BIRDS—PRIONITIDAE—MOMOTUS CAERULICEPS. 161 
Family PRIONITIDAE. The Sawbills. 
The sawbills or motmots have by most authors been placed as a sub-family with the Cora- 
cianae of the Coraciadae, but latterly each has been raised to independent family rank. With 
somewhat similar characters, the serration, or rather dentation, of the cutting edges of the bill 
and the extent of fusion of the outer and middle toes at once distinguish the Prionitidae. 
The bill is as long as the head; gently decurved near the tip, but not hooked. The nostrils 
are small, circular, and close to the frontal feathers. The wings are rather short; the inner 
secondaries in the closed wing reaching the tip of the primaries. Of the ten primaries, the 
exposed portion of the first is scarcely more than half that of the fourth or longest. The 
secondaries are ten or twelve in number. The tail consists either of ten or twelve feathers ; the 
middle feathers are frequently spatulate, or with a portion of the lateral web wanting. The 
feet are large; the middle and outer toes connate for more than half their length, the tip of the 
inner claw reaching to the base of the outer. The toes have the normal number of joints, 
(2, 3, 4,5.) The tarsi are clothed anteriorly with short half rings; the sides with a series of 
plates, more or less broken up into smaller ones. The middle claw has its inner face extended 
into a sharp but not pectinated edge. 
Of the three genera—Crypticus, Momotus, and Hylomanes—constituting this family, only one, 
Momotus, has any representative near or within the borders of the United States. 
MOMOTUS, Latham. 
Momotus, Laruam, Ind. Orn. I, 1790, 110. 
Prionites, ILt1GER, Prodromus, 1811, 224. 
Bill as long as the head, a little higher than broad ; only moderately broad at the base, and tapering gently to a somewhat 
rounded tip. Both mandibles with the cutting edges dentated, except at the tip and base. Tail very long. 
The preceding diagnosis sufficiently expresses the characters of the genus, although som 
others might be added. The connate toes and toothed or dentate bill are characters which 
belong to the family. 
MOMOTUS CAERULICEPS, Gould. 
Sawbill. 
Momotus caeruliceps, Goutp, Pr. Zool. Soc. 1836, 18.—Scuarer, Pr. Zool. Soc. 1857, 253. 
Prionites caeruliceps, Br. Consp. 1850, 165.—Is. Consp. Vol. Anisod. 1854, 8. 
Prionites caeruleocephalus, Janp. & Se.sy, Ill. Orn.; pl. 42. 
“‘ Momotus subhutu, Less. Desc. Mammif. et Ois. 1847, 265,’’ (fide Sclater.) 
Sp. Cu.—General color yellowish green. Top of the head and occipital crest bright blue, encircled with black, of which 
color are also the lores, whiskers, and several elongated narrow feathers on the throat. Length, 15 inches; wing, 53. 
Hab.—Mexico. 
The bill of this species is conical, slightly decurved, the upper edge angular. The cutting 
edges of the mandibles are provided with rounded notches, except near the tip, which is 
without any notch. The tarsi are rather long ; considerably longer than the middle toe and 
claw. The anterior three toes are connate at the base; the outer and middle united as far as 
the penultimate articulation of the latter. 
The wings are short, broad, and much rounded when closed ; the secondaries as long as the 
21 b 
