38 BIRDS. 



ff. Tibiae naked below. . . . Herodiones, N. 

 ee. Hind toe inserted above the level of the rest, and usually 

 shorter than any of the others. 



h. Tibise feathered below. 



i. Nostrils perforate ; head more or less naked. 



Raptores, J. 

 ii. Nostrils imperforate. 



0. Bill fissirostral — gape wide, reaching to below eye. 



PlCARI/E, H. 



jj. Bill stout, not fissirostral ; nostrils scaled or feathered. 



Galling, L. 

 Tih. Tibiie naked below. 



k. Nostrils perforate. . . . Alectorides, O. 



kk. Nostrils imperforate. 



1. Head bald ; tarsus reticulate. . Herodiones, N. 

 II. Head feathered ; tarsus usually scutellate. 



LiMICOLiE, M. 



IV. Toes lobate, webbed at base or not, but conspicuously 



bordered on sides by plain or scalloped membranes. 



m. Tail rudimentary ; legs set far back. . Pygopodes, S. 

 mm. Tail short ; a horny frontal shield. Alectorides, O. 

 mmm. Tail perfect; forehead feathered, without horny shield. 



LlMICOL^, M. 



V. Toes palmate ; three front toes full-webbed. 



n. Bill curved upwards ; legs elongated. . LimicoltE, M. 



nn. Bill lamellate, mostly fiattish and furnished at tip with a 

 decurved nail. . . . Lamellirostres, P. 



nnn. Bill not recurved nor lamellate. 



o. Hind toe not lobate ; wings long and pointed ; tail well 

 developed. .... Longepennes, R. 



00. Hind toe lobate ; wings and tail short. Pygopodes, S. 



VI. Toes totipalmate ; all four full-webbed. Steganopodes, Q. 



G. FAMILIES OF PASSERES. 



I. Oscines. Each side of tarsus covered with a plate, undivided 

 in most of its length and meeting its fellow in a sharp ridge 



