Dr. J. Muvie on the Motmots and their Affinities. 403 



the small round nostril is nearly basal and bare ; rictal vibrissa 

 few and unobtrusive. Plumage loose-webbed ; contour-feathers 

 with an axillary plume ; spinal tract without a space ; wings 

 rather short and rounded. Remiges 21 ; the first four gra- 

 duated, 4th, 5th, and 6th longest; rectrices graduated, num- 

 bering 10 and 12 ; and in nearly, but not all, the central ones 

 are long and with a racket. Oil-gland elongate, oval, and naked. 



4. Generic Diagnosis. — The group has been divided into six 

 genera, partly on account of the nature of the tail-feathering, 

 and partly on the conformation of the beak. The characters 

 given are : — 



Momotus. Long compressed rostrum ; strongly serrate man- 

 dible ; a long tail, with 12 rectrices, the two middle spatulate. 



Urospatha. Mandible like preceding ; 10 tail-feathers, median 

 pair terminally spatulate*. 



Baryphthengus. Beak as above ; 10 rectrices, non-spatulate. 



Hijlumanes. Weaker somewhat dilate rostrum, less incurved 

 and finely serrate; a short tail) non-spatulate, with 10 feathers. 



PrinnirhynchiLS. Long, dilate, carinate, incurved, finely toothed 

 beak; 10 rectrices, median long and spatulate. 



Eumomota. Less carinate, dilate, and curved rostrum than 

 last, middle only of margin sei'rate : 10 rectrices, graduated, trun- 

 cate apically, two middle spatulate. 



5. Geographical Distribution. — Dr. Sclaterf remarks : — " The 

 Motmots are a purely tropical American family, occupying an 

 area nearly coequal with that of several other characteristic 

 groups belonging to the same fauna. From Southern Mexico, 

 where two species occur, they extend through Central America 

 and some of the more Southern Antilles, over the whole of the 

 eastern portion of South America, as far southwards as south- 

 eastern Brazil and Paraguay, where a single species is found. 

 Their true focus seems to be Central America, where the 

 greatest number of species and the most characteristic for ms occur." 



* In the Atti della R. Accad. d. Sci. di Torino, 1809, vol. iv. p. 180, 

 Dr. Salvadori fonns the new genus, Urospatha, limited to one species, the 

 Prionites martii, Spix (Baryphonus and Momotus settiinifus of Sclater). 

 See also notice in ' The Ibis,' 1869, p. 222. 



t P. Z. S. 1857. 



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