THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXXVII. 



the Jacamar, and differs with both the cuckoo and the king- 

 fisher. The form of the occipital region of the cranium and the 

 deep and sharply-defined crotophyte fossae of Nyctiornis agree 

 in many respects with Ceryle, but when we come to compare the 

 pterygoids and quadrates of our Bornean bee-eater with those 

 bones as they occur in Caylc cabanisi, we are confronted with 

 decided differences. In the kingfisher the orbital process of a 

 quadrate is almost a hair-like process, while it is broad and strong 

 in Nyctiornis. Again, in the kingfisher the proximal end of the 

 pterygoid articulates with the mesial aspect of the inner mandib- 

 ular facet of the quadrate ; in Nyctiornis it articulates with a 

 facet situated directly between the orbital process of the quad- 

 rate and its mandibular condyle. The mandibular sesamoid in 

 the bee-eater is unusually large, is moulded upon the quadrate, 

 and articulates with a special facet upon the angular extremity 



The post-palatines of Nyctiornis fuse together in the middle 

 line, and with the small, rod-like vomer of this bird, while the 

 postero-external angles of the palatines are angulated without 



At the lateral 

 the post-frontal 

 id the zygomatic 



may add here tl 

 kingfishers is p« 

 in the Meropida 



of agreement b< 

 tebral columns ! 



or aspect to 

 1 this bridge. 



