| OCR Text |
Show 1^74.] ANATOMY OF THE PARROTS. 589 Lathamus, Psephotus, Nestor, ' Psittacus, Pionus, Psittacula, Platycercus, Pyrrhulopsis, Pceocephalus, Pyrrhura. It. may be observed that the only other well-defined groups of birds in which the carotids vary are the Cypselidae, Gallinae, Struthiones, and Otididae. II. The presence or absence of the ambiens muscle. The ambiens muscle, the tendon of which crosses the front of the knee-capsule obliquely from above downwards and outwards, and ultimately forms part of the flexor perforans digitorum, is present in the following genera- Ara, Nestor, Bolborhynchus, Pceocephalus, Ca'ica, Psittacus, Conurus, Strinyops. It is absent in Agapornis, Licmetis, Aprosmictus, Loriculus, Brotogerys, Lorius, Cacatua, Melopsittacus, Calopsitta, Palaornis, Calyptorhynchus, Pionus, Chrysotis, Platycercus, Coracopsis, Prioniturus, Cyanorhamphus, Psephotus, Eclectus, Psittacula, Eolophus, Psittinus, Eos, Pyrrhulopsis, Euphema, Pyrrhura, Geopsittacus, Tanygnathus, Lathamus, Trichoglossus. The only other well-defined groups of birds in which the ambiens muscle is known to vary are the Columbae and the Struthiones. III. The presence or absence of the furcula. By this expression is meant the presence or absence of the furcula as a complete bone ; for in those Parrots in which it is said to be absent, the scapular ends of the two parts of which it is composed are frequently to be found, being of considerable length in Stringops and some of its allies. The furcula is complete in Aprosmictus, Brotogerys, Ara, Cacatua, Bolborhynchus, Ca'ica, |
