2 DIC^ID^. 



In the folloArins; scheme I have attempted to indicate the natural 

 arrangement of the Nine-quilled Passeres as well as their affinities 

 to families not belonging to this section: — 



Nectariniidfe I ^^ Bicceidce—Anipelidee—Hirundinidee ^Muscicapidse 



Meliphagidas f ' | I Ploceid^ 



Tm(\ii?e-^Mniotilt{d(e—C(prebid(s—Tanagrid(S—Icterid<e-* j gturiiidffi 



|<t Motacillidce I 

 I. 

 ■* — —FrmgillidcB 



Family DIC^ID^. 



The members of this family — if we are allowed thus to designate 

 a group of Birds wnich cannot be defined in exact terms — are prin- 

 cipally Indian and Australian, a few representatives being found on 

 the west coast of Africa. Although resembling the Sun-birds in 

 habits, very few have the slender, Creeper-like bill of the latter 

 family ; and they differ also in nesting-habits, their nest being a 

 beautiful purse-like structure of felted materials. 



Key to the Genera*, 

 a. No bastard primary. 

 a'. Upper mandible neai'ly twice the length of 



the lower one 1. Hemignathtjs, 



h'. Both mandibles of ordinary proportions, and [p. 3. 



of nearly the same length. 

 a". Culmen much curved, and equal to the 

 tarsus in length. 

 a'", Bill curved, and much longer than the 



head -. Brepaxis, p. 5. 



b'". Bill curved, but only about the same 



length as the head 3. Vestiabia, p. 6. 



b". Culmen shorter than the tarsus. 



c'". Bin long and Creeper-like, the culmen 



exceeding the length of the hind toe 



and claw. 



a*. Tar:<us very long, more than twice 



the length of the outer toe and 



claw 4. HlMATIONE, p. 8. 



6*. Tarsus shorter, not twice the length 



of the hind toe and claw , . . 5. DiC.s;uM, p. 10. 



d'". Bill shorter and more Finch-hke, the 

 culmen not exceeding the tarsus in 

 length. 

 c*. Wing moderately long, falling con- 

 siderably short of the tail, and not 

 equalling in length the tail and 

 tarsus combined. 

 a"\ Bill very stout, and like that of a 

 Grosbeak ; cutting-edge of man- 

 dible strongly decurved 6. Loxiotdes, p. 49. 



* I am firmly convinced that Neodrepanis, from Madagascar, placed by 

 Capt. Shelley and Dr. Gradow (Cat. B. yoI. ix. p. 2) in the NectariniidcB, is 

 really a member of the family Dicmidm. 



