06 DICTIONARY OF BIRDS 
all even Passerine. The following table shews the result of a comparison 
of the two modes as regards the Laminiplantares, and may be found conveni- 
ent by the reader :— 
Mr. Sclater, 1880. Sundevall, 1872-78. 
1. Dentirostres,|— practically equal to 1. Cichlomorphe. 
2. Latirostres,} 35 6. Chelidonomorphe. 
3. Curvirostres, . . 4, Certhiomorphe.? 
4. Tenuirostres, ie 5. Cinnyrimorphe. 
5. Conirostres, 2. Conirostres. 
6. Cultrirostres, >, 38. Coliomorphe. 
These six groups Mr. Sclater thinks may be separated without much 
difficulty, though on that point the proceedings of some later writers (a 
notable instance of which he himself cites) shew that doubt may still be 
entertained; but he rightly remarks that, “when we come to attempt to 
subdivide them, there is room for endless varieties of opinion as to the 
nearest allies of many of the forms,” and into further details he does not 
go. It will be perceived that, like so many of his predecessors, he accords 
the highest rank to the Dentirostres, which, as has before been hinted, 
seems to be a mistaken view that must be considered in the sequel. 
Leaving the Passeres, the next “Order” is Picariz, of which Mr. 
Sclater proposes to make six Suborders:—(1) Pici, with 2 Families ; 
(2) Cypselt, with 3 Families,? practically equal to the Macrochires of 
Nitzsch ; (3) Anisodactylx, with 12 Families—Colvidx, Alcedinidx, Bucero- 
tidx, Upupide, Irrisoridx, Meropidx, Momotide, Todide, Coractide, Lepto- 
somide, Podargide and Steatornithide ; (4) Heterodactylx, consisting only 
of the Trogons ; (5) Zygodactyle, with 5 Families, Galbulidx, Bucconide, 
Rhamphastidx, Capitonide and Indicatoride ; and (6) Coccyges, composed 
of the two Families Cuculide and Musophagide. That all these may be 
most conveniently associated under the name Picarix seems likely enough, 
and the first two “Suborders” are probably natural groups, though 
possibly groups of different value. In regard to the rest comment is for 
the present deferred. The Pstttact, Striges and Accipitres, containing 
respectively the Parrots, Ow1s and diurnal Birds-of-Prey, form the 
next three “Orders”—the last being held to include 3 Families, 
Faleonide, Cathartide and Serpentariide (SECRETARY-BIRD), which is 
perhaps the best that can be done with them. We have then the 
Steganopodes to make the Sixth “Order,” consisting of the 5 Families 
usually grouped together as by Brandt (supra, page 62) and others, and 
these are followed naturally enough by the Herons under the name of 
Herodiones, to which the three Families Ardeidx, Ciconvide (Stork) and 
Plataleide (SPOONBILL) are referred ; but the FLAMINGOES, under Nitzsch’s 
title Odontoglosse, form a distinct “Order.” The Ninth “Order” is now 
erected for the Palamedex (SCREAMER), which precede the Anseres—a group 
1 These are not equivalent to Sundevall’s groups of the same names. 
2 Mr. Sclater (p. 348) inadvertently states that no species of Sundevall’s Certhio- 
morphex is found in the New World, having omitted to notice that in the Tentamen 
(pp. 46, 47) the genera Mmniotilta (peculiar to America) as well as Certhia and Sitta 
are therein placed. 
® Or 2 only, the position of the Caprimulgide being left undecided, but in 1883 
(see next note) put here. 
