MOMOTIDiE. 



313 



Family MOMOTID^. 



(By R. B. SHAEPE.) 



Palate desmognathous. Basipterygoid processes absent. Sternum 

 with four notches on posterior margin, converted into foramina. 

 Two carotid arteries present. 



Spinal feather-tract well-defined on neck, and not forked on the 

 upper back, xiftershaft of contour-feathers present. 



Cieca none. 



Bill serrated. 



Tail-feathers 12, in BarypTdlien<jus 10, the centre ones generally 

 ending in a large racket. Feet anisodactyle. 



Jiange. Confined to Central and South America. 



Cf. Murie, Ibis, 1872, pp. 383-412, pis. xiii.-xv. 



Key to the Qenera. 



a. Nostrils oval, situated anteriorly in the 



uasal depression, the posterior portion 

 of which is shut in by a horny mem- 

 braue ; the rictal bristles represented 

 by antrorse feathers with weU-formed 

 radii 1. Urospatha, p. 314. 



b. Nostrils rounded, situated in the anterior 



part of the nasal cavity, but with no 

 visible posterior membraue, the nasal 

 plumes impinging on the base of the 

 nostrils ; rictal bristles hair-like, the 

 plumes being almost devoid of radii. 

 «'. Tail longer than wing. 



a". Culmen tlattened, with a con- 

 spicuous ridge, which is grooved : 



bill broader than high at nostrils . 2. Phionikhynchus, p. 315. 

 b". Cidmen without auy grooved 

 ridge. 

 a'". BiU flattened, broader at 



nostrils than it is deep 3. Eumomota, p. 317. 



b'". Bill as broad at the nostrils as 

 it is deep, 

 rt'. Centre tail-feathers with a 



well-defined racket 4. Momotus, p. 318. 



//. Centre tail-feathers without 

 a racket. 

 a\ Bill compressed ; genys and 

 culmen ridged ; plumage 

 like that of Momotus ; tail- 

 feathers 10 5. Baeyphthengus, p. .'J30. 



v. Bill tlattened, the geny?: and 

 culmen flattened ; plumage 

 green, with a blue throat ; 



tail-feathers 12 6. A.spatha, p. 331. 



V . Wing and tail about equal in length ; 



size small 7. IIylomanes, p. 332. 



