Osteological Studies of the Sub-Family Ardeince. 
17 
fairly well developed coranoid processes are seen. They consist 
of a series of three points in a row, on each side, one behind the 
other, the anterior being the largest, the other two gradually di¬ 
minishing in size. 
The mesial aspect of either ramas is longitudinally concave for 
its anterior thirds, while behind, it becomes flattened, to finally 
pass beneath the articular extremity, facing, as it does so, down¬ 
wards and towards the median plane. 
Viewed from above we find the symphysis concave and more 
than a sixth the length of the bone. I11 the median line behind, 
between the ramal sides, it sends backwards a spike-like process, 
nearly 2 c. m. long, which we may call the posterior symphysial 
process , this is present in A. candidissima , but absent in some 
specimens of Nycticorax. We also see it in very old Albatrosses. 
The articular ends above, are generally concave, but two 
small convexities occurring on the oblique line that crosses in 
front of the central pit. A circular pneumatic foramen is seen at 
about where it occurs in the majority of birds w T here it is present. 
The hinder ends of these articular extremities are obliquely trun¬ 
cate, (Fig. 5,) the faces looking backwards, upwards, and a little 
outwards. In the Yellow-Crowned Night Heron these ends are 
cut square across, and are obliquely concave. I11 A. candidissima 
they are verv much like the Night Herons, though deeper from 
above downwards, less concave, and face rather more outwardly. 
Otherwise the mandible of this Heron resembles in every particu¬ 
lar the bone as found in the representatives of the genus Ardea. 
As we might expect, it is built upon the same V pe also, in 
Nycticorax , differing in no very essential particular. It is pro¬ 
portionately shorter, stouter, and more obtuse ; the ramal vacuity 
is filled in here also. 1 
There seems to be no exception to the rule that all Herons 
have the glassohyal of the hyoid arches in cartilage, (Fig. 6). 
Careful examinations made with a good lens fails also in di.selo¬ 
sing to me the slightest trace of osseous tissue deposited in the 
cartilage of the cerato-liyals of adult specimens of Ardea herodias. 
This is equally true of Garzetta, A. candidissima , but in my im¬ 
mature specimen of Nycticorax I find a distinct, though \en 
1T11 closing' Part II, of this memoir I will present under 
he cranial comparisons of a number of skulls of Herons, pro 
>f the present part. 
“ supplementary notes” 
mised on a previous page 
