BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 



if, indeed, they be not more distinct fvom one another than ai-e the 

 t^o orders Charadriiformes and Gruiformes themselves. These 

 Gruiform groups differ as follows:' 



a Metasternum entire; deep plantar tendons of Type I, the tail not large and fan- 



, tSfiXZ:f or r (Jacanid.), the claws excessively elongated; hallux 



^- 'ZL incun^W; cervical vertehr. U-I5; -^^l^^: ^-^^ )! 



IJ, >nnchi;;;hinai; haUux small, elevated, or else (Aramid^) first primary 



■ ^ falcate-spatulate; cervical vertebraB 17-20; metasternum entire 



aa Meta-ternum2-notchedor else (Eurypyga.) powder-down patches present and 

 th" tail large and fan-shaped; deep plantar tendons of Type II or R , or .t of 

 Tvpe I (Eurypyga^) the tail large and fan-shaped; young nidicolous. 

 I Re trie s 12; aftershaft present; oil gland nude (except Eurypyga^, part); .leep 

 plantar teUns of Type I or IV; toes not lobated; young P^^^^P-^; 

 c Furcula Y-shaped; nasals holorhinal; cervical vertel^ra' 14-lo, mjological 

 T aulaBXY; biceps slip absent; ^-P plantar tendons o Type n;a^^^^^^^^^^ 

 cubital; tail moderate; no powder-down patches; bill shorter than head, 

 rong, the maxilla decurved; hallux elevated, with f-^^'y^^'l'^^'^) 

 (Terrestrial and arboreal; cursorial.) - -Cariam^ ( =Dicholophida, of Gadow ) 

 ... Fm-ula U-shaped; nasals schizorhinal; cervical vertebra. 18; myologicalfor- 

 mnla ABXY; biceps slip present; deep plantar tendons Type I; aqmnto- 

 "bUal- tail large, fan-shaped; powder-down patches present; bill longer 

 than tad, strafght; hallux decumbent, with sn.all and moderately curved 

 claw. (Aquatic and arboreal; grallatonal). 



Eurypygffi ( =Eurvpvgida; - Rhinochetidaj of Gaoou ) . 



I,,, RectriceslS; aftershaft absent; oil gland tufted; deep plantar tendonsot Type 11; 



toeslobated; young gymnopa.dic..Heliornithes(=Heliornithid. ot (.a.o. ). 



Reverting to the order Charadriiformes, it may he stated that Di-^ 

 Gadow recognizes four suborders (Limicola^, Lan, Pteroc es, and 

 Columb^) as groups of equal value; nevertheless, that the Columb^ 

 Ir^ Ir more diffexLt fro!n the Limicol. or Lari than these two are 

 from one another is perfectly obvious from the evidence, which may 

 be summarized as follows: 



LiMicoLJ^+LAEi.-Aquatic, limicoline, or cursorial; vomer vyell 

 developed; syrinx tracheo-bronchial; c.^ca functional; young nidi- 

 fugous (or at"' least not strictly nidicolous) and ptilop^edic. 



CoLUMB^.-Arboreal and terrestrial; vomer rudimentary or absent; 

 syrinx tracheal or sterno-tracheal; c^ca nonfunctional; young nidi- 

 colous and gymnopsedic. 



""^^Ti^T^TT^^^T^biTtiT^;;;^^ 



Ch:i^drl forni a„a Gruiformes, as constituted in Dr. Gadow' s scheme, ^re^sfo.^' 

 CHAKADKn.oKMES.-Dorsal vertebne opi^thoc^lous; metastei^jmn^^^^^^^^^^ 

 GKriFOHMES.-Dorsal vertebra, heteroc.elous; metasternum '-^''^fZr^^Ld 

 ^ The author is, of course, perfectly aware that groups are -^^'^ ^"^^^^"^^^ 

 bv combinations than by sets of absolutely exclusive characters; ^^ -"^^^^ f^ ^^^^^ 

 '<kev" it becomes necessary to employ the latter, when they ^^^J^? ^^^f; ^^^^ 

 without regard to their relative taxonomic value, otherwise the keys become com 

 plicated and unmanageable. 



