SOME OF THE OUTLIERS AMONG BIRDS. 



765 



In studying the group of rail-forms and their kin we meet with 

 many interesting types.* This great rail group appears to be 

 connected with or linked to the pygopodous birds or divers f by 

 two genera of very interesting and as yet little known birds. 

 These are Heliornis and Podica of the family Heliornithidce, and 

 commonly known as " finfeet." Very little is known of their 

 anatomy, and absolutely nothing of their eggs and nidification.J 



New Zealand, which furnishes us with so many remarkable 

 types, has another genus leading off from the rails. These are 

 the " ocydromes," * curious birds with perfect wings yet incapable 



Fio. 2. The Tkumpetek {Psophia leacoptera). By the autbor, after Mite-hell. 



of flight. They are doomed to speedy extinction, and their anat- 

 omy and life history stand sadly in need of careful working up. 



Another great center of bird life is seen in the plover-snipe 

 group, and some important types link it as " outliers " with va- 

 rious other groups. For instance, in the first place, we have that 



* Our room here will not permit of more than to name some of these, and the student 

 will do well to look into the history of that peculiar genus of exaggerated gallinules known 

 as JVotornis, as JV. mantelli, and its fossil relative Aptornis, described by Owen, and both 

 from New Zealand. Porphyrio and the remarkable genus Triionyx of Australia are still 

 others to be especially noted. They all belong to the gallinuline series of subpartial rail 

 outliers. \ Pygopodea. 



\ Prince Maximilian of Wied claims to have shot a male H. fulira that had under its 

 wings two new-hatched, naked young. This species occurs from Guatemala to Paraguay, 

 while Podica is an African genus. * Ocydromns. 



