STUDIES OF THE MACEOCHIRES. 



387 



in this nestling than it is in the parent bird (to be of any use, it 

 could scarcely be of a relative size), and in the present case 

 was crammed full of insects. 



Conclusions. 



Before touching upon the real object of the present memoir 

 as stated in its title, in these my final conclusions, I will briefly 

 allude to what may be gathered from my investigations as set 

 forth in the earlier sections of this paper, touching the morpho- 

 logy of representatives of certain outlying groups totheMACRO- 

 CHiEES. At the outset, believing it would be an advantage to 

 ]3ass in review the structure of a suitable and average Oscinine 

 bird, I chose cedrorum for reasons already fully stated ; 



and, in addition to the advantage of having its structural charac- 

 ters before us in the present connection, my brief account of 

 its anatomy, it is to be hoped, will prove useful in other par- 

 ticulars, more especially in throwing some light upon its own 

 probable relations to the Clamatorial birds and the Hirim- 

 cUnes. 



It is believed that the account tends to show that struc- 

 turally A^npelis presents no special aflinity with the Swallows, 

 while in some respects it links the Mesomyodian birds with 

 the Oscines, though nearly all its entire organization points to 

 its more intimate relations with the latter group. 



Judging from osteological premisses alone, it is very evident 

 that such forms as Trogon puella and T. mexicanns can claim 

 no special relationship with the Trocliili, while, on the other 

 hand, I consider that their affinity with the Caprimulgi is also 

 very remote. Further than this their kinship at present con- 

 cerns us not, as it does not especially bear upon the work in 

 hand ; nor, even were I so disposed, would I hazard an opinion 

 in any such direction, until I had fully investigated the struc- 

 ture of other birds specimens of which, up to the present time, 

 it has not been my good fortune to possess, nor, in many 

 instances, even to see. How much Cuckoo stock they possess 

 in their economy is another point which can only be settled, 

 if ever, by exhaustive researches into the anatomy of the more 

 aberrant Cuculine types ; it is more probable that they, the 

 Trogons, came up through some such tribe as the latter, than 

 through any other with which I am acquainted. 



Still, and to hold this end of the thread for a moment 

 longer, it is difficult to see any near relationship between such 



