211 
obliquus being developed. The spina anterior sterni, is a spina 
communis, being composed of a very feebly developed spina externa 
and a short and bifurcated spina interna, without a foramen inter- 
spinale for the reception of the feet of the coracoids. The median 
apophysis of the furcula is short and rounded off, resembling that 
of Turnix. The configuration of the pelvis closely resembles that 
of the Turnices. With regard to the nasal and premaxillary bones, 
Pedionomus and the Turnices are schizorhinal, in opposition to 
the holorhinal Rasores. 
Resume. 
Some of the more noteworthy characters of the various organic 
systems of Pedionomus are arranged in the following tabular form 
in which the symbol * indicates agreement with the correspond- 
ing characters in the Turnices and in the Rasores, the symbol O 
shows that the characters are either peculiar to Pedionomus or 
that they agree with Ralline birds. 
To settle the affinities of Pedionomus simply by the numerical 
majority of coincidences of these characters would be a not un- 
precedented but utterly fallacious mode of investigation. The 
quality not the quantity of these “ taxonomic characters ” refers 
Pedionomus to the Turnices as their lowest most Rallo-Galline 
members . 
Characters of Pedionomus. 
Turnices. 
Rasores. 
Neither. 
Number of Primary remiges... 
* 
* 
Number of Secondary remiges 
* 
Absence of fifth secondary ... 
. . . 
6 
Aftershaft structure ... 
♦ r * 
Number of rectrices ... 
Pterylosis 
Oilgland ... 
* 
Nasal operculum 
# 
* 
I Scutillation of Feet ... 
* 
Hallux 
# 
Second, third, fourth toes ... 
# 
. . . 
Must, eaud-ilio-femoralis 
* 
Carotids... 
* 
o 
Syrinx 
. . . 
| Absence of Crop 
* 
... 
Liver, three lobes 
* 
* 
Liver, situation of right lobe 
* 
Intestinal convolutions 
... 
o 
Number of cervical vertebra 
Brachial plexus 
6 
Number of sternal ribs 
o 
Spina communis sterni 
* 
Absence of Proc-obliquus sterni 
# 
Furcula 
* 
... 
Pelvis ... 
* 
. . . 
Nasal bones 
# 
18 
8 
5 
