THE MAGAZINE 



OF 



NATURAL HISTORY 



JULY, 1838. 



Art. I. Analytic Descriptions of the Groups of Birds composing 

 the Order, Insessores Heterogenes. By Edward Blyth, Esq. 



No. I. — Rollers, Bee-Eaters, and Kingfishers : Todies, 

 and Jacamars. 



Since committing to paper my article of last month, it has oc- 

 curred to me that none of the Heterogenes, (so far as I have 

 seen), are in the habit of swallowing gravel for the purpose of 

 triturating their food, as appears to be the case, universally, 

 with the Cantrices. I am unaware, moreover, that any of 

 them are known to drink, unless the suctorial species oiTrochi- 

 lidcd, and nectar-feeding Psittacida, be regarded as excep- 

 tions : indeed the Psittacidce, which we have already seen to 

 differ in so many particulars from all the rest, and which, to 

 judge from their entire structure, compose a group equivalent 

 to that of the whole Cantrices, may possibly form a general 

 exception also to this rule. In some groups of the series of 

 Heterogenes, — as the rollers, bee-eaters, and kingfishers, the 

 hornbills, and the hoopoes, — the extreme shortness of the 

 tongue, particularly as compared with the great developement 

 of beak, renders it almost physically impossible for them to 

 take up water. So that we have here, apparently, two other 

 general characters of this little-conformable series, in accord- 

 ance with the Rapaces, and at variance with the immense 

 group of Cantrices. 



When generalizing on the Heterogenes, I should have re- 

 peated the remark, that it is only in this series of forms, 

 throughout the class Aves, that the number of caudal rectri- 

 ces ever falls short of twelve. 



Vol. II. — No. 19, n. s. h h 



