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Show 1874.] DR. MURIE ON FREGILUPUS VARIUS. 485 in the two former much narrower. Whilst Fregilupus and Sturnus have extensive praenares, these are reduced by ossification in Upupa. The much-lengthened tenuous praemaxillae of the latter deceive at first glance; for, notwithstanding a certain beak-abbreviation in the Common Starling, its palatal construction is in reality nearer our bird. Admitting general and numerous resemblances in the base of the skull of Fregilupus and Sturnus, the latter is nevertheless unconformable in these particulars :-flatter, shorter praemaxillae, and relatively greater width at their maxillary junction ; proportional slenderer palatine rods, plates, and maxillo-palatines; preorbital processes better-developed ; auditory cavity less open ; occipital protuberance higher, digastric fossa wider *, and, hence, ridged occipital outline narrowed and lofty. In the shapes of the limb-bones the two pretty much agree. The Starling, however, shows a deeper fossa above the internal humeral condyle, deeper extensor metacarpal sulci, but diminutive osseous bridge; again the muscular impressions and ridges of leg-bones are weaker. In Pastor (P. griseus) the breast- and shoulder-bones present closer resemblances; the pelvis, in detail, still more agrees with that of Fregilupus ; its wing-bones, however, accord more with the points indicated in Sturnus; but, on the contrary, its leg-bones have features more after Fregilupus, e. g. inequality of tarso-digital knuckles. These characteristics apply also to P. cristatellus. The skull of the latter specimen examined by me was in a better condition for comparison; and to it I specially allude. Its premaxillary to cranial length is as 10 to 11, in Fregilupus 15 to 12. Its prefrontal and naso-maxillary breadth are relatively greater than in the latter. With these exceptions, the differentiation is so graduated as not easily to be expressed in words. Cut short the beak of Fregilupus, compress slightly its root, and elevate the parietal by a mere shade, and you convert it into a species of Pastor. Furthermore, the tongue of P. ialla (Sturnopastor, Gray) I have found to resemble that of Fregilupus; only it is about one third shorter. In Gracula, G. intermedia (Eulabes, Cuv.), there is a wide remove. Its sternum, shoulder-girdle, and pelvis doubtless retain the main characters of Fregilupus ; but deviation occurs in the limb-bones in several points : for example, there is but one pneumatic foramen, a Corvine peculiarity. But the skull manifests the greatest change of type-this by its remarkable breadth to length, elevated bossy prefrontals, ossified nasal septum, and a number of other particulars needless for me to enter into. As respects proportions of limb-segments in the above three genera of the Sturnida, I have placed them opposite those of Fregilupus in a tabular form. From these figures it results that Pastor simulates and comes nighest the latter, tarsal to metatarsal even being greater. * '.' Characteristic of the Sturnidte," Garrod, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 646. |
