OCR Text |
Show 1018 MR. AV. P. PYCRAFT ON THE [Dec 19, 2. Contributions to the Osteology of Birds. Part IV. Pygopodes. By W . P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S. [Received September 11, 1899.] (Plate LXXII.) CONTENTS. i. Introductory Remarks, p. 1018. ii. The Skull of the Adult, p. 1019. iii. The Skull of the Nestling, p. 1028. iv. The Vertebral Column, p. 1033. v. The Ribs, p. 1034. vi. The Sternum and Pectoral Girdle, p. 1035. vii. The Pelvic Girdle, p. 1036. viii. The Pectoral Limb, p. 1037. ix. The Pelvic Limb, p. 1037. x. Summary, p. 1041. xi. Key to the Osteology of the Pygopodes, p. 1042. xii. List of Works referred to or consulted, p. 1044. i. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. The following account of the Osteology of the Grebes and Divers is offered as a supplement to the very valuable memoirs of Brandt, Beddard, Milne-Edwards, Eiirbringer, Gadow, Garrod, D'Arcy Thompson, and others, to which the present writer is greatly indebted. Although, perhaps, few* of the facts herein set down are really new, it is hoped that the method of their presentation may succeed in bringing to light points which have hitherto escaped notice. As usual, this work is based upon a study of the skeletons in the Natural History Museum. These are fairly numerous, but some genera of Grebes yet remain on our lists of desiderata. 1 am especially indebted to Mr. Beddard for the loan of a skeleton of JEchmophorus, which is as yet unrepresented in the Collection. W e have no embryos either of Grebes or Divers; hard-set eggs of these would therefore be very acceptable. The ouly nestling-skeletons of this suborder which we possess are two of Podicipes cristatus, kindly furnished for the purposes of this paper by the Hon. Walter Rothschild, M.P. M y description of the hemipterygoid of the Diver is based upon two nearly full-grown skulls, one of which was kindly lent me by Prof. G. B. Howes, E.R.S. Nestlings of the Diver are badly needed. We should be grateful for help in this direction from members of this Society, some of whom doubtless could fill up for us these gaps. Comparison is frequently made, throughout this paper, between the Auks and Divers. This is in no sense to be taken as a suggestion that these two forms are in any way related. The points wherein the two resemble one another are many, but they are to be regarded as instances of convergence, brought about by similar habits of life. It is intended to make such comparisons a special feature of this series of papers, in order that they may be of real use to the working osteologist and palaeontologist, both of whom are frequently called upon to decide to which of two forms |