542 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS.— PICARnE. 



18. Guide-birds. Palate called aegithognathous or schlzognathous ; vomer forked. Intrinsic syringeal muscles 

 one pair. Formula A X Y. Manubrium sterni acute. Sinistrocarotid. Tufted oil-gland and no caeca. Ven- 

 tral pteryla forked on throat. Wing-coverts passerine. Primaries only 9. Rectrices 12 (in /rerfica/or), or 10 

 (in Prodoiiscus). Bill moderate. Two genera, African and Asiatic 18. Fam. iNDicATORiDiE 



19. Barbels. Palate called aegithognathous or desmognathous ; vomer forked. Formula A X Y. Manubrium 

 sterni acute. Sinistrocarotid. Tufted oil-gland and no cseca. Syrinx simply broncho-tracheal, without in- 

 trinsic muscles. Ventral pteryla forked. Wing-coverts passerine. Rectrices 10. Bill moderate, highly 

 bristly. About 30 Old World genera ; 2 genera (Capito and Tetragunops) Neotropical 



19. CAPIT0N1D.E (or MegALjEMID«) 



20. Toucans. Palate desmognathous ; vomer truncate. Nasals holorhinal ; no basipterygoids. Formula A XY. 

 Manubrium sterni acute. Sinistrocarotid, as a rule. Tufted oil-gland and no caeca. Plumage aftershafted. 

 Wing-coverts passerine. Rectrices 10. Bill enormous ; tongue macroglossine, horny, and feathery. Nest in 

 holes in trees ; eggs white. Five or more Neotropical genera ; 50 or more species . 20. Fam. Rhamphastid.*; 



21. Jacamars. Formula A X Y or A X. Bicarotidean. Nude oil-gland, but caeca developed. Ventral pteryla 

 branched in gular region ; plumage brilliant, aftershafted ; wing-coverts subpasserine. Rectrices 12 (radac«d 

 to-10 in two genera). Hallux missing in one genus (Jacamaralcyon) ; feet somewhat syndactylous. Bill tenui- 

 rostral, with keeled gonys and' ridged culmen. Nest in burrows. Eggs 2, white. Neotropical. GalbuUnce, 

 5 genera ; Jacamaropinw, one genus 21. Fam. GrALBULlDiE 



22. Puff-birds. Palate desmognathous. Formula A X Y ? Bicarotidean. Nude oil-gland, but large caeca. 

 Ventral pteryla unbranched in gular region ; plumage dull, not aftershafted ; wing-coverts not passerine. 

 Rectrices 12. Bill stout, with flat gonys. Nest in burrows. Eggs 2, white. Neotropical ; genera 7 or more. 



22. Fam. Bucconid^ 

 B. Homalogonatous ; ambiens present. 



Formula A B X Y or A X Y ; i. e. femorocaudal present, its accessory present or absent, semitendinosus and its 

 accessory present. 

 Feet picarian, desmopelmous and zygodactylous (in the usual way by reversion of 4th toe ; hallux always present). 



Palate desmognathous. Spinal pteryla forked in scapular region IX. COCCYGES 



*23. Cuckoos. Feet perfectly zygodactylous. Nude oil-gland and 2 caeca. Plumage not aftershafted. Rectrices 

 10 (8 in Guira and Crotophaga). (Formula normally A X Y, but A B X Y in Centropus, etc ) Syringes vari- 

 able. Cosmopolitan ; genera upward of 40, in several subfamilies 23. Fam. CuculiDjK 



24. Turacoiis. Feet imperfectly zygodactylovis ; fourth toe versatile. Tufted oil-gland and no caeca. Plumage 

 aftershafted. Rectrices 10. (Formula A B XY.) Ethiopian; genera 6 24. /^«»». Musophagid^ 



It must be obvious, from the foregoing exhibit, that no linear arrangement of the groups 

 can possibly exhibit tlieir various interrelations; and consequently, any sequence of the families 

 we may adopt becomes a choice of evils. By common consent, the highly specialized Tro- 

 chilidce stand at or near the '* head " of the series, and near or next to them come the Micro- 

 podidce (Cypselidce). Again, the homalogonatous Cuciilidce and Musophagidce, differing most 

 from all the rest, and even hinting at gallinaceous affinities, are best put at the " foot " of the 

 series. But between these extremes there is room for wide difference of opinion in arranging 

 the families of the whole order, even when we have only those of North America to deal with. 

 It will be observed that our seven families represent as many of the whole number of suborders, 

 only the Pamprodactyli (the Colies) and the Upupce being unrepresented in our fauna. Now 

 the XTpupce are certainly "high" in the Picarian series, with their passerine feet, etc. — so 

 high that Salvin makes them head the order, even taking precedence of the TrocMlidce. Yet 

 their closest relationships are with the BuceroUdce, or Hornbills ; and to bring out this fact I 

 am obliged, in the foregoing schedule, to bring in the Halcyones next after the UpnpcE. But 

 this arrangement has the disadvantage of throwing the Caprimidgidce far out of their unde- 

 niable bearing upon the Cypselidce, and so upon the Trochilidce ; for the actual relationships of 

 these three families are so close that with most authors they form one suborder — the so-called 

 Macrochires, Cypseliformes, or CypselomorplicB. In a faunal work like the present it may not 

 be necessary to insist upon considerations involved in the relationships of the H(jopoes and 

 Hornbills; and it is easy to bring the Caprimnlgid/e next after the Cypselida;, by simply trans- 

 posing the places occupied by the Halcyones and Coracicv in the foregoing scheme. Making this 

 single change, the sequence of our seven suborders and seven families becomes : Trochili, 

 Trochilidce; Cypseli, Micropodidce ; Coraci^, Caprimnlgidce ; Halcyones, Alcedinidce : 

 Trogones, Trogonidce ; Pici, Picida; ; and Coccyges, Cuculidce. This arrangement seems 

 to me to be as " natural" as any tliat can be devised; it certainly brings out some good points. 



