12 
WARD’S NATURAL SCIENCE BULLETIN. 
Osteological Abnormalities. 
From time to time among the numerous skele- 
tons prepared here, one occurs exhibiting some 
deviation from a normal structure, not enough to 
make it a monstrosity, but quite sufficient to jus- 
tify us in styling it an abnormality. These 
irregularities are interesting from the manner in 
which an unusual growth of one animal suggests 
a normal character of another. The skull repre- 
sented in Fig. 1, is from a common domestic 
fowl, and is the result of an overgrowth of the 
frontal portion. Just the reverse of this was the 
cranium of a young Robin almost ready to fly, 
but with eyes no more apparent than those of a 
mole. Dissection showed that while the optic 
nerve was present, the eyeball was only an eighth 
of an inch in diameter, being a clear case of 
arrested growth. In this the frontal region had 
shared while the occiput and beak were fully de- 
veloped. Another curious case was that of a 
sheep in which the nasals and pre-maxillaries 
were so widely separated as to give the skull a 
great resemblance to that of a Saiga Antelope. 
A slighter abnormality was found in a South 
American Bittern ( Tigrisoma ), where the lower 
mandible was bent sideways like that of a Cross- 
bill. The peculiarity in this case was that the 
same malformation was present in a second skull 
from the same locality. 
Except in the caudal region I have never met 
with any deviation from the normal number of 
vertebrae in any given species. A curious irreg- 
ularity was present in the cervicals of a Dolphin 
(Delphinus tursio), the right half of the neural 
arch of the fourth vertebra having joined the 
left half of that of the fifth, and the other two 
halves not uniting with anything. If the num- 
ber of vertebrae is tolerably constant the rib ele- 
ment seems particularly subject to variation. In 
the human species we all know that the occur- 
rence of thirteen pairs of ribs is not extraordinary 
enough to excite much comment, while those 
who have dissected many horses can usually 
testify to having found one or more with twenty 
pairs of ribs. In speaking of the Cetacea, Owen 
remarks that “to take the bones from the carcass 
is almost essential to certainty as to number of 
ribs and haemal arches,” and this from the fact 
that one or more of the posterior ribs are fre- 
quently suspended in the flesh and not articulated 
with any vertebrae. We strongly suspect that 
an examination of a series of any one species 
would show that the number of ribs is subject to 
frequent irregularity. The most marked instance 
of irregularity in the rib element was found in a 
series of eight Raccoon skeletons, four of which 
had thirteen pairs of ribs, three fourteen pairs 
and one specimen thirteen ribs on one side and 
fourteen on the other. The specimen illustrated by 
Fig. 2, is particularly worthy of notice. 
It is the seventh cervical of a pig, bear- 
ing what was evidently once a free rib, 
although from age it had become anchy- 
losed with the vertebra. This strongly 
recalls the rib on the seventh cervical 
of the Great Anteater and to a less ex- 
tent the eighth and ninth cervical ribs 
of the three-toed Sloth. Another cur- 
rious case was that of a Woodchuck 
with an extra rib on one side, the pecu- 
liarity consisting in the fact that two 
ribs articulated with one vertebra thus 
suggested the double first rib of some 
Cetaceans 
Fig. 2. Variation in the digits not infre- 
quently occurs in man, the tendency being to- 
wards one increase in their number, for while 
we often hear of people with six fingers or toes, 
a case of less than the usual number has never 
fallen under my notice. 
The history of the hand 
and foot here figured 
(Figs. 3 and 4), is unfor- 
tunately not known but 
they apparently belong- 
to the same individual. 
The foot bears an un- 
usually good example 
of an extra digit, the 
little toe being duplica- 
ed in every particular, 
while the supernumera- 
ry finger is added in a 
more common manner. 
The solid ungulate pig 
(Fig. 5) is well known, 
but we venture to figure 
it once more from a 
specimen in the posses- 
sion of Prof. Ward, with 
the remark that it shows 
how the same aberrant 
characteristic may ap- 
pear simultaneously, 
and without apparent 
cause, among animals Figs. 3. 
scattered over a large extent of territory, since 
these solid ungulate pigs have appeared in Cuba, 
Florida and Texas. 
