312 Mr. T. C. Eyton's Notes on Birds, 



dicular line of the cranium. The crotaphyte impression between the 

 zygomatic and post-orbital processes is deep and well-defined ; above 

 this, is a well-defined impression of the temporal muscle. The lachry- 

 mal bones project in the form of a broad process anteriorly to the 

 orbits of the eyes, and must in a great degree protect that organ ; the 

 septum between the orbits is perfectly closed. The formula of the 

 vertebrse is — 



Cer. 12 ; Dor. 7 ; Sac. 11 ; Caud. 7. 



The terminal caudal vertebra is deep and narrow, measuring perpen- 

 dicularly half an inch. 



The ribs are seven in number, two false ones being placed ante- 

 riorly and one posteriorly. The ring of the cornea is rather elevated, 

 and consists of fifteen distinct and divisible segments. 



Remarks. — The anatomy of the soft parts of this bird ap- 

 proaches very nearly to that of some of the Cuculidcs ; the stomach 

 however in the latter family has the epithelium smooth, and is 

 proportionately of larger size. The cseca, CESophagus and proven- 

 triculus are of nearly the same form. 



The trachea is in Trogon acted upon by one pair of sterno-tra- 

 cheal muscles only, in which respect and also in the large size of 

 the bronchia it agrees with tlie Kingfishers. The intestinal canal 

 in Trogon is of larger diameter than among the Cuckoos, and the 

 rectum smaller in proportion to the size of the small intestine. 



In the structure of the trachea as before mentioned, Trogon 

 agrees witli the Kingfishers, but dififers as regards its soft ana- 

 tomy in almost every other respect. Its intestinal anatomy is 

 that of an insect-feeding bird ; but I should not have supposed, 

 from the slight muscular power of the stomach and its only 

 slightly hardened epithelium, that it fed upon seeds had I not 

 found them in the stomach, and it is perfectly possible that they 

 might have been swallowed with some small and soft insect.s 

 which had become decomposed into the soft pulpy matter which 

 was mixed with the seeds. In the general contour of the ske- 

 leton and in the lightness of the bones Trogon closely resembles 

 Alcedo ; in fact the skeleton might, if the head was removed, be 

 easily mistaken for a species of that genus ; there are however 

 distinctions which a more minute examination renders apparent ; 

 it must however be placed in contiguity with that form in a na- 

 tural arrangement, as it approaches more nearly to it than to any 

 other with which I am acquainted. From all the scansorial forms 

 it is at once distinguished by all those distinctive characters which 

 divide the typical genera of that order from the fissirostral or 

 volitorial* group. 



* I propose to divide the class Aves into the following eight orders, which 

 may be all distinguished by their skeletons : Raptores, Volitores, Scansores, 

 Insessores, Rasores, Cursores, Grallatores, Natatores, 



