ESSENTIAL CHARACTERS OF THE ORDERS. 



ORDER VI. REPTATORES. CREEPERS. 



Bill of moderate length or elongated, slender, more or less 

 arched, compressed, acute ; upper mandible with moderate 

 basal sinuses, filled by the nasal membrane, which is covered 

 by short feathers, its edges slightly overlapping, with a small or 

 obsolete notch on each side, close to the pointed tip. (Eso- 

 phagus narrow, without dilatation ; proventriculus oblong, 

 with cylindrical glandules. Stomach roundish, somewhat 

 compressed, with moderate lateral muscles, and dense rugous 

 epithelium. Intestine short and rather wide ; coeca reduced 

 to very small cylindrical adnate tubes. Feet rather short; 

 tarsus compressed ; toes much compressed, the first large, the 

 anterior three little separated ; claws very long, moderately 

 arched, extremely compressed, very acute. Wings of mode- 

 rate length, broad, concave, rounded, with the first quill very 

 short. PI. XIV. 



ORDER VII. SCANSORES. CLIMBERS. 



Bill large, strong, nearly straight, angular, compressed and 

 generally cuneate at the point ; upper mandible with the nos- 

 trils concealed by the reversed bristly feathers of the narrow 

 basal sinuses. Tongue extensile. (Esophagus of moderate 

 width, without crop, but dilated below into a very large sac, 

 on which the proventricular glands are dispersed. Stomach 

 roundish, of small or moderate size, a little compressed, with a 



