OF ORNITHOLOGY 79 



and broad but with feathers small and slender. The typical 

 bird will supply many features at a glance that can be de- 

 pended on for all the members of the Jamily wherever they 

 are to be met. The American sub-family is sufficiently char- 

 acterized by the above family definition. 

 Gexus Ceryle, (2 possibly 3 species). 

 Synonym Alcedo. 



FAMILY XXV CUCULIDAE THE CUCKOOS 



Latin ntrulus, ' a cuckoo." 

 The Cuckoos form another of those anomalous groups ot 

 which we have so many, which are at once difficult to place 

 with accuracy and hard to characterize satisfactorily, ihe 

 forms usually placed in this family are strangely varied, and 

 but for certain technical characters, would hardly be supposed 

 to belong to the same order even. There are about six Amer- 

 ican species, and yet they have been placed in thkee distinct 



sub-families. . , ,, , r a „ iv,.^,! 



The family of the Cuckoos agrees «-,th that of the Tl ooc!- 

 peckersini the Parrots in having the feet disposed m pairs 

 L, being anterior and two posterior (zngodactyle) it bemg the 

 " f„„rth " toe which in this case is reversable. In respec to 

 other distinguishing marks we have : Bill about the length of 

 the head, barely curved, and slightly compressed ; toes shor 

 compared to the length of the tarsus. And here we must 

 17- it is impossible to proceed any farther w,th sa.sfa- 

 tion The remaining external features are so different in the 

 different sub-families which have been formed of the group 

 It we must let them speak for themselves. I w-as formerLv 

 attempted to treat these sub-families as ffencra, l.ut in view of 

 ri e peculiarities of form, the constancy o the char.acters, and 

 he relation to the .mi^ersal family of Cucuhda our best 

 writert to-day have decided upon retaining . e s'f^J^ 

 each case. Upon comparing the spec.es, the student w.ll 

 without doubt justify tliis decision. 



