42 BIRDS, 



b. Bill teniiirosli'jil, very slender, much longer than head; secon- 

 daries very short, 6 in number ; plumage compact. 



Tkochilid^, 39. 



bb. Bill fissirostral, much shorter than head ; secondaries more 



than 6. 

 ' c. Rictal bristles present; middle claw pectinate; plumage 

 lax, variegated; length 8 or more. Caprimulgid^, 37. 



cc. No rictal bristles ; plumage compact, of blended colors ; 

 tail feathers (in ours) spinous ; length 6 or less. 



CYPSELIDiE, 38. 



I. FAMILIES OF PSITTACI. 



1. Cere featliered, concealing the nostrils, plumage coarse and 

 dry, chiefly green Arid^e, 43. 



J. FAMILIES OF RAPTORES. 



I. Hind toe on a level with the rest, more than half length of 



outer toe, and with a lai-ge claw; claws strong, sharp, much 



curved; nostrils imperforate; head mostly feathered; bill 



strongly hooked. 



a. "Eyes directed forwards in consequence of the great lateral 



expansion of the cranium, and surrounded by a disk of 



radiating bristly feathers. . . . Strigid^, 44. 



aa. Eyes lateral; no complete facial disk. . Falconid.*:, 45. 



II. Hind toe elevated, not more than half length of outer toe; 



claws weak and little curved; nostrils perforate; head mostly 

 naked; bill little hooked. . . . CathartiD/K, 46. 



K. FAMILIES OF COLUMB^. 



I. Head small, feathered (except sometimes a circumorbital ring); 

 feathers loosely inserted, . . . Columbid^, 47. 



L. FAMILIES OF GALLING. 



I. Head unfeathered, with wattles and caruncles ; a tuft of bristly 



feathers on breast ; tarsus spurred in 5; plumage iridescent; 

 large, 86 or more Meleagrtd.^?, 48. 



II. Head feathered-, plumage not iridescent; size much smaller. 



