| OCR Text |
Show 1867.] PROF. HUXLEY ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 415 Fig. 27. Under view of the skull of Podargus humeralis. From a specimen in Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons. The letters as before. In Podargus the disposition of the parts is essentially the same as in Bucco and Galbula; but the palatines are exceedingly broad, the oblique ridge in each being very distinct and often having the appearance of a suture. At its external termination the palatine is produced outwards and backwards into a strong process. The inner edges of the palatines unite for a considerable distance; and the form of the beak is completely changed, its great width giving it somewhat the appearance of an ace of spades. Buceros, leaving aside the mere form of the beak and its frontal enlargement, resembles Geococcyx and Bucco in the structure of its palate. There are rudimentary basipterygoid processes, but the pterygoids do not articulate with them. The palatines have their postero-external angles completely rounded off and enter into solid union with one another and with the vomer, which has the form of a thin vertical lamella. The internal laminae of the palatines incline towards one another anteriorly, and meet in front of the posterior nasal aperture, as in Galbula and Rhamphastos. Anterior to this junction again are situated two considerable apertures (a) divided by |
