iitBGAPODIID^. 445 



Suborder II. PERISTEROPODES. 



Inner notch of the atnrnum less than half the length of the entire 

 sternum. 



The hallux is on the same level as the other toes, and its basal 

 phalanx as long as that of the third toe. 



Family I. MEGAPODIID.E. 



Oil-gland nude. 



Eggs deposited in the sand or in a mound raised by one or more 

 pairs of birds ; young hatched fully feathered, -without the inter- 

 vention of the parent bird, and able to fly almost from birth. 



Key to the Genera. 



A. Upper tail-coverts extend to the end of the 



tail , 3. LiPOA, p. 463. 



B. Upper tail-coverts do not extend to the end of 



the tail. 



a. Bill slender ; claws very long and straight, 



the claw on the middle toe being much 

 longer than the length of the culmen (mea- 

 sured from the tip to the posterior wall of 

 the iiasid opening) ; tail composed of 

 12 feathers. 

 a'. Secondaries as long as the primary [p. 446. 



quills 1. MEGAPonrus, 



b'. Secondaries much shorter than the pri- 

 mary quills 2. EuLiPOA, p. 462. 



b. Bill stout and strong; claws shorter and 



more rounded, the claw on the middle toe 



shorter than the length of the culmen 



(measured from the tip to the posterior 



wall of the nasal openiug) ; tail composed 



of 16-18 feathers. 



!■'» Top of the head covered with feathers, 



which are sometimes very narrow and 



hair-like, never with either a casque or 



fleshy crest. 



a". No wattle at the base of the neck ; 



tail shorter and rounded ; nasal opening [p. 464. 



oval 4. Talegallus, 



b". A vasculai- wattle at the base of the 



neck ; tail long and fO-shaped ; [p. 467. 



nasal opening round 5. Cathetubus, 



d'. Top of the heau with an elevated fleshy 

 crest, extending from the base of the 

 culmen to the middle of the crown ; a 

 pendulous wattle on the biisal part of the 

 tore neck ; upper tivil-coverts chestnut ; [p. 469. 



nasal opening round 6. Aepypodius, 



e'. Head covered with a large round occipital 



casque ; fore p.irt of tarsi reticulated [p. 471. 



with small hexagonal scales 7. MegaCephalon, 



