'MOSQUITO-HAWK—MOTMOT 593 
modern ornithology, under the belief which still very generally 
obtains among them, as it once did among naturalists, that they 
formed a distinct species of Duck. The mistake no doubt originated 
in, and is partly excused by, the facts that the birds called Morillons 
were often of opposite sexes, and differed greatly from the adult 
male Golden-Eye, whose full and beautiful plumage is not assumed 
until the second year. ‘The word is used in French in precisely 
the same form, but is in that language applied to the Tufted Duck, 
Fuligula cristata, and is derived, according to Littré, from more, 
signifying black. 
MOSQUITO-HAWK, a name in America for the species of 
-Chordiles (NIGHTJAR). 
MOSS-CHEEPER, a north-country name of the TITLARK. 
MOTHER CAREY’S CHICKEN, GOOSE and HEN—-sailors’ 
names, the first of any of the small black or black and white PreTrELs, 
the second of the Giant Petrel, Ossifraga gigantea, and the third seems 
to be applied without much discrimination to any Petrel of middle 
size. 
MOTH-HAWK, MOTH-HUNTER, names of the NicuTsar. 
MOTMOT, according to Hernandez in his Historia Avium Nove 
Hispaniz (p. 52), published at Rome in 1651, was the Mexican 
name of a bird which he described well enough te leave no doubt 
as to what he meant; but the word being soon after printed Momot 
by Nieremberg and others gave rise to the Latinized Momotus, 
invented by Brisson as a generic term, which has since been 
generally adopted by ornithologists! though Motmot has been 
retained as the English form. Linnzus knew of only one species 
of Motmot, and referred it to his genus fLamphastos (TOuUCAN) 
under the name of 2. momota. This is the Momotus brasiliensis 
of modern ornithologists, and from its geographical range cannot 
be the original Motmot of Hernandez, but is most likely the “ Guira 
guainumbi” of Maregrave. 
The Motmots have been for many years recognized as forming a 
distinct family, Momotidx or Prionitidx, of the heterogeneous assem- 
blage known as Picariw or Coccygomorphe ; and the only question 
among systematists has been as to their position in that group. 
This has been discussed and illustrated with his usual assiduity by 
Dr. Murie (Ibis, 1872, pp. 383-412, pls. xili.-xv.), who conclusively 
shewed that Yodus (Topy) was the Motmot’s nearest existing 
relative, while he believed that both Momotidx and Yodidx might be 
placed in one section (Serratirostres) with the Coraciide (ROLLER), 
Meropide (BEE-BATER), and Alcedinide (KINGFISHER). ‘To the latter 
1 Its barbarous origin induced Illiger to substitute for it the word Prionites, 
and his example has been followed by some nomenclatural purists. 
38 
