| OCR Text |
Show 1890.] THE STRUCTURE OF PSOPHIA. 335 In (1) Psophia most resembles Eurypyga, Cariama, Chunga. In (2) ,, ,, ,, Cariama, Chunga, Rhinochetus. In (3) ,, ,, ., Cariama and. Chunga. In (4) ,, ., ,, Ballidae, Rhinochetus, Cariama, Chunga, CEdicnemus. In (5) ,, ,, ,, Rhinochetus, CEdicnemus, Cariama, Chunga. In (6) ,, ., ., Cariama, Chunga, Ballidae, CEdicnemus. In (7) ,, ,, ,, CEdicnemus. In (8) ,, ,, ,, Cariama, Chunga. In (9) ,, ,. ,, Cariama, Chunga. In (10) ,, ,, ,, CEdicnemus, Cariama. In (11) ., ,, ., CEdicnemus, Cariama, Chunga. In (12) ,, ,, ,, CEdicnemus, Rhinochetus, Cariama, Chunga. In (13) ,, ,, ,, CEdicnemus, Rhinochetus, Chunga, Cariama, Eurypyga. In the greatest percentage of the above characters Psophia resembles the Cariamidae, next come CEdicnemus and Grus, then Rhinochetus. Pelvis. A comparison with the pelvis of a Crane (Tetrapteryx paradisea) may conveniently serve to indicate some of the peculiarities of the pelvis in Psophia, before comparing it with those of other types. The pelvis in Psophia is narrower, and the anterior part formed by the prolongation of the ilia is not much longer than the posterior part; it covers only two ribs. The inner borders of the postacetabular portion of the ilia are straight and lie close to the caudal vertebras. The pubes come into close relations with the ischia. The process of the ilium overhanging the acetabulum is not very well developed. In the Crane the contrary of all these conditions is found. The whole pelvis is broader and the anterior narrow region is longer than the posterior broader region. The inner borders of the postacetabular region of the ilia are concave and widely diverge from the vertebrae of the tail. The suprailiac crest is well developed. Cariama and Chunga l come nearer to tbe Cranes in every one of the points enumerated except in the connection between the pubes and ischia. Aramides, Fulica, and Ocydromus come nearest to Psophia ; so also do Parra and perhaps CEdicnemus. I do not lay any stress upon the preacetabu.ar process (pubis of some writers), as it is absent or present in very closely allied forms ; e. g. in Tetrapteryx paradisea (present) and Grus australasiana (absent). 1 Prof. Parker says (Osteology of the Kagu, loc. cit. p. 516):-" Here let it be remarked that the pelvis of Psophia is more like that of Ocydromus than that of the typical Cranes." |
