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Show 1885.] MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON THE CUCKOOS. 181 row of feathers to the wing; the posterior portion of the tract from this point onwards is composed of but a single row of closely-set feathers ; neither here nor in any other of the types examined by m e could I see that the two branches of each pectoral tract become reunited, though Nitzsch describes and figures such an arrangement. The spinal tract is narrow and very closely and strongly feathered upon the neck ; it is separated by a considerable interval devoid of feathering from the humeral tract ; the latter is of a triangular form, wider anteriorly than posteriorly ; the spinal tract bifurcates between the scapulse, and for the rest of its extent is covered by weak scattered feathering. As in other Cuckoos, the two halves of the spinal tract reunite some way in front of the oil-gland, and form a single tract more densely feathered. Crotophaga ani-The disposition of the feather-tracts in this Cuckoo has been described by Nitzsch. The inferior tract commences at the mandibular symphysis and passes back as a single tract to about the middle of the neck, where it bifurcates ; the skin of the throat lying between the rami of the 1 • • i » JO mandibles is bare on either side of the median tract as in Geococcyx. The ventral tract is described by Nitzsch (I. c. p. 91) as dividing into two branches, which reunite at a level with the hinder margin of the sternum. In an example of Crotophaga ani examined by myself this was certainly not the case; the disposition of the two branches of this tract was precisely like what has already been described in Centropus. The head is continuously but sparsely feathered ; between the shoulders the spinal tract bifurcates, each branch being at first but one feather wide ; at the commencement of the double portion of the spinal tract the feathers are very widely separated ; later on they get closer together, and this portion of the tract appears at first sight to be completely separated from the cervical portion. The pectoral tract of either side sends off a branch to the humeral tract, to the row of feathers which borders the patagial membrane in front and to the hypopteron ; all these are separated by patches bare of feathers, or with merely one or two feathers scattered here and there. Eudynamis orientalis.-This bird does not appear to m e to agree so closely with Cuculus in its pterylosis as has been stated by Nitzsch ; it differs in that each half of the ventral tract is bifid as in Geococcyx, &c. The ventral tract at its commencement entirely occupies the space between the two rami of the mandible ; on the breast the tract is very wide, and is continuous along the tract that separates the wing from the leg with the spinal tract, the axida itself being alone devoid of feathers ; some way below the axilla the tract divides into two branches, of which the outer one is only a single row of feathers ; these are at first very closely approximated, but gradually become somewhat more widely separated. The outer branch of the ventral tract ceases to be distinguishable some way in front of the pubes. The inner branch is three feathers wide for |