4 Osteology of Porzana Carolina. 
while a median keel is developed along its under side. Its 
apex terminates in three minute prongs, a lateral pair, and 
a mid—process formed by the anterior end of the keel just 
alluded to in the last sentence. 
The short and compressed pterygoids (pt) meet the pala- 
tine heads, the four mutually conjoining to create a longi- 
tudinal gutter on their opposite side, to articulate with the 
rounded and under surface of the sphenoidal rostrum. 
They are without basi-pterygoidal processes, and they 
articulate in the usual way with either quadrate. 
From this point of meeting of the palatines (pl) we are 
enabled to follow, in either one, the line that passes about 
their rounded postero-external angle, to form the long, 
straight outer margin of the bone. A palatine also de- 
velops a short inner carination or lamina, which is sepa- 
rated from a similar structure on the opposite bone by a 
still greater interval than we find between the maxillo- 
palatines. The ‘‘ ascending processes ” of these elements 
grasp the bar of the rostrum, and proceed forwards to sup- 
port the vomerine limbs, as already described. They are 
barely separated in the middle line. The maxillary pro- 
cesses of the palatines are long and slender ; they proceed 
forwards, parallel to one another, to meet the usual struc- 
tures at their extremities, in the typical schizognathous 
articulation (Fig. 3). 
Passing to the basi-sphenoid, we find that the bony lip 
that overhangs the double anterior entrance of the Kusta- 
chian tubes, to be short and with rounded edge, not flake- 
like and sharp, as it is in so many other birds. 
Now, posterior to this, all the basal area of the cranium 
proper, the basi-temporal region, is notably smooth, and 
withal generally convex. It lacks that sharp definition 
and angularity due to a more prominent elevation of cer- 
tain of its features, or in other places a greater depression 
of them, as we so often find it to be the case in other 
groups of birds. The comparatively large foramen mag- 
num is roundly cordate in outline, and is nearly in the 
horizontal plane, while, on the other hand, the condyle is 
strikingly small, being of a hemispherical form and com- 
