842 BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. [Vol.Y. 



1876. KlDDEK, J. H., and Coues, E. A study of Chiouis luinor \A-ith reference to its 

 Structure and Systematic Position. <^Bull. U. S. Nat. Mm., No. 3, 187ti, pp. 

 85-116. 



After Dp Blainville's original memoir of 183G on the anatomy and taxonomy of C. alba, this 

 article is the principal authority on the stnicture and systematic position of the family Ghio- 

 nidida'. The species studied is C. minor, not only fully endorsed as to its specific validity, 

 but raised to the rank of a separ.ate genus (Chionarekus, g. n.. p. 116). The taxonomic value 

 of the family is also raised to equivalency with the major groups indicated by Huxley by the 

 termination -morpho), under the style of Ghionomorphoi (p. 115). 



The article opens with a review of the literature of the whole subject, from Forster's found- 

 ing of the genus Chionis in 1788, to date, De Blainville"s paper being specially noted (pp. 

 85-90). The description of C. minor follows (pp.. 91,92): the anatomy of the same species 

 continues (pp. 92-107) with an account of the principal muscles and viscera, and a descrip- 

 tion of the whole skeleton. A "Statement of Conclusions deduced from the foregoing" con- 

 cludes the paper. De Blainville's views of the near relationship of Chionis to Hceynatopus are 

 criticized and dissented from. "In summing external characters, therefore, we see how 

 exactly Chionis stands between grallatorial and natatorial birds, retaining slight but per- 

 fectly distinct traces of several other types of structure " (P- 109) . ' ' ^e thus find in Chionis 

 a connecting link, closing the narrow gap between the plovers and gulls of the present day. 

 In our opinion, this group represents the survivors of an ancestral type fiom which both 

 guUs and plovers have descended. And this opinion is strongly supported by the geograph- 

 ical isolation of its habitat, affording but few conditions favorable to variation" (p. 114). 

 Chionis being consequently not referable to either of the two superfamily groups between 

 which it stands, the group Chionomorphce is established for its reception, and defined — the 

 Chionomoi-phs ' ' constituting exactly' the heretofore unrecognized link between the Charadrio- 

 morphs and Cecomorphs, nearer the latter than the former, and still nearer the common an- 

 cestral stock of both." Of the two recognized species, C. minor is decided to be "undoubt> 

 edly nearest to the ancestral type," and is therefore named Chionarchus minor. 



Other observations on Chionis minor, by Dr. Kidder, are found ibid., p. 7 ; and in op. cit, 



No. 2, 1875, pp. 1 ; but these are not separate articles. I am under the impression that 



one or more special papers on Chionis appeared after 1876 ; but if so, I have not indexed the 

 periodicals in which they are contained. 



