14 A MANUAL OF THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA, 
Syrrhaptes, Pheenicopteri, Pici and Trogoni. Most of these are of restricted range 
and of few species, as the Apteryges are confined to New Zealand, and the Tinami 
to South and Central America. These we place in juxtaposition between the 
orders Ralli and Galli, and they are so generalised in structure that both have been 
placed with the birds we class as Dromeornithes. The Syrrhaptes constitute 
another generalised group, living in the Southern Palearctic area, and showing 
general features approximating in one direction to the Galli, in other details closely 
recalling the Columb, and having peculiar feet. The Phcenicopteri or Amphi- 
morphe similarly show general characters, recalling the Anates and Herodiones, 
but with specialised bills, neck and legs, so that they constitute quite a distinct 
group, their range being tropical Africa and America. All the preceding have 
few species, but the order Pici is world wide, save the Austral-Maorian Regions, 
and comprises numerous species referable to four superfamilies, all notable and 
well-known birds. The last extra-limital order is another small one, consisting of 
the Trogons, a peculiar series of Coraciine-like birds inhabiting the tropics of 
Asia, Africa and America, and admittedly of generalised structure though specially 
modified in superficial appearance. Of the nineteen orders that will be dealt with 
in this work one only, the Menure, is restricted to Australia, all the others have a 
wider range. 
OrpER PROCELLARLE or TUBINARES, 
This order comprises seabirds with webbed feet and hooked bills, the nostrils 
being tubular. Superficially the order is separable into two groups, one of which 
has the nostrils placed on top of the culmen, the other with the nasal openings 
distinct and on the sides. These two groups we propose to rank as superfamilies 
as no gradation is now known. ‘The majority of the species nest in the southern 
hemisphere, breeding generally in holes and always gregariously. They live half 
the year at sea, but apparently do not range far from their breeding haunts. They 
are very slow in development, the time from egg-laying to young-flight varying 
from four to twelve months. 
In size they vary from very small birds to the largest flying birds, the wing 
varying in formation accordingly, but all have hooked bills and comparatively 
short feet, first toe very small, consisting of one phalanx only or even missing, 
anterior three large and fully webbed. 
The diagnostic feature of the order is the superficial one of the tubular nostrils, 
and there is no peculiar internal character whereby the group can be distinguished. 
The osteological characters of the skull vary somewhat; the palate is schizog- 
nathous, but this is somewhat obscure in the Diomedeoidea ; the nasals holo- 
rhinal, and basipterygoid processes are sometimes absent as in the Diomedeoidea, 
present and well developed or much reduced in the remainder ; the supraorbital 
grooves may be wide and shallow or broad and deep or obscure. In some forms 
the lachrymal is free, in others anchylosed with nasals. The cervical vertebre 
are always fifteen in number, and heteroccelous in form ; the sternum is keeled and 
sometimes the posterior border is entire, but generally notched, and no collation 
of this variation has been attempted. Both carotids are present and the syrinx 
is variable from the tracheo-bronchial type to almost complete bronchial form. 
The digestive system belongs to the periccelous form, but is a very specialised product, 
becoming typically mesogyrous in the smallest forms, a result of great significance 
in connection with their phylogeny. The leg muscles are variable, the ambiens, 
the accessory femoro-caudal, and the accessory semitendinosus being sometimes 
present and sometimes absent in different species. Much stress has been laid upon 
this fact, but in an imperfect manner. The biceps is present but degenerate, while 
the biceps slip is absent. The oil gland is present and tufted, while an aftershaft 
