OCR Text |
Show 1880.] ANATOMY OF PASSERINE BIRDS. 391 ( i. DESMODACTFLI. (The plantar vinculum retained ; manubrium sterni not forked.) ii. ELEUTHERODACTYLI. (The plantar vinculum lost; manubrium generally strongly forked.) ~rj @ H aa < P-H New World. A. Mesomyodi. HETEROJIERI. HOJICEOMBRI1. Haploophonas. Tracheophonaj. B. Acromyodi. Pipridcs. Cotingidee. TyrannideB. Rupicola. Dendrocolaptidce. Furnariidce. Pteroptochidce. Old World. EurylmmidcB. Philepittida. PittfdcB. ABNORMALES. Atrichiidce. Menuridee. NOKMALES. Till more material has been examined, it is impossible to say whether or not some of the points in the above classification fairly express the affinities of the various groups treated of. This appears to me particularly the case as regards the primary division of the Mesomyodi into Hetero- and Homceomeri, depending as it does on the presence of the femoral or the sciatic artery respectively. The pseudo-schizorhinal character of the skull also in some of the Tracheophonae 2 may necessitate an ultimate arrangement of that group different from that here adopted (taken from Messrs. Sclater and Salvin's 'Nomenclator'). As regards the Passeres whose anatomy still remains unknown, the forms that most require examination are Phytotoma and Oxyrhamphus3 of the New, and Orthonyx and Melampitta of the Old World. The last may be, as suggested by Mr. Gould 4, a link between Pitta and Philepitta ; Count Salvadori5 on the other hand, is inclined to regard it as a Timeliine and therefore a normal (Oscine) Acromyodianform. It is also highly desirable to obtain some knowledge of the soft parts of some of the larger forms usually placed amongst the Cotingidee, especially Ptilochloris and Phcenicoeereus (placed by Sundevall with Rupicola), as well as of Gymnoderus, Querula, Cephalopterus, &c. 1 I place Philepitta only provisionally amongst the Homceomeri, presuming that, as in all Passeres but the Pipridce and Cotingidee (minus Rupicola), the artery of the log is the sciatic. 8 Cf. Garrod, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 452, &c. 3 Very imperfectly described by Eytoii and Eydoux and Souleyet, cf Joh. Miiller, Stimmorgane, &c, p. 8. 4 B. New Guinea, pt. ii. (1876). ' Ann. Mus. Oiv. Gen. x. p. 147. |