216 Birds of Colorado 



the Long-crested Jay, E. L. Barthoud, however, informed Coues that 

 he had seen the Parrot on several occasions in the early sixties, at 

 Golden, close to Denver, on the Little Thompson, and also near Fort 

 Lyon. These are the only notices of its occurrence in Colorado, and 

 it is now doubtless extinct in the State. 



ORDER COCCYGES. 



This order, containing the Cuckoos, Trogons and 

 Kingfishers, is very difficult to diagnose by external 

 characters, but the bill is without cere, and is never 

 hooked or chisel-shaped ; the tail-feathers are never 

 stiff or sharp-pointed, and the toes are either arranged 

 two in front and two behind ; or if three in front, the 

 third and fourth are bound together for half their length, 

 i.e. syndactylous. 



Key of the Families and Genera. 



A. Toes, two in front and two beliind (Guculidce). 



a. Wing short, J the length of tail ; head crested. 



Geocccc3rx, p. 216. 



b. Wing longer, about equal to tail ; head not crested. 



Coccyzus, p. 218. 



B. Toes three in front, one behind ; the third and fourth bound 



together for half their length (.4Zced/mdcF). Ceryle, p. 221. 



Family CUCULID.^. 



Toes arranged with two — ^the second and third — in 

 front and two — ^the fkst and fourth — behind ; tail with 

 ten rectrices in all North American forms. 



Genus GEOCOCCYX. 



Terrestrial Cuckoos with crested head and a small bare, space round 

 the eye ; bill long, rather slender and downcurved towards the tip ; 

 wings very short, rounded and concave, less than a length of tail, 

 which consists of ten long, tapering feathers, and is very much 

 graduated ; legs stout and adapted to walking ; the tarsus scutellate 

 before and beliind. 



The genus contains two species only, one from the United States 

 and one from Mexico. 



