Gallus Bankiva of India. 13 
female, whereas I have yet to find such a bone either in 
our domestic or wild turkey.* And, further, I am almost 
compelled to believe that it is just possible that this 
minute element of the basal structures of the skull does 
not invariably ossify in all specimens of domestic fowls; 
at any rate it may not do so until they are well advanced in 
years. Often I have examined chickens of several summers’ 
growth wherein it yet appeared to be in membrane. Pro- 
fessor Huxley found one of no inconsiderable dimensions 
in the skull of the common fowl, of which he presents us 
with the figure;t and the same in truth may be said of the 
admirable illustration given us by Parker,+ also of a com- 
mon domestic chicken. 
Both quadrates and pterygoids in Gallus bankiva are 
apparently pneumatic bones, the former possessing the 
usual pattern as seen generally in the Gallinw, with two 
mandibular and two mastoidal articular facets; with a 
blunt-pointed orbital process which is somewhat abruptly 
bent backwards near its middle, well below which angle 
of bending we find the semi-globular facet for the quad- 
ratal end of the corresponding pterygoid. This latter bone 
has a shaft much compressed from before, backward, 
twisted upon itself, and terminating anteriorly in a club. 
shaped head, so fashioned as to present an elliptical facet 
for articulation with a similar surface at the side of the 
rostrum, and more anteriorly a cupped depression to 
admit the out-turned pterygoidal end of the corresponding 
palatine. These bones are shown zm situ in Figs. 2 
and 4 
A very meagre lip of bone juts forward as the mesial 
anterior process of the basitemporal to underlap the 
entrances to the Eustachian tubes in front ; while posterior 
to this site the basitemporal area itself is broad from side 
"For a discussion of this last point see my paper published in a former 
number of THE JOURNAL, entitled ‘‘A Critical Comparison of a Series of Skulls 
of the Wild and Domesticated Turkeys (Mg. Mexicanus, and M. g. domestica), 
Vol. VIII., No. 8, Art. XX., pp. 207-222, July, 1887. 
+Huxuiny, TH. H. ‘‘The Anatomy of Vertebrated Animals,” p. 242, Fig. 
82) N.. Y., L872. 
tParkxer, W. K. Art. “ Birds,” Encycl. Brit., 9th Ed, Vol. III., p. 710, 
Fig. 21, v. 
