A BIRD’S MODERN KINSFOLK. 209 
relationship in structure otherwise is not so close. 
The osprey and owls each can reverse the rear toe, 
and some hawks have faces rather owllike; but many 
students tend to think that owls are really closer akin 
down toward the Picarian birds (17-24 and 17-27), 
than along line 17-16 toward the hawks. 
Out of the owls may run two lines, as noted in 
Chapters XXII and XXIII. The one to the parrots 
appears faint structurally, but the white egg, hooked 
beak, with skinny membrane (the cere) at the base, 
and the reversed toes may justify line 17-24. One 
parrot resembles the owls so closely as to be called 
the “ owl parrot.” 
Parrots are not otherwise related strongly, but 
their paired toes place them near the cuckoos and 
woodpeckers in the usual classification. 
Cuckoos are also quite apart from others except 
the plantain eaters, but they send back line 26-24, 
and take slight hold on the fowl forms via the ho- 
actzin. 
Woodpeckers have grouped around them a lot of 
other forms which we shall not name. The associ- 
ation is based largely on toe peculiarities, but the 
group has an evident hint of kinship toward the true 
perchers (arrow lines 25-30). 
The other strain out of the owls is based upon re- 
semblance and nocturnal and other habits, but is not 
so strong structurally. It is likely that it is closer than 
that to the parrots. It runs into the great Goatsucker 
group via some very peculiar birds. Beyond the goat- 
suckers (i. e., whip-poor-wills, nighthawks, etc.) are 
