176 CORACIIFORMES 



Order XIII. CORACIIFORMES. 



The Order Coraciiformes contains the Sub-Orders Coraciae, 

 Steiges, Caprimulgi, Cypseli, Colii, Trogones, and Pici, and 

 includes a large number of arboreal forms with comparatively 

 short legs, which often nest in holes, and have blind and helpless 

 young. The group coincides with the Ficariac of Nitzsch and 

 Mr. Sclater, except in so far that the former author included the 

 Psittaci, the latter the Cumdi, while both kept the Striges separate. 



The Sub-Order Coraciae consists of the Families Coraciidae or 

 Eollers, Momotidae or Motmots and Todies, Alcedinidae or King- 

 fishers, Iferojndae or Bee-eaters, Bucerotidac or Hornbills, and 

 U;pupidae or Hoopoes. 



Fam. I. Coraciidae. ^Two Sub-families may be recognised of 

 these Old World birds, (1) Coraciinae, and (2) Zepiosomatinae; the 

 latter containing only the remarkable " Kirombo " of Madagascar. 



Sub-fam. 1. Coraciinae. — Most of the twenty or more species 

 of Eollers are brilliant blue and green, varied with reddish, and 

 bear a resemblance to certain of the Crow-tribe, especially to the 

 genus Gissa. The short metatarsus, however, scutellated in front 

 and reticulated behind, is a clear distinction, as in Cissa and so forth 

 it is longer and smooth behind, with elongated scutes anteriorly. It 

 is comparatively long in Ground-Rollers, but they are quite unmis- 

 takeable. The bill is strong, decurved, and slightly hooked, being 

 broad and depressed in Eurystomus ; the toes are moderately stout 

 with curved claws, while the second and third are united basally ; 

 the wings are long, broad and rounded, or shorter in Ground-Eollers, 

 with ten primaries and about thirteen secondaries ; the twelve tail- 

 feathers vary in length, five species of Coracias having them very 

 long, and one spatulate. The furcula is U-shaped, the syrinx is 

 tracheo-bronchial, the nostrils are hidden by bristly feathers, the 

 tongue is thin and horny, the after shaft is small, while there is no 

 down on adults or nestlings. The sexes are similar, the young duller. 



The genus Coracias ranges over temperate Europe, all Africa, 

 and Central and Southern Asia eastwards to Celebes, where C. 

 temmincki alone occurs. C. garruhis, which strays to Britain, 

 and breeds from Sweden and Omsk to North Africa and North 

 India, has the head, most of the wing-coverts, and the lower 

 surface light greenish-blue, a red-brown back, dusky and blue 

 remiges, ultramarine bend of the w^ng and rump, and greenish 



