30 Observations Upon the Morphology of 
ium in the gallinaceous types,* while still others render a 
description without special comment. t 
Notable among the points to observe in our present sub- 
ject, the skeleton of the hand in G. bankiva, are, the small 
claw on the large free phalanx of pollex digit; the over- 
lapping process on the postero-proximal aspect of the shaft 
of the second metacarpal, which rests by its apex upon the 
juxtaposed part of the shaft of the third metacarpal ; this 
feature is characteristic of all true Galline ;t the broad, 
non-perforated blade of the proximal phalanx of the index 
digit ; and finally the comparatively diminutive size of the 
phalanx of the last metacarpal. 
A glance at my drawing in Fig. 17 will be sufficient to 
convince one that the possessor of a wing such as its 
skeleton there suggests, could be nothing less than a fowl 
of no little powers of flight, and so, I believe, is the case in 
the wild G. bankiva; yet we often meet with domestic 
species with equally good wings, that prove to be among 
the most indifferent or even helpless of flyers. And this is 
a very interesting question, and so far as my opinion goes, 
I am inclined to think that the muscular system is the one 
most at fault, and from the long-continued habit of not 
flying, the muscles have largely lost, by this time, both 
power and education in this particular. May-beat the end 
of the next chapter in the history of these domesticated 
galline races, the bones of the pectoral limb will show 
decided steps in the direction of permanent atrophy—say 
6,000 years from now. Very likely in some barn-yard 
species, the weight, as in the case of the Cochins, has some- 
thing to do with the matter, inducing an habitual disincli- 
nation for flight. Some twenty-five or more years ago, the 
writer owned a flock of pure breed game fowls, the hens 
being all of a plumage and very wild in habit. These 
* CHAUVEAU, A. The Comparative Anatomy of the Domesticated Animals 
p. 117% New York, 1884. (Fleming Edition.) 
+ M’Fapynan, J. The Comparative Anatomy of the Domesticated Animals. 
Pt. I., Osteology, p. 166, N. Y. 1888. 
{ SHureLpT, R. W. ‘ Osteology of the N. American Tetraonide.” Dept. of 
the Int. U. S. Geol. and Geogr. Surv. of the Terr. Hayden’s i2th Ann., p. 706, 
Fig. 58, Washington, 1881. 
