Dr. J. Murie on the Mo f mots and their Affinities. 407 



signed genera, and taking for granted that their broader carinate 

 beak and osteological variation (as I have noticed in Eumomota) 

 hold good as generic characters, it still does not seem to me 

 advisable to separate Prionirhynchus from Eumomota. If par- 

 tition there needs be, I would propose restriction to four 

 genera : — 



Momotus. — Narrow, moderately deep beak, large-toothed ; leg- 

 bones relatively long to the corresponding wing-bones ; rectrices 

 12, graduated, median pair elongate and spatulate. 



Baryphthengus. — With 10 tail-feathers ; otherwise resembling 

 the foregoing. (This genus would include Urospatha.) 



Hylomanes. — Beak nearly as in preceding, but with smaller 

 serrations; rectrices 10, very slightly graduated, short and with- 

 out spatulation. 



Eumomotus. — Broader, shallower, carinate beak, finely den- 

 ticulate ; leg-bones comparatively short to corresponding wing- 

 bones; rectrices 10, graduated, elongate, two central ones spatu- 

 late. (The so-called Prionirhynchus comes under this heading.) 



That the Motmots are entitled to be looked upon as a good 

 family group, I think is attested by the remarkable similarity, 

 dominant in all, and sufficiently distinct from their nearest fra- 

 ternity to permit of their segregation as ordinarily understood 

 in ornithology. 



Basing affiliation on the radical type of the skeleton in its 

 detail, on their intei-nal anatomy, on the plumage, on their eggs, 

 nest-construction, and rearing of young, and on their food and 

 habits generally, the birds which best accord with the Motmots 

 are the Tody, Kingfishers, Rollers, and Bee-eaters. 



Of these, Todus in preponderance of particulars has the ad- 

 vantage of kinship. Its small size and curt tail affine it to 

 Hylomanes. Its pterylosis (with axial plumes), long and thin 

 tongue, large caeca, serrate beak, weak rictal bristles, habitat, 

 insectivorous food, short flights, living in pairs, breeding in 

 holes, colour of eggs, and osteological constitution generally, 

 are, one and all, in the main essentially Momotinc. Nitzsch 

 very happily made the Prionitidaj and Todidse companions; 

 but Blyth, with a keen appreciation of characters, I think, 

 was less fortunate in yoking Todus to Galbula, evidently being 



