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Show 1876.] MR. A. H. GARROD ON THE ANATOMY OF COLIUS. 417 notus I have taken special care ; and I find that the bird, as will be seen by the drawing which I exhibit, is without doubt desmognathous. Moreover, as the desmognathism apparently depends on the fusion of the feebly developed maxillo-palatine plates across the middle line as well as with the ossified nasal septum, it should, according to the valuable nomenclature of Prof. Parker *, be termed direct (of the first variety), as in the Falcons. It is not, however, possible to determine with certainty from the adult skull (from mine at least) whether the nasal septum has intervened between the maxillo-palatines, as in the Eagles, Vultures, and Owls, Palate of Colius castanonotus, x2|. and as it is in the Alcedinidae, because in them there is a demonstrable interval between the free posterior ends of these plates, the intermediate septal bond but incompletely uniting them. A slightly more extensive ossification in this region would reproduce a Parrot's palate in that of the Coly. Next, with reference to the vomer, the result of carefully watch^ ing the skull during maceration, and of a minute inspection of the palate in the prepared specimen, convinces m e that that bone is not ossified. In thus lacking the vomer, Colius and Alcedo agree. The sternum of m y specimen closely resembles that figured by * Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. ix. p. 293. |