OLIGOMYOD^. 



KEY TO THE SUBORDERS. 



a. Intrinsic muscles of the syrinx attached near 



the middle of the bronchial semi-ring * . . 1. Oligomyod^;. 



b. Intrinsic muscles of the syrinx attached to 



the ends of the bronchial semi-rings ... 2. Oscines. 

 * Tail remarkably short in all Ethiopian species. 



Suborder I. OLIGOMYODJS. 



The species belonging to this Suborder are mostly American, only the 

 following three families being found in the Old World : 



Xenicidce. Three species confined to New Zealand. 



Pittidce. Contains some 45 species, only represented in the Ethiopian 

 Region by Pitta angolensis. 



Philepittidce. Two species confined to Madagascar. 



KEY. 



a. Terrestrial ; sexes similar ; no wattle on head ; 



rump and portion of upper wing-coverts 



bright pale blue ; abdomen scarlet .... Pitta angolensis. 



b. Arboreal ; sexes dissimilar ; adult males with 



bare wattles on the sides of the head ; some 

 yellow and no blue or red on the feathers . Philepitta. 

 a 1 . General plumage velvety black with 

 yellow at the bend of the wing. 

 a 2 . With no yellow margins to the feathers jala, <j ad. 

 b". With yellow edges to many of the 



feathers jala, $ jiiv. 



b 1 . Wings, lower back and tail olive. 

 c 2 . Above olive; beneath yellowish buff 

 mottled with olive. 

 a 3 . Above more uniform ; bill larger . jala, $. 

 b 3 . Crown with yellow spots; bill smaller schlegeli, ?. 

 d 2 . Upper back and entire under parts 



bright yellow schlegeli, <j ad. 



Family I. PITTID^J. 



Bill stout but somewhat Thrush-like. Temporal fossae extend across 

 the occipital region of the skull and nearly meet in the middle line behind, 



