662 
THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY • Vol 124. No. 4. December 2012 
ABC 
FIG. 3. Skulls in ventral views: (A) Himalione sanguined (USNM I 18858); (B) Ciridops anna (MCZ 10995); (C) 
Melamprosops pbaeosoma (AMNT) 810456). 
although some of the origins of the more posterior 
muscles had been cut through, and the cut below 
the knee had destroyed the insertions of others. 
Some ol the internal organs remained relatively 
intact, such as the intestines and anus, gizzard, 
and heart. The liver had been mangled. The 
gizzard had been sliced through, revealing that it 
was completely filled with food that miraculously 
had not been washed out and lost and which I 
removed and had analyzed. It seems incredible 
that this step had not been taken earlier, 
particularly in view of the considerable published 
speculation on the possible food habits of the 
species. 
1 cm 
FIG. 4. Pelves in dorsal view. (A) Vesli, 
(USNM 553205); (B) Ciridops anna (BMNH I 
coccinea 
12.9.58). 
Each muscle of the right thigh was compared 
directly with its counterpart in Himalione sangui¬ 
ned (hereafter HS) and Vestiaria coccinea 
(VC) and with the descriptions in Raikow 
(1976). Each muscle was removed and preserved 
with appropriate labeling in individual plastic- 
envelopes. Ultimately, the femur and pelvis were 
removed and cleaned and these are discussed 
under osteology. 
I he descriptions below are strictly compara¬ 
tive. the typical pelvic musculature of drepani- 
dines having been illustrated and discussed 
adequately by Raikow (1976). The relative sizes 
°f muscles between species were often subjective 
due to differential preservation. The muscles in 
the specimen ol Ciridops, as noted by Bock 
(1972), were fortunately well-preserved and easily 
dissected, which was not always the case with 
some of the comparative material. 
M. iliotibialis cnmialis (Fig. 6A, B. C).—This 
muscle in Ciridops was markedly wider (5.2 mm 
at widest point) than in VC (3.4 mm) or HS 
(3.1 mm). It was also thicker. The relative sizes 
differ considerably (Fig. 6C). The part of the 
insertion on the medial part of the patellar tendon 
was still intact but the remainder had been 
destroyed in skinning. 
M. ilioribialis lateralis (Fig. 6A. B ).—Ciridops 
differs from VC and HS in that the posterior 3 mm of 
the origin was not fleshy but aponeurotic. The origin 
then became fleshy from a narrow band just above 
the antitrochanter; these fleshy fibers attached deep to 
a strong tendinous raphe running ventrally from the 
