NOTES ON THE OSTEOLOGY OF SCANSORES. 
from Jaya. The nostrils in seansorial birds are invariably divided 
by a bony septum, which is not generally the case in other orders, 
with the exception of Raptores and Lowia, a great depression is 
obseryable at the junction of the intermaxillary bone with the cra- 
nium, which extends transversely across the upper surface of the 
skull in the Parrots, Toucans, Touracos, and Picid, and in some 
of the Cuckoos, as Phanicophaus, down the sides to the nostrils, 
The palatine bones are broad and well developed; and with the 
exception of among the Parrots, placed horizontally and truncated, 
or slightly rounded posteriorly, in the Parrots they are bent down- 
wards between the rami of the lower mandible. In the Parrots and 
Toucans, the orbits are completely separated by the intermaxillary 
bone; but in the Woodpeckers, Cuckoos, and Touracos, there is 
a small orifice between them, yarying in size in different species. 
The sternum of the whole order, with the exception of the Par- 
rots, has the inferior edge of the keel nearly straight ; and in all, the 
anterior edge or front of the bill, is prolonged beyond the trans- 
verse anterior edge of the sternum, or in other words, as far as 
the anterior point of the manubrial process. The latter peculiarity 
does not exist, that I am aware of, in other birds. The keel is 
prolonged in the Fissirostral group, but the anterior edge is very 
much scolloped out, or else the inferior point projects forward; and 
the edge presents nearly a straight line from that point to the base 
of the manubrial process. The posterior margin of the sternum, 
with the exception of in the Parrots, and in Centropus phasianellus, 
has two fissures on each side of the keel. The Parrots have the 
keel much deeper than other Scansores ; the inferior edge much 
rounded up to the point, where it meets the Os fureatum when that 
bone exists. In old Parrots, with the exception of a few species: the 
posterior margin of the sternum is destitute of fissures or foramin®: 
and where any exist, there is only one of the latter on each side. 
have, however, the skeleton of a young Platycercus zonarius, Wil 
has two large foramina on each side, and which, from some 9” 
holes between them and the margin of the sternum, haye evidently 
recently undergone a transition by ossification, from fissures 1° e 
amina. It would be very interesting, if collectors, who have * e 
opportunity, would ascertain if such is generally the case among 
the Psittacide. 
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