42 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



midway between the extremities we observe a minute nutrient 

 foramen that pierces the bone from before backward. Nearing 

 the distal end of the humerus, the shaft gradually expands in a 

 vertical direction, to support at its termination all of the characters 

 generally found there; these, as in the case of those at the 

 proximal extremity, possess the ordinary ornithic patterns. The 

 external condyle is raised above the bone as a tuberous projection 

 for muscular insertion ; both internal and external condyles are 

 produced anconad to form outstanding and lateral boundaries to 

 a shallow olecranon fossa, into which pass longitudinal muscular 

 groovelets. Beyond the prominent and strongly developed " oblique 

 tubercle" and "ulnar convexity," we' find in all of these birds a 

 triangular depression on the palmar aspect of the bone, which 

 lodges the pneumatic perforations already referred to. These bones 

 are very much alike in their general characteristics among these 

 vultures, there being no very decided points of difference in them 

 beyond their size ; this applies pretty generally to the remaining 

 bones of the pectoral limb. On the palmar aspect of the bone, at 

 the base of the greater tuberosity, in Gyparchus, we find a deep pit 

 that is not observed in the humerus of any other member of this 

 family, though its site is marked in all by a very shallow depression. 



In the condors we find the radius straight and nearly parallel with 

 the ulna ; particularly is this the case in Gymnogyps, where for 

 the distal two thirds of its extent the interosseous space is of nearly 

 an equal width ; on the other hand, the bone is very much bent in 

 Cathartes a. septentr ion a lis, but here it corresponds 

 with a corresponding curvature of its fellow, and little change is ex- 

 perienced in the interosseous space. As a rule, the shaft of the 

 radius is subtrihedral in form throughout its length, this being due 

 to some extent to the prominent muscular lines on it. A transverse 

 facet occupies the entire extent of the distal aspect of its expanded 

 outer end, and articulates as usual with the radiale of the wrist. 

 The facet for the oblique tubercle on the humerus is seen to be an 

 elliptical concavity, placed vertically, with a broad facet to its outer 

 side for the ulna. 



One of the features of the ulna is the double row of papillae 

 down the shaft for the quills of the secondaries. At its proximal 

 extremity the olecranon is but feebly produced, while inferior to this 

 point we find in the ulnae of all the Cathartidae a long elliptical de- 

 pression, that is quite characteristic, and is absent in Neophron, and 

 the majority of the Falconidae. Beyond this locality the shaft soon 



