OCR Text |
Show 250 ON THE OSTEOLOGY OF CRANES, RAILS, ETC. [Mar. 20, received from Pahang in October 1889 (see P. Z. S. 1890, p. 592, pi. xlix.), which had died on the 27th June, 1892, so that the acquisition of the present individual would be most desirable. A communication was read from Dr. E . W . Shufeldt, C.M.Z.S., containing an account of the osteology of certain Cranes, Bails, and their allies, with remarks upon their affinities. After a review of the opinions of previous writers upon this subject, Dr. Shufeldt concluded with the following statement of his views on the taxonomy of the North-American Paludicoline birds :- " So far as this suborder-the Paludicolce-of the United States is concerned, it is primarily divided into two main stems. The first of these is represented by the Cranes and Courlans ; while the second contains all the Bails proper, or such generic groups as Rallus, Crex, Porzana, Ionomis, Gallinula, and Fulica. " Structurally the Courlans possess a greater number of Gruine than they do of Balline characters, and these characters are of equal importance and weight. But their generic characters are by no means always typical, and the differences seen are frequently of a degree that distinguish families among birds rather than genera. This being true, the fact settles the position of the Courlans in the system as a family-the Aramidce, of the Crane-group. The species which has been osteologically described here-Aramus giganteus-is the only representative known to our avifauna, and it is a most perfect link connecting the Cranes with the typical Rallidce. " The Cranes must then constitute a family of themselves, and the Gruiclce has long been created to contain them. But the osteological and other morphological characters held in common by the Gruiclce and the Aramidce are of a rank, when we come to compare them with the corresponding ones in the Rallidce, wrhich proclaim them to be higher than those commonly employed to define family lines, and yet not of a rank entitling them to sub-ordinal distinction. To express this relationship a superfamily Gruoidea may be made to contain all the true Gruidce, the Aramidce, and perhaps the Psophiclce, from another quarter of tbe world. Another group to contain all the true Bails may be created, and designated as the superfamily Ralloidca. A scheme as follows would show these divisions as expressed for the forms we have had under consideration :- Suborder. PALUDICOL.E Superfamilies. Families. Genera. ^GRUOIDEA i ?ruid* - Grus. [ Aramidse... RALLOIDBA Rallidse Aramus. Rallus. Crex. Porzana. Ionomis. Gallinula, Fulica, |