PITTID^E. 
birds by reason of the deep temporal fossae of the skull, which nearly meet 
behind, in a way that is seen in some other birds not passerine.” According 
to the anatomists the family belongs to the Mesomyodi, that is, birds charac- 
terised by the peculiar formation of the syrinx, which is found in a series of birds 
from the New World, and which according to them recurs in the Pittidce, 
Philepittidce, and “ Xeniscidce ” in the Old World. Philepittidce is a family 
of small arboreal birds confined to Madagascar and “Xeniscidce” is a family 
of small birds peculiar to New Zealand : both these families are quite unlike 
in every other way to Pittas. I emphasise this again so that anatomical 
investigation may be undertaken by some Australian ornithologist in 
order to work out the relationship of this form with other peculiar Australian 
forms which may also prove to possess features just as interesting and perhaps 
more important than the syrinx formation. Orthonyx might be suggested as 
a suitable subject to begin with as it possesses peculiar anatomical features 
though its syrinx was considered to be more normal. 
VOL. VIII. 
9 
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