220 THE STORY OF BIRD-LIFE. 



By some it is regarded as a very aberrant 

 game-bird ; by others as more nearly allied to 

 the rail-tribe. Others incline to consider it very 

 near the game-birds, though sufficiently distinct 

 to be regarded as representing a group in itself. 



It has yet affinities in another direction, and 

 these, if followed up, will lead us to the most 

 highly-developed members of all the birds — the 

 perching-birds or passeres. 



Granting, then, its undoubted claims to kin- 

 ship, not only with the game-birds, but more 

 remotely to the rail-tribe, let us follow up the 

 new trail. 



The first new group which we come to in this 

 direction are outlying members of a series of 

 forms which stand more or less closely related 

 one to another, and distinct from all the rest 

 of the birds. They are the plantain-eaters or 

 touracous of Africa. Opisthocomus serves as 

 the connecting link between them and their 

 congeners and the game-birds. 



From the touracous we pass to the cuckoos ; 

 from thence to the hornbills and hoopoes ; and 

 then on to a group including such forms as the 

 rollers, bee-eaters, mot-mots, and puff-birds. This 

 brings us to the magnificent trogons, and the 

 curious little African coly or mouse-bird. 



Now we come to another group of varied 

 forms all closely related. Such are the barbets 

 and honey-guide, the toucans and the wood- 

 peckers. 



Before we take the last group of all, we will 

 turn back to survey a few other groups passed 

 in following up the foregoing. 



