BIKDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMEEICA. 371 



rounded; contour feathers without aftershafts; vomer present, and 

 the pectoral pteryla without lateral (clavicular) or inner (gular) 

 branches. 



The above-mentioned structural characters wDl serve to readily 

 separate the Bucconidse from the Galbulidte, the two groups being 

 more closely related than is either to any other. 



Like the Galbulidse and Ramphastidse, the Bucconidse are peculiar 

 to contmental tropical America, reaching their northern limit in 

 southern Mexico and their southern in Paraguay and southern Brazil. 

 More than forty species are recognized by Dr. Sclater in the British 

 Museum ''Catalogue" (vol. xix), these belonging to seven genera, of 

 which two are monotypic. As is usually the case with peculiarly 

 Neotropical families, a large majority of the species and genera are 

 restricted to the Amazon Valley and Colombia, only one species 

 occurring in southern Mexico and but one more until Nicaragua is 

 reached, where three are found, the total number of species being 

 increased on the Isthmus of Panama to seven. 



The Puff Birds inhabit wooded localities, where they are most 

 often to be seen perched silently upon some prominent twig, from 

 which at intervals they dart upon the passing insects wliich consti- 

 tute their food. Little is laiown regarding their nidiiication, but 

 the few species whose nesting habits have been observed nest m holes 

 in banks, like the Kingfishers, Jacamars, and allied birds, and like 

 these lay glossy pure white eggs. 



KEY TO THE GENERA OP BUCCONID^. 



a. Bill stouter, etraighter, with tip of maxilla more abruptly decxirved, distinctly 



uncinate, sometimes cleft medially, the gonys more or less convex, ascending 



terminally. {Bucconinse.) 



h. Bill thick, its width at nostrils nearly to quite equal to its depth at same point. 



c. Tai-sus shorter than outer anterior toe without claw; upper part mostly plain 



blackish, the forehead sometimes white Northarchus (p. 373). 



cc. Tai'sus equal to or longer than outer anterior toe without claw; upper parts 

 mostly brown or rufous-tawny, the forehead never white. 

 d. Bill relatively longer, its width at rictus much less than length of gonys; 

 bristly antrorse feathers round base of bill more strongly developed; side 

 of head tri-colored (black, white, and chestnut or tawnj') ; general color of 

 upper parts brown (sometimes sparsely barred with paler), the tail uniform 

 brown; imder parts of body barred or spotted. 

 e. Tail strongly graduated, the lateral rectrices only three-fifths as long as 

 middle pair; wing more rounded, the longest primaries very slightly 

 exceeding secondaries; bill more depressed, its depth at nostril equal 

 to less than half the distance from nostril to tip of maxilla. 



Argicus (extralimital).« 



« Cyphos (not Cyphus Schonherr, 1823) sive Tamatia (not of Cuvier, 1817) Spix, Av. 

 Bras., i, 1824, 51. (Type, C. Tnacrodaclylus Spix.) — Cyphus (emendation; not of 

 Schonherr, 1823) Agassiz, Nom. Zool. Index Univ., 1846, 113. — Argicus Cabanis and 

 Heine, Mus. Hein., iv, heft 1, Jan. 15, 1863, 146, footnote, 148. (Type, Cyphos macrodac- 

 tylus Spix.) 



Colombia to upper Amazon valley. (Monotypic?) 



