148 DIKKOP 



The lengthened gut of the Kingfishers in conformity Avith their 

 generally piscivorous habits, forms a left-handed spiral by its second 

 loop, while the fourth loop is long, and in the more piscivorous 

 members widely open and irregularly placed. The affinity between 

 the Coraciidse and the Alcedinidx in opposition to other groups may 

 be expressed by the term Halcyones. 



The Striges verge towards the plagiocoelous type, but all their 

 affinities rest with the Coraciidse and Caprimulgidse combined. These 

 three Families possess long caeca ; the Alcedinidx, Cypselidae, and 

 Trochilidai, have lost them, the first of these because of their 

 piscivorous and cancrivorous habits. 



The Cypselomorphm (Caprimulgidse, Cypselidx, and Trochilidai) 

 agree very much with each other. They all have only three 

 intestinal loops, which are short, in agreement with their principally 

 insectivorous habits. The Trochilidse differ in the possession of a 

 crop. The Cypselidm and Caprimulgidse are somewhat more closely 

 related to each other, and the latter (including Podargus) turn 

 towards the Owls. The Cypselidx are sometimes supposed to be 

 somewhat nearly allied to the Fasseres. Their alimentary system 

 does not altogether favour such a view ; but perhaps the ancestors 

 of Oolius once filled this gap, leaving their existing descendants 

 now in a solitary position. 



The Trogonidse stand on a lower level than the Cypselidse, 

 Trochilidse, and Coliidx, on the same level as the Caprimulgidse and 

 Coraciidse, and connect them all with each other. The Trogons still 

 possess well-developed caeca like the Coi-aciidse, Caprimulgidse, and 

 Striges, while all the other isocoelous birds have lost them, or have 

 only functionless remnants of them. 



The Passeres are a very uniform group. They all possess only 

 three loops, without indications of more ; the second and third are 

 left-handed ; the second becomes- a left-handed spiral, the turns of 

 which depend upon the length of the gut ; the third loop is always 

 open, and invariably encloses the duodenum between its descend- 

 ing and ascending branches, the latter branch being situated on the 

 ventral and left side of the descending branch of the duodenum. 

 This arrangement is invariably the same, even in the Meso- 

 myodians, and in such otherwise aberrant forms as Faipicola and 

 Pitta. There is a special line which leads from the Laniine forms 

 through the Austrocoraces (Gymnorhina, Ghrmcalus, Strepera, and Para- 

 diseidse) into the Coi'aces jiroper, which latter have produced some 

 special modifications of the intestinal convolutions, and may be 

 looked upon as the last and highest blossom of the avine tree. 



DIKKOP (Thick-head), the Dutch name for the Stone-CURLEW 

 of South Africa, GEdicnemus capensis, used also by the English in that 

 part of the Avorld (Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 288). 



