in the Order Insessores Heterogenes. 357 



of the sternum is nearly heart-shaped, terminating in a point 

 backwards .* The tongue in both these families is much 

 lengthened, tapering, and extremely thin ; a fleshless lamina: 

 the stomach, a tolerably muscular gizzard : intestine, shorter 

 perhaps than in any other bird whatever, and furnished with 

 large ccecal appendages, resembling those of the owls. In 

 the stomachs of both I have found only the remains of insects. 



Externally, the todies and jacamars differ in the disposi- 

 tion of the toes, which in the former resemble those of the 

 kingfisher, and are similarly joined ; but in the jacamars, al- 

 though the inner toe is connected to the next, the outer one 

 is reversed, as in the ordinary zygodactyle foot observable in 

 the toucans, &c.f Both have the mandibles much elongated, 

 and very slight; and in the todies, and jacamars pertaining 

 to the division Jacamerops, they are remarkably wide : the 

 nostrils are exposed, and not quite basal ; and around the beak 

 are the five sets of vibrissa so conspicuous in some barbets, 

 but small and little noticeable. The wings are rounded : and 

 the feeble texture of their feathers intimates that the moult is 

 probably effected early, in which they would differ from the 

 Cylindrirostres. 



I shall now proceed to consider them separately : premis- 

 ing, however, one more general remark ; namely, that while 

 the prece ling tribal group is all but confined to the eastern 

 hemisphere, the present is quite restricted to tropical Ameri- 

 ca. It even appears, that as the Simiada of the old world 

 are represented by a different and distinct group in the new, 

 so the kingfishers are represented by the todies, and the bee- 

 eaters by the jacamars ; the rollers also, less directly, how- 

 ever, by the motmots ; while the motmots and toucans, and 

 even ani, together may be said to represent the hornbills ; and 

 the hornbills and touracos, together, inversely, the toucans. 

 Thus it is, that, if we attempt to follow up these vague and 

 fancied relations, — here and there seemingly perceptible, — 

 in the geographical distribution of forms, we very soon be- 

 come involved in a maze ; whence there is every reason to 

 doubt whether they can be regarded as implying anything, 

 being merely, (if I may so express it), fortuitous coincidences. 

 In the case of the hoopoes, we can discern no new world re- 

 presentative whatever ; and the very extensive family of king- 



*A skeleton of the Galbula viridis is in the museum of the Royal Col- 

 "lege of Surgeons, and another in that of the London University: a speci- 

 men of Todus viridis in spirits is in the first-named collection. 



fin one or two jacamars, the inner or ordinary opposahle toe is absent, 

 as in some woodpeckers ; not the analogous toe, however, to that which is 

 deficient in certain kingfishers, brought together under the name Ceyx. 



