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Show 1889.] ON THE ANATOMY OF PICARIAN BIRDS. 587 Dalgleish, and pointed out its resemblance to that of the Geese (Anser). The egg was one of a clutch of four taken in October, 1873, by Mr. E. Gibson (as described, 'Ibis,' 1880, p. 166) near Cape San Antonio, Buenos Ayres. The following papers were read :- I. Contributions to the Anatomy of Picarian Birds.-Part I. O n some Points in the Structure of the Hornbills. By F R A N K E. BEDDARD, M.A., E.R.S.E., &c. [Eeceived October 5, 1889.] Under the above heading I propose to offer to the Society a series of notes upon the structure of Picarian birds which may form a parallel series to the valuable communications upon Passerine birds by Prof. Garrod and Mr. Forbes published in the ' Proceedings ' of this Society. The anatomy of the soft parts of the Hornbills has not been much studied, excepting as regards those points which were made use of by Garrod in his scheme of Bird-Classification ; further details are, however, to be found in Gadow's work upon Birds 1, and in M a x Fiirbringer's recently published monograph upon the shoulder-girdle and muscles of Birds 2. Visceral Anatomy. The liver-lohes present some differences in different Hornbills. Commencing with Bucorvus abyssinicus, in which the right lobe is larger than the left, the series terminates with Buceros coronatus, in which the left lobe is larger than the right. The following table shows the relations of the liver-lobes in such Hornbills as have been examined 3. Bucorvus abyssinicus. Aceros nipalensis. Buceros bicornis. Sphagolobus atratus. Bycanistes sub cylindricus. Buceros plicatus. Buceros rhinoceros. Buceros coronatus. R>L. R>L. R>L. R>L. R>L. R=L. R=L. R<L. I have noticed a peculiarity in several species of Hornbills which is not found in all other birds'. In all birds the two lobes of the liver are completely separated from each other by the umbilical ligament, which bears the umbilical vein (this appeared to be particularly large and well developed in all Hornbills which have 1 Bronn's ' Klassen und Ordnungen des Thierreicbs,' Bd. vi. 2 ' Untersuchungen zur Morpbologie und Systematik der Vogel.' 3 The greater part of these observations are to be found in M S . notes of Garrod and Forbes. |