4 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



distinctive; dorsal pteryla interrupted between anterior and pos- 

 terior parts; caeca present, usually large; legs attached near 

 middle of body; wings long, the flight bouyant and capable of being 

 long sustaiued. 



KEY TO THE SUPERFAMILIES OF LIMICOLA. 



a. Vomer pointed or bifid anteriorly; maxillo-palatines long and thin; crop absent. 

 b. Nares schizorhinal. 

 c. Basipterygoid processes present. 

 d. Supraorbital grooves and occipital foramina absent; coracoids overlapping; 

 hallux, anterior toes, and claws enormously elongated; rectrices 10. 



Jacani (p. 5). 



dd. Supraorbital grooves and occipital foramina present; coracoids separated; 



hallux very small, often absent; anterior toes and claws of moderate 



length or relatively short; rectrices 12-28 Charadrii (p. 24). 



cc. Basipterj'goid processes absent Dromades (extralimital).« 



bb. Nares holorhinal or pseudo-holorhinal. 



c. Supraorbital grooves absent; coracoids overlapping (Edicnemi (p. 17). 



cc. Supraorbital grooves present; coracoids separated .. Glareolae (extralimital).^ 

 aa. Vdmer broad and rounded anteriorly; maxillo-palatines short and inflated, tumid 

 or spongy; crop present. 

 b. Nares pseudo-holorhinal; metasternum 2-notched; atlas perforated; rhampho- 



theca simple Attagides (extralimital) . c 



bb. Nares schizorhinal; metasternum 4-notched; atlas notched; rhamphotheca 

 complex Chionides (extralimital) .<^ 



a Dromades Sharpe, Eeview Rec. Att. Classif, Birds, 1891, 72. Includes only the 

 ciurious monotypic genus Droraas Paykull, of eastern Africa (including Madagascar) 

 to southern India, Ceylon, etc. The single species, D. ardeola Paykull, differs from 

 all other Limicolse in a considerable number of characters, among which are its 

 peculiar nidification, the single immaculate white egg being deposited at the end of 

 a long burrow. 



& <CGlareolse Sharpe, Review Rec. Att. Classif. Birds, 1891, 73 (includes Glareo- 

 lidee only). 



<^Cursorii Sharpe, Re-view Rec. Att. Classif. Birds, 1891, 73 (includes Cursoriidae 

 only). 



> Cursorii Sharpe, Hand-list, i, 1899, xvi, 169 (includes Dromadidse=Dromades). 



I am not at all sure that the Glareolae and Cursorii should be combined in one group, 

 but most certainly Drovias should be removed from close association with either. 



c yChionoideae Stejneger, Standard Nat. Hist.,iv, 1885, 92, in text (includes Chi- 

 onides) . 



ySubgrallatores Sundevall, Met. Nat. Av. Disp. Tent., 1872, 119, (includes Chi- 

 onides). 



=Attagides Sharpe, Review Rec. Att. Classif. Bii-ds, 1891, 72; Hand-list, i, 1899, 

 XV, 145. 



d=Vaginati Illiger, Prodromus Orn., 1811, 251. 



= Vaginales Cuvier. Rfegne Anim., ed. 2, i, 1829, 541. 



= Coleoramphi Yieillot. Analyse, 1816, 59. 



= CMonomorph% Coues and Kidder, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., no. 3, 1876, 115. 



= Ckionides Sharpe, Review Rec. Att. Classif. Birds, 1891, 72; Hand-list, i. 1899, 

 XV, 145. 



':>SubgraUatores Sundevall, Met. Nat. Av. Disp. Tent., 1872, 119 (includes Atta 

 gides) . 



^■Chionoideae Stejneger, Standard Nat. Hist., iv, 1885, 92, in text (includes Atta- 

 gides) . 



