OSTEOLOGY OF BIRDS 



193 



flattening, but in its case, along the distal half of the bone, the 

 very reverse of its companion in the antibrachium. Thus formed, 

 it is evident that a considerable " interosseous space " must exist in 

 the skeleton between these long bones of the forearm, which is 

 really the case [fig. 17]. 



Carpus offers us the usual radiale and ulnare segments fashioned 

 almost identically as we find them among the Gallinae generally, 

 and having precisely the same articulatory relationships. Passing 

 to the skeleton of manus, we are at first principally struck with what 

 might be termed the comparative strength of the parts. There is 

 a moderate approach toward massiveness in the pinion bones of 

 any fowl of the genus Gallus, and the wild species offers no excep- 

 tion. Others have noted the relative shortening of the manus and 

 antibrachium in the gallinaceous types, 1 while still others render a 

 description without special comment. 2 



Notable among the points to observe in our present subject, the 

 skeleton of the hand in G. bankiva, are, the small claw on 

 the large free phalanx of pollex digit; the overlapping process on 

 the posteroproximal aspect of the shaft of the second metacarpal, 

 which rests by its apex upon the juxtaposed part of the shaft of 

 the third metacarpal ; this feature is characteristic of all true 

 Gallinae; the broad, nonperforated blade of the proximal phalanx 

 of the index digit; and finally the comparatively diminutive size of 

 the phalanx of the last metacarpal. 



A glance at my drawing in figure 17 will be sufficient to con- 

 vince one that the possessor of a wing such as its skeleton there 

 suggests, could be nothing less than a fowl of no little powers of 

 flight, and so, I believe, is the case in the wild G . bankiva; 

 yet we often meet with domestic species with equally good wings, 

 that prove to 'be among the most indifferent or even helpless of flyers. 

 And this is a very interesting question, and so far as my opinion 

 goes, I am inclined to think that the muscular system is the one 

 most at fault, and from the long continued habit of not flying, the 

 muscles have now largely lost both power and education in this 

 particular. Maybe at the end of the next chapter in the history of 

 these domesticated galline races, the bones of the pectoral limb will 

 show decided steps in the direction of permanent atrophy — say 

 6000 years from now. Very likely in some barnyard species, the 



1 Chauveau, A. The Comparative Anatomy of the Domesticated Animals. New York 

 1884. p. 117, Fleming ed. 



2 M'Fadyean, J. The Comparative Anatomy of the Domesticated Animals. New York 

 1888. pt 1, Osteology, p. 166. 



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