238 GENERAL ORNITHOLOGY. 



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(D.) Mid-claw — pectinate; 4th toe l-jointed ; plumage lax (Goatsuckers) CAPRiMULoiDiE 5(il 



— not pectinate ; hind toe — versatile; plumage compact (Swifts) Micropodid^e 555 



— not versatile ; head — naked (go to b). 



— feathered (go to c). 

 (b.) Nostrils — imperforate ; naked leg and foot shorter than tail (Turkey) Meleagridid« 726 



— perforate ; naked leg and foot — shorter than tail (Turkey-buzzards) . . Cathartid/E TOO 



— longer than tail (Cranes) Gruid.e 847 



(e.) Nostrils — feathered, or scaled, in deep fossa of stout hard bill ; shank — more or less featliered 



(Grouse) Tetraonid^ 730 

 — entirely bare and scaly 

 (Partridges and Quail) Perdicid* 749 



— not feathered nor scaled, in groove of softish bill ; tarsus — reticulate tPlovei ) 



Uhakadrhd^ 7G7 

 — scutellate in front (Snipe, etc.) 



SCOLOPACID^ 798 



(E.) Wing — spurred Jacanid^ 7G5 



— not spurred ; forehead — covered with a horny shield (GaUinules) RaludjE 850 



— feathered ; length — 2 feet or more Aramid^ 849 



— under 2 feet ; 1st primary — attenuate (Woodcock) 



SCOLOPACID^ 798 



— not attenuate — much 



shorter than 2d (Rails) 



RALLIDiE 850 



— about equal to 2d (Snipe, 



etc.) ScolopacidjE 798 



or AphrizidjE 783 

 B. \_The hind toe not elevated^ 



Toes syndacttlous ; tibiae naked below ; bill straight, acute (Kingfishers) . . Alcedinid^ 571 



TlBI^ NAKED BELOW. (Go tO d. ) 



Nostrils opening beneath soft swollen membrane. (Go to e.) 

 Bill hooked and furnished with a cere. (Go to f.) 

 Birds without the above characters. (Go to g.) 



(d.) Middle claw — pectinate (Herons) Ardeid^ 871 



— simple ; tarsus — scutellate in front (Ibises) Ibidid^e SG4 



— reticulate; bill — flat, spoon-shaped (Spoonbill) . . Plataleid.e 8G8 



— not flat, stout, tapering (Wood Ibis) Ciconiid^ 809 



(e.) Bird over 18 inches long, greenish (Texan Guan) Cracid.e 721 



Birds under 18 inches long (Pigeons) Coldmbid^ 709 



(f.) Eyes — lateral, not surrounded by a disc; nostrils i>i the cere (Hawks, Eagles, etc.) . . Falconid.e G49 



or PANDIONID.E G98 



— anterior ; face more or less disc-like ; nostrils at edge of cere (Owls) ; middle claw — simple 



. Strigid^ 623 



— jagged 

 Aluconid^ G21 

 (g.) Primaries — 10 ; the 1st (never spurious) always more than % as long as longest (go to li). 



— 10 ; the 1st (spurious or) at most not § as long as longest (go to i). 



— 9 ; the Ist {never spurious) of variable length (go to k). 



(h.) Tail - 12-feathered ; tarsus — exaspidean (Flycatchers) TYRANNiDiE 510 



— pycnaspidean (Cotingas) C0TIN6ID.E 534 



— 10-feathered ; secondaries — only 6 ; bill subulate (Humming-birds) Trochilid*: 543 



— more than G; bill small, very short (Swifts) . . Micropodid^ 555 



(i.) Tarsus — "booted"; wings — shorter than tail, both much rounded ; plumage very lax Cham.eid* 2G6 

 — longer than tail ; wing — over 3 inches ; rictus — bristled (Thrushes, etc.) 



Turdid^ 247 

 — unbristled (Dippers) 



C1NCLID.E 2G0 



— not over 3 inches (Kinglets, etc.) Sylviid^ 2G1 



— scutellate ; nostras — concsaled ; bill — strongly epignathous, toothed and notched (Shrikes) 



LANUDiE 3G9 

 — paragnathous ; — over 7 inches long (Crows and 



Jays) C0RVID.E 484 

 — not 7 inches ; bill — nearly = head 



(Nuthatches) Sittid« 276 



— scarcely or not 



I = head (Tits) Parid* 267 



