148 DIKKOP 
The lengthened gut of the Kingfishers in conformity with their 
generally piscivorous habits, forms a left-handed spiral by its second 
loop, while the fourth loop is long, and in the more piscivorous 
members widely open and irregularly placed. The affinity between 
the Coraciidx and the Alcedinidx in opposition to other groups may 
be expressed by the term Halcyones. 
The Striges verge towards the plagioccelous type, but all their 
affinities rest with the Coracizdx and Caprimulgidx combined. These 
three Families possess long cxeca; the Alcedinidx, Cypselidx, and 
Trochilidw, have lost them, the first of these because of their 
piscivorous and cancrivorous habits. 
The Cypselomorphe (Caprimulgidx, Cypselide, and Trochilidx) 
agree very much with each other. They all have only three 
intestinal loops, which are short, in agreement with their principally 
insectivorous habits. The Zvochilide differ in the possession of a 
crop. The Cypselidx and Caprimulgide are somewhat more closely 
related to each other, and the latter (including Podargus) turn 
towards the Owls. The Cypselidw are sometimes supposed to be 
somewhat nearly allied to the Passeres. Their alimentary system 
does not altogether favour such a view; but perhaps the ancestors 
of Colius once filled this gap, leaving their existing descendants 
now in a solitary position. 
The Trogonide stand on a lower level than the Cypselidz, 
Trochilidx, and Coliidx, on the same level as the Caprimulgidx and 
Coraciidx, and connect them all with each other. The Trogons still 
possess well-developed czeca like the Coraciidxy, Caprimulgidx, and 
Striges, while all the other isoceelous birds have lost them, or have 
only functionless remnants of them. 
The Passeres are a very uniform group. They all possess only 
three loops, without indications of more; the second and third are 
left-handed ; the second becomes a left-handed spiral, the turns of 
which depend upon the length of the gut; the third loop is always 
open, and invariably encloses the duodenum between its descend- 
ing and ascending branches, the latter branch being situated on the 
ventra] and left side of the descending branch of the duodenum. 
This arrangement is invariably the same, even in the Meso- 
myodians, and in such otherwise aberrant forms as Jtupicola and 
Pitta. There is a special line which leads from the Laniine forms 
through the Austrocoraces (Gymnorhina, Graucalus, Strepera, and Para- 
diseidx) into the Coraces proper, which latter have produced some 
special modifications of the intestinal convolutions, and may be 
looked upon as the last and highest blossom of the avine tree. 
DIKKOP (Thick-head), the Dutch name for the Stone-CURLEW 
of South Africa, Hdicnemus capensis, used also by the English in that 
part of the world (Layard, b. S. Afr. p. 288). 
