THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXXVII. 



is much alike, and as a rule these birds have been by taxon- 

 omers properly considered to be more closely related than are 

 Struthio and Rhea to each other. In the memoir just referred 

 to, this eminent authority grouped the Malayo- Australian genera 

 Casuarius and Dromaeus together, and for this group gave the 

 following osteological definitions : 



1 . The maxillary processes of the palatines are short as in 

 Rhea. 



2. The maxillo-palatines are flat, imperforate plates, which 

 unite solidly with the premaxillae and the vomer. 



3. The vomer is long, and articulates behind with the pala- 

 tine and pterygoid bones. 



4. The prefrontal processes are large and well ossified. 



5. The bodies of the proper sacral vertebras do not unite 

 with the pubes or ischia ; and the bodies of the urosacral ver- 

 tebrae are very large, thick, and well ossified. 



6. The sternum is long and escutcheon-shaped, at first 

 widening and then coming to a point behind. 



7. The humerus is not nearly half so long as the distance 

 between the pectoral arch and the ilium, and is much shorter 

 than the scapula. The antebrachium is not more than half as 

 long as the humerus. Only one digit, the median, is complete 

 and bears a claw. 



8. Neither the pubes nor the ischia unite in the middle line 

 of the body. 



9. The hallux is absent, but the other digits are complete. 



10. There are thirty-five precaudal vertebrae. 



Other osteological characters to be noted in the skeleton of 

 Casuarius galeatus may be thus tabulated (see Fig. 2) : 



1. The light, spongy osseous core surmounting the top of 

 the skull. In life this supports the horny helmet. 



2. There are nineteen cervical vertebrae, the last three 

 bearing big free ribs that are without epipleural processes. 

 There are six dorsals, the first five of which have ribs connect- 

 ing with the sternum by means of haemapophyses. Only the 

 four in the middle of the series possess epipleural appendages ; 

 the last pair of ribs fail to connect with the sternum, as is also 

 the case with the smaller pair of pelvic ribs present. 



