706 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXXVII. 



large subelliptical foramen, through which, in life, the nasal 

 nerve and vessels pass. This inferior plate of the lacrymal is 

 much larger than the superior, and is roughly placed at right 

 angles to it. 



Agreeing with C. alcyon and C. cabanisi, we find in Alcedo 

 ispida, the form of the lacrvmal and its articulations, sub- 

 stantially the same. It differs principally in being thicker from 

 before, backwards, and the pars plana, which in this kingfisher 

 is triangular, meets it about the middle of the inner border 

 rather than at the superior and inner angle, as it does in 

 Ceryle. In Geococcyx, the superior plate has moved down on 

 the margin of the orbit nearer the maxillary, articulating almost 

 exclusively with the nasal. This change nearly does away with 

 any distinction between an inferior and superior plate, the two 

 having run together in nearly the same plane. 



The ethmoid here develops a very large pars plana, and the 

 lacrymal is so twisted to pass down in front of it, the former really 

 forming the anterior wall of the orbit. In Coccyzus americanus, 

 the pars plana, is very extensive, and forms the entire inter- 

 orbito-rhinal partition, while the lacrymal barely articulates with 

 it, it being a light bone, having very much the form we found 

 in Colinus. 



One large vacuity is found in the interorbital septum in 

 Ceryle alcyon, as shown in Figure 2. This has the appearance 

 above of being divided in two, by a very narrow isthmus of 

 bone, in Alcedo, but we find this deception due to the large 

 foramina for the exit of the nasal nerves from the brain-case in 

 this bird, these openings being exceedingly small in Ceryle. 



To return to the latter we find that the quadrate presents 

 little or nothing that is peculiar. Its orbital process is sharp 

 and spine-like, projecting into the orbital space, though over- 

 shadowed by the bulging wall of the alisphenoid above. This 

 process of the quadrate is remarkably stumpy and short in Alcedo, 

 while it is broad and flat in Geococcyx and Coccyzus, where it 



Upon the inferior views of the skull of Ceryle, we observe the 

 anterior extremities of the palatines to be broad, horizontally flat- 

 tened and thin plates. They are separated from each other by 



