576 SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — PICARI.E — PICI. 



Suborder PICI : Piciform Birds. 



See p. 541 for analytical characters of this group, as framed to include the six families : 

 Picidce, Indicator idee, Capitonidce (or Megalcemidie), Rhamphastidce, Galbulidce, and Bucconidce. 

 The name '^Pici'^ here adopted for the suborder is not a happy one, because it is so closely 

 identified with a particular one of the six families, and because it is not equivalent to the 

 Pidfonnes of former editit>ns of the Key, which included only the Picidcc (with Picumnidce 

 and lyngidie, now reduced to subfamilies). But I find no more eligible name ; for the same 

 objections apply to the Picoidecu of Dr. Stejneger. The Celeomorph(S of Huxley would 

 cover the case better, but by common consent the peculiar terminology of this great scientist 

 is rejected. The name Scansores in a new restricted sense is adopted for exactly this group 

 in the British Museum Catalogues; but only one of the families of the suborder as now 

 framed is strictly " scansorial," and the c(ninotations of the antique term Scansores are so 

 wild and vague that its imposition upon any modern scientific group seems to me highly 

 objectionable. With tliis explanation, I avail myself of the makeshift name Pici in the 

 present connection. 



Pici are a less homogeneous group than most Picarian suborders, being in this respect 

 about as heterogeneous as Coracicc and Halci/ones. But these birds must go somewhere, and 

 may well be brought under one superfamily or subordinal group, as they agree in certain im- 

 portant structural characters, however diverse they are in external features and physiological 

 adaptations to difi'erent modes of life. Little given to climl)ing as are the birds of most of 

 these Piciform families, yet they agree to a dot in the actual structure of the feet, being all 

 antiopelmous as well as zygodactylous. The flexor digitorum profundus or perforans has but 

 a single tendon, which supplies the 3d digit (outer one of the two anterior ones), while the 

 proper flexor hallueis supplies the other digits by Tneans of three slips (two if the hallux 

 proper is missing, as it is in five genera of Picidte), besides sending a slip to the other flexor. 

 The myological formula always includes a semitendinosus and usually also its accessory (not 

 in PicidfE proper). The pahite is variable (with a special modification in the case of Picidte). 

 The sternum and tensor patagii brevis are characteristi(; ; the carotids are not, neither is the 

 oil-gland nor the caeca. ' Evidences of passerine affinity are found in the reducti(m or tendency 

 to reduction in extent of the wing-coverts (except in Bucconidce), reduction of the primaries to 

 10 with the first spurious {Picidce) or even to 9 (Indicaloridce) ; the rectrices are 12 or 10 indif- 

 ferently, even in the same family {Indicatorida;^"~Gra:lh->4Mdcc). The bill varies with the families 

 (peculiar in Picidce, enormous in Illuiniphastidcp, teuuirostral in Galbulidce, etc.). Referring 

 again to the tabular exhibit of the six families on pages 541, 542, I pass to the only one repre- 

 sented in North America. 



Family PICID.^ : "Woodpeckers, Piculets, "Wrynecks. 



Anomalogonatous antiopelmous zygodactylous Picarice, with saurognathous palate and of 

 scansorial habits. (Degradation of the families Pjcwmmfte and lyngidce, as given in former 

 editions of the Key, to rank as subfamilies Picumnince and Tyngince of one family Picidce makes 

 the latter equivalent to my former Piciformes, and my former Picidce to my present Picince.) 

 This is a large but well-defined and perfectly circumscribed family, found in most parts of the 

 world, and well represented in North America. In the antiopelmous structure of the flexor 

 tendons the Picidce agree perfectly with the other families of their suborder. Regarding their 

 zygodactylisin, it is perfect, with the anomalous and sporadic omission of a hind toe in five 

 genera otherwise intimately related in their respective subfamilies ; among the Picince the four 



