct trace of 

 the endosheletal palatine is the Green Turtle; it is very small (see 

 my paper in the " Challenger Reports," vol. 1, part 5, pi. 12, figs. 9, 

 9a, 2b : e.p.a,). 



These are not all, or nearly all the vestigial structures that are 

 familiar to me in the Bird's skull — to say nothing of the skeleton 

 generally ; but they are sufficient, I think, to satisfy any reasonable 

 person that Birds arose, by secular transformation, either from the 

 lowest and most ancient of the true Reptiles, or equally with Reptiles 

 from archaic Amphibia, low in structure, but fall of potential excel- 

 lence, and ready, pro re nata, to become Reptile, Bird, or even Mammal, 

 as the case might be. 



For many years I have been endeavouring to gather up the frag- 

 ments of morphology that nothing should be lost ; I am satisfied that 

 these lingering but practically useless structures will be found to be 

 very difficult of deglutition to anyone who believes that the Birds that 

 now exist were created in their present form and condition.* 



'Presents, February 23, 1888. 



Transactions. 



Baltimore: — Johns Hopkins University. Circular. Vol. VII. 

 No. 62. 4to. Baltimore 1888. The University. 



Bordeaux : — Societe de Medecine et de Chirurgie. 8vo. Bordeaux 

 1887. The Society. 



Societe des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles. Mernoires. Tomes 

 II-III. 8vo. Paris 1886 ; Observations Pluviometriques et 

 Thermometriques f aites dans le Departement de la Gironde de 

 Juin 1885 k Mai 1886. 8vo. Bordeaux 1886. 



The Society. 



Cardiff : — Naturalists' Society. Transactions. Vol. XIX. Part I. 

 8vo. Cardiff 1887. The Society. 



* I have only referred to a few of the memoirs that contain the figures and 

 descriptions of the parts referred to in this paper. They are, however, well known, 

 and are mainly in fie ' Transactions ' of the Royal, Linnaean, and Zoological 

 Societies. 



