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Subclass CORACIIFORMES. 
The Coraciiformes may be diagnosed by a single character. So far as is known, they 
differ from every other bird in the arrangement of their deep plantar tendons. In all other 
birds the hallux (if it be present and important enough to have any connection with the 
deep plantar tendons) is connected with the flewor longus hallucis, and not with the flewor 
perforans digitorum. All the Coraciiformes have a hallux, and in all of them it is connected 
with the flewor perforans digitorum, and not with the flewor longus hallucis. The two 
plantars are always coalesced (as they are in the Accipitres, Anseres, &c.), but may easily be 
separated by gently tearing them asunder, but in very many cases the tendon to the hallux 
branches off from the flexor perforans digitorum before the two plantars coalesce. 
It is scarcely possible that such a remarkable condition of the deep plantar tendons could 
have been independently acquired by two groups of birds. 
Order PICARIA. 
The Picarize or Syndactyli may be diagnosed by their combination of two characters :— 
A. Flexor perforans digitorum leading to hallux. B, Ambiens muscle absent. 
The first character excludes them from eyery bird except Cathartes, which is excluded by 
the second character. 
Other characters may be added :— 
The young are born nearly naked. 
