ANOMALQGONAM 169 



In the above table I have used twelve characters. The 

 Picidae, Bhamphastidae, and Capitonidae agree in ten of these, 

 and are undoubtedly nearly allied birds. The Bucconidae are 

 unfortunately not well known, but of the nine characters 

 which are set forth in the table they agree in eight with one 

 or other of the three families just mentioned. 



The Coraciidse and Meropida? agree pretty well in all the 

 characters except the exact arrangement of the deep flexor 

 tendons, the carotids being variable. There will be but little 

 violence done if these groups are associated. The Cypselidae 

 and Trochilidae clearly come near together, agreeing as they 

 do in nine of the selected characters. 



The Caprinmlgidse on the one hand, and the owls on the 

 other, each form a distinct group with no such near affinities 

 to any of the others as those which we have been considering. 



The trogons are the only other group with basipterygoid 

 processes ; they do not, however, come very near to the 

 Caprimulgidae or to the owls ; out of the selected twelve 

 characters they have at least four in which they totally 

 differ from the first, and five in which they differ from the 

 second. This group may be left as equivalent to the other 

 compound groups already considered. 



The Todidaa are placed by GADOW close to the motmots ; 

 by FORBES, on the other hand, they are widely separated. 

 They agree with them in ten out of the twelve, showing 

 thus, it appears to me, a considerable nearness. They agree 

 equally closely with the Meropida? on the one hand and the 

 Galbulida? on the other. These four groups appear to me to 

 be worthy of association into one larger group. 



We have left the Bucerotida?, Upupidae, Alcedinidse, and 

 Coliidae. The kingfishers undoubtedly come near to all of 

 these, in only at most four of the characters differing from 

 any one of them ; but they are as near to the motmots and 

 Rhamphastidae. They should form a group apart. 



The same may be said of the colies ; they are very near 

 to the hornbills and kingfishers, but equally near to the mot- 

 mots and Rhamphastidse ; we may therefore place them in a 

 group apart. On the other hand the Bucerotida3 come nearer 



