226 BULLETIN 5 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Ixxvi, art. 24, 1930, 4 ; Smiths, Misc. Coll. Ixxxix, No. 13, 1934, 6 ; xcix, No. 



7, 1940, 6.— Petees, Check-list Birds of World, ii, 1934, 218. 

 =Heliornithidse Sclater and Sax,vin, Nom. Av. Neotr., 3873, viii, 140. — Shabpe, 



Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxxiii, 1894, xii, 229; Hand-list, i, 1899, 111.— 



Beddakd, Struct, and Classif. Birds, 1898, 327, in text. — Salvin and Godman, 



Biol. Centr.-Amer., Aves, iii, 1903, 330.— Knowlton, Birds of World, 1909, 



348. 

 <Heliornithidae Sharpe, Rev. Rec. Att. Classif. Birds, 1891, 70 (Eeliomis 



only). 

 <Podicse Shaepe, Rev. Rec. Att. Classif. Birds, 1891, 70 (genus Podica). 



This being the only family in the suborder Heliornithes, the char- 

 acters are the same as those of the latter, as given on the pages 

 immediately preceding. 



KEY TO THE GENERA OF HELIORNITHIDAE 



a. Much smaller (total length about 300 mm.) ; feet relatively small and weak, 

 tarsus less than one-fifth as long as wing, decidedly shorter than the rela- 

 tively small and slender bill, the latter not longer than head ; anterior toes 

 extensively webbed, web between middle and outer toe extending for entire 

 length of first two phalanges of former ; rectrices with shafts slender and 

 rigid only toward base; feet banded with black and yellowish (American 



Tropics) Heliornis (p. 226) 



aa. Much larger (total length 400 to nearly 600 mm.) ; feet large and stout, tarsus 

 more than one-fifth as long as wing, about as long us the large and stout 

 bill, the latter longer than head ; anterior toes slightly webbed, web between 

 outer and middle toes falling short of distal end of first phalanx of latter ; 

 rectrices with shafts strong and rigid throughout; feet unicolored (tropical 

 Africa and Asia). 

 &. Tail less than three-fourths as long as wing, rectrices broad, with slenderer 

 shafts, their edges not upturned ; mesorhinium a narrowly compressed 

 ridge (as in HeUornis) ; second and third primaries (from outside) long- 

 est, the outermost equal to or slightly longer than sixth (as iu Heliornis) . 



Heliopais ( extralimital ) ' 

 hb. Tail more than three-fourths as long as wing, rectrices very narrow, with 

 heavy, very rigid shafts and upturned edges ; mesorhinium broad and flat- 

 tened; fourth and fifth primaries (from outside) longest. 



Podica (extralimital)* 



Genus HELIORNIS Bonnaterre 



Heliornis Bonnaterre, Tabl. Encycl. M4th., i, 1791, Ixxxiv, 64. (Type, by mono- 

 typy, H. fulicarius BoiinaterTe=Coli/mdus fullca Boddaert.) 



Podoa Illiger, Prodr. Orn., 1811, 267. (Type, Plotus surinamensis Gmelin= 

 Colymbus fulica Boddaert.) 



^Heliopais Sharpe, Bull, Brit. Orn. Club, i, 1893, p. xxxvii; Ibis, 1893, 439 

 (type, by original designation. Podica personata Gray). (Cambodia, etc., to 

 Malacca and Sumatra ; monotypic. ) 



* Podica Lesson, Traits d'Orn., 1831, 596 (type, by monotypy, Heliornis sene- 

 galensis Vicillot). — Rhigelura Wagler, Isis, 1832, 1229 (type, by monotypy, Helior- 

 nis senegalensis Vieillot). — Podoa ("ex[Ill]iger" but not of Illiger, 1811) Bona- 

 parte, Consp. Gen. Av., ii, 1857 [1855], 182. 



