488 CORVINiE. 



oblong, a little compressed ; its muscular coat, 6, c, d^ thick, 

 with two round rather large central tendons, e ; the cuticular 

 lining of moderate thickness, and more or less, generally 

 slightly, rugous. The intestine is of moderate length, wider 

 in its duodenal portion, gradually contracting as far as the 

 coeca, Fig. 3, ^, (;? ; which are cylindrical, adnate, longer than 

 in the diurnal rapacious birds, but in no case exceeding an 

 inch in length, and therefore forming a complete contrast with 

 those of the Kasores. The rectum, «, ^, which is very short, 

 scarcely a twelfth of the whole length of the intestine, is wider, 

 and towards the end has a globular dilatation. 



The eyes are of modemte size ; the eyelids feathered, with a 

 narrow crenate margin, and without ciliary bristles ; the lower 

 much larger. The nostrils are of moderate size, round or broadly 

 elliptical, in the fore part of the very broad, short, rounded, 

 nasal depression, and covered by reversed bristly feathers. 

 The aperture of the ear is rather large or of moderate size, and 

 nearly circidar. 



The feet are of moderate leno-th, grenerallv stout ; the tarsus 

 compressed with from eight to ten anterior scutella, and two 

 longitudinal plates forming a thin edge behind. The toes are 

 four, articulated on the same level, the first directed backwards, 

 and stronger, but about the same length as the second and 

 fourth, which are considerably exceeded by the third ; all cover- 

 ed above with large scutella, padded and gi*anulated beneath ; 

 the fourth or outer united to the third as far as the second joint. 

 The claws are rather large, arched, compressed, more or less 

 acute, the sides erect, and generally with an obscure groove. 



The plumage is various. The feathers at the base of the 

 upper mandible are always linear, with disunited filaments, 

 reversed, adpressed, and covering the nostrils. The wings are 

 long, or of moderate length, much rounded ; the first quill about 

 half the length of the fourth or fifth, which are longest ; the 

 primary quills ten ; the secondary from nine to twelve, broad, 

 and abruptly rounded. The tail varies from moderately long 

 to very long ; and presents no general character beyond being 

 composed of twelve broad feathers. 



The skeleton of these birds is of moderate strength ; the 



