SUB-ORDER 



STRISORES. 



The essential cbaracters of this sub-order are presented in the general table at the beginning 

 of the report. Cabanis divides the Strisores into the Ilacrochires, including the Trochilidae, 

 the Cypselidae, and the Caprimulcjidae, and into the Amphibolae, embracing Opisthocomidae and 

 Musophagidae. The first division is well represented in the United States, the second not at all. 

 A more recent article by Burmeister includes the Halcyonidae and Prionitidae with the Strisores, 

 taking them from the Clamatores, where Cabanis placed them. A division of the American 

 forms might then be made into MacrocMres, with the wings long and pointed, the fore arm 

 shortened ; and into Orthochires, with the wings moderate and the fore arm rather long. They 

 agree in having the muscles of the lower larynx thin, flat, or entirely wanting, the voice 

 incapable of modulation, &c. As, however, the precise limits and characteristics, external 

 and internal, of these families have not yet been fully settled, I prefer to use Cabanis' arrange- 

 ment for the present, at least, and with him shall consider the Anisndactyli as Clamatores 

 rather than Strisores. 



Of the three families of MacrocMres, the Trochilidae are easily recognized by the long, 

 subulate, very slender, and acute bill, but little cleft at the base, and the peculiar tongue, as 

 well as by the excessively diminutive size and gorgeously metallic plumage. The remaining 

 families agree in having the bill very short, triangular, and weak ; the gape very long and 

 wide, extending to beneath the eyes, and the culmen much shorter than half the gape ; the 

 nostrils opening upwards ; the outer toe usually with an incomplete number of joints. The 

 Cypselidae, however, have the plumage compact, the bill entirely without bristles, the middle 

 toe scarcely longer than the lateral, the claw without any serration, the anterior toes all cleft 

 to the base, the fore arm short, the colors uniform, &c. In the Caprimulgidae the jjlumage 

 is soft, loose, and duwny, as in the owls ; the bill with bristles, even around the nostrils ; the 

 middle toe considerably longer than the lateral, and the claw serrated, or at least much 

 extended, on its inner edge ; the toes with a web at the base, the fore arm long, and the colors 

 mottled. 



The following schemes of the families are taken from Burmeister ; the common characters of 

 the MacrocMres being : wings long and pointed, the arm j^ortion more or less shortened, the 

 middle and outer toes not clqsely united : 



A. Bill long and thin. Tongue long, divided, thread-like. 



Trochilidae. — Secondaries six in number. 



B. Bill short, and very broad at the base. Tongue short, flat, three-sided. Secondaries 

 more than six. 



Cypselidae. — Plumage unicolor. Fore arm short. 



Capkemulqidae. — Plumage spotted and marbled. Fore arm moderately long. 



