File:The Canadian field-naturalist (1935) (20331482080).jpg

Title: The Canadian field-naturalist
Identifier: canadianfieldnat1935otta (find matches)
Year: 1935 (1930s)
Authors: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
Subjects:
Publisher: Ottawa, Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
Contributing Library: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

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Text Appearing Before Image:
January, 1935) The Canadian Field-Naturalist 17 It is of course quite possible that many ornitho- logists may have known of this curious feature, but the credit of bringing the matter into general notice belongs to Mr. Whymper." In this con- nexion, the present writer would like to point out that the late Dr. Elliott Coues in his Key to North American Birds published in 1872 refers to the position of the ear in the following words; "In Woodcocks (Scolopax, Neoscolopax, and Fhilohela) and true Snipe(Gallinago) the ear appears below and not behind the eye, which is placed far back and high up; and if the brain lie examined, it will be found curiously tilted over so that its anatomical base looks forward." As regards the reference to Mr. Pycraft. in Mr. V/hymper's letter, that gentleman eventually pub- lished a paper on the position of the ear of the Woodcock'^ not, however, in British Birds, but ii the Field of May 18. 1907. and Ibis for October, 1908. accompanied in the latter period- ical by five text figures, of which No. 4, here reproduced, is perhaps the most important, since it supports the author's contention that it is not the beak which is abnormally situated, but the '3 On the position of the Ear in the Woodcock (Scolopax ruaticula) by W. P. Pycraft The Ibis, Oct. 190cS, pp 551 558. aperture of the ear, this being in distinct op- position to the views of Prof. D'Arcy Thompson, as expressed in an article in the Field, November 16, 1907, vol. 110, p. 887. Briefly, in part, this is what Mr. Pycraft says:- "It has long been known that in the matter of the external aperture of the ear, taken in its relation to the eye, the Snipe (Gallinago) differs markedly from all other birds, but the still more abnormal position of this aperture in the Wood- cock escaped notice, because it was assumed that what obtained in the Snipe would naturally obtain also in the Woodcock. Thus, then, if the head of a recently-killed Woodcock be exam- ined, the aperture of the ear will appear in a quite abnormal position, for if a line be drawn at right angles to the long axis of the beak, and passing through the periphery of the anterior margin of the exposed surface of the eye, the aperture of the ear will be found lying in front of this line. In other words, when examined in rela- tion to the beak as just described, the aperture of the ear appears to lie in front of, and below, the level of the eye. A comparison of text- figures 4 (A & B) will make this clear. Text-fig. 4.
Text Appearing After Image:
A. Inner view of the left half of the skull of a Woodcock (Scolopax rusticula), shewing the brain-case and the relation thereof to the basicranial axis. The line A-B=a line drawn though the basicranial axis; the line C-D=a line drawn from the occipital condyle through the brain- case, at right angles to the basicranial axis. This figure is not quite accurately drawn, hence this line passes too far to the left; its true position is indicated by the short line to the right of C-D. B. Outer view of the same skull, shewing the relation of the external apertiu-e of the ear (E) to the basicranial axis (A-B). O. Orbit.

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