594 MOTMOT 



allocation Garrod {Proc. Zool. Soc. 1878, pp. 100-102) partly de- 

 murred, though admitting the Kingfisher afl&nity, while upholding 

 the former, and even declaring that Motmots and Todies form but 

 a single Family. As the conclusions of both these investigators are 

 based on the sure ground of anatomical structure, they are of in- 

 comjiarably greater value than most of those arrived at by prior 

 systematists who judged from external characters alone. 



In outward appearance the Motmots have an undoubted 

 resemblance to the Meropidge, but, though beautiful birds, various 

 shades of blue and green predominating in their plumage, they do 

 not exhibit such decided and brilliant colours ; and while the Bee- 

 eaters are only found in the Old World, the Motmots are a purely 

 Neotropical form, extending from southern Mexico to Paraguay, 

 and the majoiity of species inhabit Central America. They are 

 said to be solitary birds, or at most living in pairs, among the gloomy 

 forests, where they sit on the underwood nearly motionless, or only 

 jerking their long tail as the cry " houtou " (or something like it) is 

 uttered. Their ordinary food is small reptiles, insects, and fruits. 

 The nest of one species, as observed by Mr. Robert Owen, is at the 

 end of a hole bored in the bank of a watercourse, and the eggs are 

 pure white and glossy {Ihis, 1861, p. 65). Little else has been 

 recorded of their ways. 



The MoTUotidse form but a small group, containing, according 

 to the enumeration of them in 1873 by Messrs. Sclater and Salvin 

 (Nomenclator, pp. 102, 103), but 17 species,^ distributed into 6 

 genera, of which last, however, Dr. Murie (I.e.) would only recognize 

 four — Momotus, Baryphthengus, Hylo'mane$,a,ndi Eumomota — the second 

 including Urospatha, and the last Prionorhynclms, while Dr. Sharpe 

 in 1892 {Cat. B. Br. Mus. xvii. pp. 313-332) made an additional 

 genus, raising the number of genera to 7 and of species to 18. 

 The distinctions between Dr. Murie's, and still more Dr. Sharpe's 

 groups would require more space to indicate than can here be 

 allowed ; but it may be stated that, while all have a general 

 resemblance in the serrated edges of the bill and many other 

 characters, Momotus has the normal number of 12 rectrices, Avhile 

 the rest have only 10,- which in Hylomanes have the ordinary con- 

 figuration, but in adult examples of all the others the shaft of the 

 median pair is devoid of barbs for the space of about an inch a 

 little above the extremity, so as to produce a spatulate appearance, 

 such as is aff'orded by certain Humming-birds known as " Eacquet- 



^ The same number was recognized by the first-named of these gentlemen in 

 his review of the Famil}'- {Proc. Zool. Soc. 1857, pp. 248-260), where they are all 

 diagnosed, a species, subsequently described by Dr. Cabanis (Jihis. Hein. ii. p. 

 115), not being admitted. 



- Dr. Sharpe {I.e.) makes a different statement, but I believe Dr. Murie, 

 whose reckoning is here followed, to be right. 



