Dr. J. Murie on the Motmots and their Affinities. 401 



of each half, great beak, and other cranial peculiarities suffi- 

 ciently distinguish their skeleton from the Motmot type. Doubt- 

 less such a form as Aulacoramphus is considerably modified, 

 especially as regards skull, which en tout ensemble bears a re- 

 semblance to that of Momotus; but a critical review of its com- 

 position less sustains the idea. 



VI. Compendium of Facts and Opinions on the Motmots. 



The literature having reference to the Motmots may conveni- 

 ently be arranged into six different foci,Avhich I shall curtly review. 



1. Figures. — The subjoined list of names* indicates those 

 forms of which good illustrations are extant. 



&^ 



PrionirlijTQclius. 



P. carinatus. 



P. platyrhynchus. 

 Eumomota. 



E. SKperciliaris. 

 flylomanes. 



H. momotula. 

 Baryplitliengus. 



B. rujicapillus. 



Momotus. 



M. lessoni. 



M. ccerideiceps. 



M. mexicanus. 



M. swainsoni. 



M. hrasiliensis. 

 Urospatha. 



U. (M.) martii. 



The presumed species Momotus nattereri, M. microstephanus, 

 M. subrufescens, M. aquatorialis, and M. castaneiceips appear 

 hitherto not to have been figured, a description sufficing to es- 

 tablish their identity and closeness to or variation from an acknow- 

 ledged species. 



2. Habits. — The travellers Don Fehx Azara f, Levaillant J, 

 Waterton §, and Schomburgk |1, individually, graphically relate 

 facts concerning the live Motmot in its wild state and in cap- 

 tivity. We are also indebted to Swain son % and Sir William 



* The synonyms and exact reference to publications are to be found 

 in Sclater's ' Catal. of Amer. Birds,' and P. Z. S. 18o7, and in Cab. et 

 Hein. ' Mus. Hein.' &c. Half of the above have been figm-ed by Jard. & 

 Selby, ' 111. Ornith.'; the remainder by Levaillant, Spix, Swainson, Des 

 Mm-s, Vieill., Gray, Licht., Leadb., and Sclater. 



t Apiintamientos para Paxaros del Paraguay. J Ois. de Par. tome i. 



§ Wanderings. 



II Reis. in Brit. Guiana ; and " Ueber Prionites momota,^^ Naumannia, 

 1851. 



^ Zool. lUus. 2nd ser. ; and Nat. Hist, and Class, of Birds, vol. ii. 



