| OCR Text |
Show 1899.] CRANIAL OSTEOLOGY OF THE PARROTS. 35 three ; while Agapornis and Palceornis also have peculiar characters. The skulls of Geoffroyus and Eclectus are extremely alike, in all their leading features: they are, moreover, so similar to that of Coracopsis, that their descriptions may be abbreviated. They both have, as in Coracopsis, a prefrontal which reaches to, but does not join, the squamosal; a small postfrontal, somewhat larger, however, than in Coracopsis and directed more forwards; a raised triangular basitemporal shield, with broad smooth lateral areas Fig. 31. Quadrate bone of Tanygnathus megalorhynchus. Fig. 32. Polytelis barrabandi. Fig. 33. Aprosmictus cyanopygius. reaching back to a sharp and nearly horizontal paramastoid; in both, the lower margin of the auditory meatus is deeply and narrowly notched, the upper and posterior angle somewhat square, especially in Eclectus ; the temporal fossa narrow and deep. The mandibular fontanelle is distinct but not large. Tanygnathus, while appertaining to the same type, exhibits numerous points of difference. The orbital ring is more widely 3* |
