446 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS.— PICARI^. 



suborders, not however insisting in the least upon the question of taxonomic rank, but simply 

 employing the terms conformably with my usage in other cases. The three groups may be here 

 tabulated, with remarks calculated to give an idea of their composition : — 



I. Cypseliformes — iucludiug only the three familica Cypselidce, Caprimulgidee, and 

 Trochilidce — the Swifts, Goatsuckers, and Humming-birds. They are birds of 

 remarkable volitorial powers ; the wing is pointed, and very long in its feathers and 

 terminal portions, though the upper arm is very short. The feet are extremely small 

 and weak, and are scarcely if at all serviceable for progression. The hind toe is 

 sometimes versatile (among the Swifts) or somewhat elevated (in the Goatsuckers 

 and some Swifts) ; the front toes are frequently connected at base by movable web- 

 bing (Goatsuckers) , and sometimes lack the normal number of phalanges (among 

 Swifts and Goatsuckers) ; but the feet are never zygodactyle nor syudactyle. The 

 variously-shaped tail has ten rectrices. One family (Humming-birds) shows the 

 tenuirostral type of bill ; the other two, the fissirostral, on which account they used 

 to be classed with the Swallows. The sternum is broad, with a deep keel, entire or 

 doubly notched (rarely singly notched) behind. The syrinx has not more than one 

 pair of intrinsic muscles. 

 n. CUCULIFORMES * — comprehending the great bulk of the order ; in all, about fifteen fami- 

 lies, rather more than less. They are only readily limited by exclusion of the charac- 

 ters of the preceding and following groups. The sternum is usually notched behind ; 

 the syringeal muscles are two pairs at most. The feet are generally short ; the dis- 

 position of the toes varies remarkably. In the Coliidce, or colies, of Africa, all the 

 toes are turned forward. In the TrogonidcB, the second toe is turned backward, so 

 that the birds are zygodactyle, but in a difiFerent way from all others. Families with 

 the feet permanently zygodactyle in the ordinary way by reversion of the fourth, or 

 partially so, the outer toe being versatile, are — the Cuculidce, or Cuckoos, with their 

 near relatives the Indicatoridce or Guide-birds of Africa; the RhamphastidcB, or 

 Toucans, confined to tropical America and distinguished by their enormous vaulted 

 bill ; the Miisophagidcc, Plaintain-eaters or Touracos, of Africa ; the Bucconidce and 

 Capitonidcs, or fissirostral and scansorial Barbets of the New and chiefly of Old World 

 respectively ; and the GalbulidcB, or Jacamars, of America. (The Cuculidce and 

 Musophagidce are by Garrod placed together with GalUnaceous birds.) In the 

 remaining groups, the toes have the ordinary position, but sometimes offer unusual 

 characters in other respects. Thus in the Alcedinidce (Kingfishers), and Momotidce 

 (Motmots or Sawbills), the middle and outer toes are perfectly coherent for a great dis- 

 tance, constituting the syngenesioiis, syndactyle or anisodactyle foot. The Bucerotidee, 

 or Hornbills, of the Old World, characterized by an immense corneous process on the 

 bm, are relatives of the Kingfishers ; so are the Todidce, a group of small brightly- 

 colored birds of Mexico and the West Indies. Other forms, all Old World, are the 

 Meropidce or bee-eaters, the Upupidce or Hoopoes, and the Coradidce or Rollers, with 

 their allies the Lepiosomatidcs, of Madagascar. 

 ni. PiciFORMES — comprising only three families, the lyngidce, or Wrynecks, with one 

 genus and four species, of Europe, Asia, and Africa ; the Picumnidc?, with one or two 

 genera and nearly thirty species, chiefly American ; and the Picidiz or true Wood- 

 peckers. The digits are pennanently paired by reversion of the fourth, except in 

 two tridactyle genera, having no hind toe proper; there is a modification of the 



* While the Cijpse!ifarmes and Piciformes are each of them well characterized and perfectly defined groups 

 of l.irds, the reverse is the case with the CucM^i/bjvnes, — a mixed lot requiring to be reconstructed by exclusion of 

 some of the families here given as entering into its composition. The Troijonidui have already been eliminated 

 by Sclater under the name of HeterodactuH. 



