No. 442.] OSTEOLOGY OF THE KINGFISHERS. 703 



apex. A very perfect cranio-facial hinge joins this structure to 

 the cranium, and the tomial edges arc sharp and slightly raised 

 above the level of the nether aspect of this mandible. This 

 skull is strong]} desmognathous, and the rhinal chambers are 

 quite filled in by the spongy mass of the bulky maxillo-palatines. 

 Through this the parial subtubular narial passages run, and they 

 terminate externally upon either side, as rather elongated, 

 broadly spindle-shaped narial openings. Just to the rear of the 

 posterior border of either one of these latter there is to be found 

 a small circular foramen leading into the nasal passages just 

 referred to, a character seen also in C. cabanisi. The external 

 narial apertures are separated by a complete, rather thick septum 

 narium, while in Alccdo ispida this partition is pierced by an 

 oval foramen, at about its centre, and in this species the fora- 

 mina described in the last sentence are absent. 



mid, is rounded ; while the side that forms a good share of the 



deep, median groove, that exhibits impressed venations branch- 

 ing from it upon either side. At the hinder end of this groove 

 a pair of small foramina are seen (Fig. 2, J). 



We find this mandible in Ceryle, although having a very 

 solid appearance from being closed in on all sides as it is, to be 

 extremely light, having internally very much the same structure 

 as in the hornbills, only rather coarser. 



There is one other feature we notice on the superior aspect 

 of the mandible in Alcedo that is absent in Ceryle ; this is a 

 pretty-well marked groove, leading on either side from the 

 anterior margin of the nostril back to the maxillary. It is shown 

 in the drawing of this view of the skull here figured, from a 

 specimen kindly lent me by Mr. F. A. Lucas of the United 

 States National Museum (Fig. 1, B, k.). 



Regarding the skull of Ceryle from above, we find the supe- 



each other by the smooth, rather broad surface of the frontal 

 region. This is slightly indented longitudinally by a shallow 

 median groove that traverses the cranium from the transverse 

 fronto-maxillary line, through the parietal portion. Here the 