The most singular 
case of lacking 
members has been 
furnished me by the 
courtesy of Mr. F. 
C. Hill, who writes 
in regard to a Cat 
in which the hind 
legs were entire- 
ly absent. “ Her 
mother had no pe- 
culiarities that I 
could learn about, 
but gave birth, in 
all, to eight biped 
Fig. 4. 
kits and many perfect ones. 
The normal and abnormal 
ones were born in same lit- 
ter.” A skeleton of one of 
these two-legged cats was pre- 
pared here. The only trace 
of hind legs was a rudiment- 
ary left femur represented by 
an ossicle about a quarter of 
an inch long. The pelvis was 
atrophied and irregular in 
shape. These bipedal cats 
climbed and walked on their 
front legs carrying the body almost perpendic- 
ularly. 
I recall but one instance of variation in the 
bones of the tarsus or carpus, and this was in a 
Black Bear whose scaphoid and lunare bones 
were separated, but this was probably due to 
some blow or other injury to the carpus, al- 
though there was no periostosis or other dis- 
eased condition of the surrounding bones. Ab- 
normally shaped antlers ai’e far from uncommon 
among Deer, ordinarily consisting in the addition 
of an extra prong extending downward from 
the back part of the beam. One specimen of 
Virginia Deer had in addition to this “drop 
prong ” other superfluous tines, the total number 
of tines on both antlers amounting to twenty. 
Another had the beam flattened and widened, 
so that the antlers presented considerable resem- 
blance to those of a diminutive moose. 
The last most peculiar example of extraor- 
dinary growth in antlers is that shown in Fig. 
6, and consists in a complete third antler arising 
from a distinct pedicel. In this paper I have 
omitted all reference to the “ double barrelled ” 
calves which have from time to time been brought 
to us, and have not mentioned any dental abnor- 
malities, these latter being reserved for a brief 
notice in a future number. 
Frederic A. Lucas. 
List of Mammals and Birds from the Duke 
of York Group of Islands: 
MAMMALS. 
Pteropus capistriatus, 
“ griseus, 
“ melanopogon. 
Harpy ia major, 
Ceplialotes Peroni, 
Macroglossus minimus, 
Melonycteris melanops, 
Halmaturus lugens, 
Cuscus orientalis, 
Belideus ariel, 
AVES. 
Dicrurus liemo-stictus, 
Dicranostreptus megarhynchus, 
Nectarinea aspasia, 
Myzomela rubrata, 
Merops ornatus, 
Donacicola spectabilis, 
Calornis metallica, 
Philemon Cockerelli, 
Graculus Krelfti, 
Corvus enca, 
Pitta Macklottii, 
Dendrochelidon mystacae, 
Halcyon albicilla, 
Tanysiptera nigriceps, 
Buceros ruficoliis, 
Endynamis picatus, 
Centropus violaceus, 
“ ateralbus, 
Lorius hypoenochrous, 
Eos cardinalis, 
Trichoglossus massena, 
“ sub-placens, 
Eclectus polychlorus, 
Hasiterna pusio, 
Astur sylvestris, 
Butastur sp. nov. ? 
Pandion halietus, 
Atagen sp. 
Ardea sacra, 
“ flavicollis, 
Nycticorax caledonicus, 
Carpophaga Van Wycki, 
“ rubricera, 
Macropygia Browni, 
(Edirhinus insolitus, 
Ptilopus superbus, 
“ Joannis, 
Chalcophaps Stepliani, 
Phlogoenas Johannae, 
“ Margaritse? 
Megapodius eremita, 
Amaurornis mollucensis, 
Numenius uropygialis, 

Again the Printer. 
It was in Berlin, and the catalogue and circular 
for our display at the Fisheries Exposition was 
being set up. The printer wrestled long and 
strenuously with the unfamiliar words and 
strange cliirography, but when he reached Galeo- 
pithecus it was too much for him, and the proof 
bore the profanely sounding name of Goder- 
fiittemus. 
