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Order VIII. COLUMBIFORMES*. (Cosmopolitan.) 

 Suborder xi. Columbae. 

 Suborder xii. Didi. 



Order IX. OPISTHOCOMIFORMESf. (Neotropical.) 

 Suborder xiii. Opisthocomi. 

 Fam. Opisthocomid^. 



Order X. RALLIFORMES X- (Cosmopolitan.) 

 Suborder xiv. Ralli. 



Fam. 1. Gaxlinulid-S!. 



2. Rallid^. 



3. Obtygometrid^. 



4. PODIC^. 



Order XI. HELIORNITHIFORMES§. (Neotropical.) 

 Suborder xv. Heliornith.es. 



Fam. Helioenithid^. 



* Palate scbizognatbous ; nasals schizorhinal ; basiptervgoid processes present ; 

 basal portion of biU with a fleshy membrane; "sternum narrow, with two notches on 

 either side, the outer one deep, the inner one often reduced to a foramen " (Elliot, 

 Stand. Nat. Hist., Birds, p. 287) ; other characters are given by Mr. Elliot Q. <?.). I 

 have not attempted to indicate the Families of the Columbcs, as there exists so far no 

 actual classification based on diagnostic characters. Eggs two, white. Nest a slight 

 structure, composed of twigs, generally placed in a tree, though exceptions to this 

 rule are known. 



t Heteromorph(B, Huxley, P. Z. S. 1868, p. 30-3. Palate schizognathous ; nasals 

 holorhiual ; dorsal vertebrae heterocoelous ; episternal process not perforated to receive 

 the feet of the coracoids ; posterior processes of the ilia sufficiently separated to show 

 a broad sacrum; hallux large. {Cf. Seebohm, Classif. B. p. 40.) Oil-gland tufted. 

 Nesting-habits Gallinuline {cf. Quelch, Ibis, 1890, p. 327). Eggs three, whitish, with 

 scattered reddish-brown blotches, more closely placed at the obtuse end. Young 

 hatched naked. Pollex and index digit provided with a claw, with which the bird 

 can climb {cf. Quelcli, I. c, also cf. Bingham, as quoted by Stejneger, Stand. Nat. 

 Hist., Birds, p. 197 ; and for the Myology of O. cristatus, J. Beswick Perrin, Trans. Z. S. 

 ix. p. 353 et seq.). 



X Palate schizognathous ; nasals holorhiual ; dorsal vertebrai heterocoelous ; epis- 

 ternal process not perforated to receive the feet of the coracoids; posterior process 

 of the ilium sufficiently perforated to show a broad sacrum ; sternum with one notch 

 on each side of the posterior margin. {Cf. Seebohm, Classif. B. p. 40.) Long lateral 

 bare tracts on the neck ; oil-gland tufted. Young hatched covered with down, and 

 able to run or swim in a few hours. 



§ Palate schizognathous ; nasals holorhiual ; dorsal vertebrae heteroccelous ; epi- 

 sternal process not perforated to receive the feet of the coracoids ; posterior process of 

 the ilia separated sufficiently to show a broad sacrum ; sternum with one notch on each 

 side of the posterior margin. (Cf. Seebohm, Classif. B. p. 40.) Young, two, hatched 

 naked {cf. Neuwied, Beitr. Orn, Bras. iv. p. 827). This last character suggests an 

 affinity with Opisthocomits, 



