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Show 1889.] MR. W. K. PARKER ON STEATORNIS CARIPENSIS. 161 The animal has been placed in one of the warm tanks in the new Reptile House and appears to be doing well. It is fed principally upon lettuces. 2. An Oriental Phalanger (Phalanger orientalis), received March 4th, and presented by C. M . Woodford, Esq., of Sydney. Out of five specimens of this interesting Marsupial kindly transmitted to the Society by Mr. Woodford, by whom they had been obtained in the Solomon Islands, three survived to reach this country, but of these two unfortunately died before they reached the Society's Gardens. 3. A specimen of Owen's Apteryx (Apteryx oweni), presented by Captain C. A. Findlay, of the R.M.S. ' Ruapehu,' on March 5th. This bird has been placed along with the specimen received on February 19th, 1889, with which it appears to agree well, so that the two are probably a pair. Mr. A. Smith-Woodward, F.Z.S., exhibited and made remarks on a maxilla of the early Mesozoic Ganoid Fish Saurichthys from the Rhsetic Formation of Aust Cliff near Bristol. The following papers were read :- 1. On the Osteology of Steatornis caripensis. By W . K. PARKER, F.R.S. [Received March 7, 1889.] (Plates XVII.-XX.) CONTENTS. Page V. The Wing 178 VI. The Hip-girdle and Hind Limbs 180 VII. Summary 183 Explanation of the Plates 189 Page I. Introductory Remarks 161 II. The Skull 165 III. The Vertebral Chain and Ribs 173 IV. The Sternum and Shoulder-girdle 177 I. Introductory Remarks. Steatornis is so distinct from every other known bird that it should, if it had its rights, be put into a Family by itself, and thus represent the SteatornithideeT, of which it is the only existing species. Its distribution is also very limited, being only found in Venezuela and one or two of the neighbouring States. Nevertheless, this is only one among several of the Neotropical types of birds that have come very near to extinction, there being four or five families which possess at most two or three genera, with very few species. It is evident that those groups which are most potent in Families, 1 This has already been proposed by Messrs. Sclater and Salvin, Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 97 (1873). |
