that conned the Oi'ders and Families of Birds. 449 



and curvature of its bill, it approaches, in conjunction with many 

 of the Paradisea, to some of the extreme species of the Bucerida, 

 among which the Buceros nasiiius of Dr. Latham may be in- 

 stanced. 



We thus arrive at the singular family of Bucerida, which seems 

 to draw near to the preceding groups in its food and habits*, as 

 far at least as we can conclude from the very imperfect accounts 

 which are transmitted of them. From the strength also of the 

 formation of these birds, and the powers with which they are en- 

 dowed, they seem to assert a title to a place in the vicinity of the 

 group which is typical in the tribe. In one particular, however, 

 we may detect a deviation from the more perfect structure of 

 that type. The fore toes of all are strongly united at the base, 

 the external being joined to the middle as far as to the second 

 articulation ; an impediment which must considerably interfere 

 with the free action of the member. This deficiency is, on the 

 other hand, retrieved by the superior robustness and muscular 

 conformation of the whole limb. An analogous defect, and an 

 analogous mode of compensating for it, is observable in the Os- 

 trich, a bird also, it is to be observed, closely allied to the typi- 

 cal group of its own family ; and in both instances we may pro- 

 nounce the deviation from the more regular or perfect confor- 

 mation to be a defect rather to the eye of the observer, an in- 

 fringement upon what he would conceive to form the beau ideal 

 of the typical character, than a defect in reality. We may here 

 delay a moment to observe upon the caiises that assign so totally 

 remote a station from the present to the Todida, Meropida, and 

 Halcyonida, whose gressorial feet, as they are technically called, 

 are of precisely the same structure as those of Buceros. In them 



* Grands oiseaux d'Afrique et des Indes, leur port et leurs habitudes les rap- 



prochent des corbeaux. lis prennent toute sorte de nourriture, chassent aux souris, 



aux petits oiseaux, aux reptiles, et.ne dedaignent pas m^me les cadavres. — Cuvier, 

 Regne Anim. i, p. 418. 



the 



