768 



COMPENDIUM OF GENEKIC DISTINCTIONS. 



Oenus. EuuYSTOMUa.— Bill rather short, strong, and 

 fiat ; nostrils partly covered by plumed membrane. Wings 

 long and prointed, second quill longest. Tail even. Tarsi 

 very short and with transverse scales. Outer toe longer 

 than inner, hind toe long. Habitat —Australia and parts 

 of Old World. 



Oenvs. CoRACiAS. — Bill long and sti-aight, nostrils nar- 

 row and partly covered by feathered membrane. Wings, 

 second and third quills longest. Tail long and rounded. 

 Tarsi short. Inner toe a very little longer than outer. 



Geniis. Brachtpteracias. — Bill long and broad, keel 

 gradually coming to tip. Wings short, third to seventh 

 quills longest. Tail long and rounded. Tarsi long, slender, 

 and scaled transversely. Outer toe longer than inner ; 

 claws short, sharp, and curved. Habitat — Madagascar. 



Suh-family, Todinae. — Bill long, tip round or sharp ; 

 nostrils exposed. Wings short and round. Tail slightly 

 forked. Tarsi slender. Outer toe longer than inner. 



Oenus. ToDUS. — Bill with edges straight and finely 

 notched, short bristles round base ; nostrils in a short groove. 

 Wings, fourth to sixth quills longest and equal. Tarei \vith 

 one long scale in front. Outer toe united to second joint, 

 inner to first joint ; claws compressed and curved. Habitat 

 — Tropical America. 



Suh-famibj. Eurylaiminse. — Bill large, very broad at 

 base, keel much arched, nostrils near base. Wings rounded, 

 third and fourth quills longest. Tail moderate. Toes un- 

 equal, outer joined to middle. 



Genus, Eurtlaimus.— Bill rather flattened, edges di- 

 lated at base. Tail rounded. Tarsi feathered below knee, 

 broad scales in front. Outer toe joined to middle for some 

 distance, hind toe long. Habitat— India and Indian Archi- 

 pelago. 



Genus. Ctmbirhynchus. — Bill withsides gradually com- 

 pressed, a few long and stout bristles at base. Rest like 

 previous genus. Habitat — India and Archipelago, 



Sxib-family. Momotinse. — Bill long, slightly curved, and 

 edges strongly notched. Wings short and round. Two 

 middle feathers of tail generally longest. Outer toe longer 

 than inner, joined to middle as far as second joint, hind toe 

 short. 



Genus. Momotcb. — Bill, with nostrils at base, small and 

 round. Wings, fourth to sixth quills longest. Tarsi scaled 

 in front. Habitat — Tropical America and islands. 



Family. TEOGONIDiE.— Bill short, somewhat triangular, 

 broad at base, mostly toothed ; bristles at gape. Wings 

 moderate and rounded. Tail long. Tarsi short and plumed. 

 Tees two in front and two behind. 



Gemis. Trogon. — Bill, keel much curved to tip, edges 

 notched ; nostrils hidden by plumes. Wings, fourth and 

 fifth quills longest. Tarsi hidden by plumes. Two front 

 toes imequal, united to first joint. Habitat — Troincal 

 Ameiica. 



Oemts. Apaloderma. — Bill, edges of upper mandible 

 nearly smooth, of lower deeply notched. Tai-si nearly bare 

 and scaled. Front toes not united. Habitat — South Africa. 



Genus. Priotelus. — Bill, with edges of both mandibles 

 notched, nostrils partly hidden by plumes. Tail with tip of 

 each feather diverging. Tarsi short and scaled. Two front 

 toes not united. Habitat — China. 



Oentis. Harpactes. — Bill, with edges smooth, nostrils 

 partly hidden by membrano. Tarsi short and half plumed. 

 Two front toes united for half their length. Habitat — India 

 and Archipelago. 



Genus. Calurub. — Beak, edges smooth and curved to 

 tip. Wing-coverts long and curved. Upper tail-coverts very 

 long, tail moderate. Tarsi partly plumed. Two front toes 

 united for a little distance. Habitat — South America. 



Family. AICEDINID-E.— Bill long, nostrils straight 

 and sharp. VVingp long ami rounded. Tail short ami 

 rounded. Tarsi short. Toes variously arranged. 



Snh-family. Bucconinae.* — Bill, nostrils hidden by 

 plumes. Tail moderate. Toes, two in front and two behind, 

 outer front too longest. 



Gemts. Bucco. — Bill long, broad at base, suddenly 

 curved at tip, and hooked, edges straight ; nostrils in mem- 

 branous groove. Wings, first quill short, fourth longest. Tail 

 broad and even. Tarsi with transverse scales, claws long, 

 compressed and sharp. Habitat — Tropical America. 



G€7iiis, MoNASA." — Bill slightly curved and sharp. 

 Wings, fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail long, broad, 

 and round. Tarsi with transverse scales in front ; claws 

 short and much compressed. Habitat — Tropical America. 



Gemts. CUELIDOPTERA. — Bill short and cun'ed through- 

 out. Wings long, third and fourth quills longest. Tail 

 very short. Tarsi with broad transverse scales. Habitat — 

 Tropical America. 



Siib-famibj. Halcyoninae —Bill broad at base, compressed 

 towards tip and edges, straight or curved upwards. 



Genus. DacELO. — Bill long, very broad at base, keel 

 straight to tip, which is slightly hooked, edges curved 

 upwards at end, lower mandible deepest in middle, and 

 curving upwards to tip ; nostrils at sides of base, small and 

 narrow. Wings moderate, first quill long, thii-d and fifth 

 longest. Tail moderate. Tarsi very short and scaled. Inner 

 toe short, united to middle to first joint, outer long and 

 united to third joint, all with broad pads below ; claws 

 long and curved. Habitat — Australia and New Guinea. 



Gemts. Halcyon. — Bill long, keel nearly straight, keel 

 of lower mandible rather more angular than in Dacelo ; nos- 

 trils in small membranous space, partly hidden by plumes. 

 Wings, first quill long, third longest. Tail moderate. Tai-si 

 short and scaled ti*ansversely. Outer toe united to third 

 joint of middle toe, inner to second joint. Habitat — Africa, 

 India, Australia, and South Sea Islands. 



Genus. Tanysiptera. — Bill, nostrils rounded and ex- 

 posed. Wings, fourth qmll longest. Tail wedge-shaped, 

 central feathers prolonged, with wide tips. Tarsi short and 

 scaled transversely. Inner toe short, united to second joint 

 of middle toe, outer long and joined to third joint. Habitat 

 — New Guinea and Philippines. 



Gemts. Ceyx. — Bill long and slender, keel of lower 

 mandible straight to tip, nostrils narrow, in membranous 

 space. Wings, first quill long, second and third longest. 

 Tail very short and round. Tarsi very short. Inner toe 

 absent, middle and outer toes in front, and united to third 

 joint. Habitat — India and Archipelago. 



Suh-family. Alcedlninse. — Bill long and slender, keel of 

 both mandibles sloping to sharp tip. 



Genus. Ceryle. — BOl long and strong, keel encroaching 

 on forehead, edges wider at base. Tail long and rounded. 

 Tarsi very short. Habitat — Africa, India, and most of 

 America. 



Genus. Alcedo. — Bill, nostrils oblique, covered with 

 plumed scale. Wings, second and third quills longest, first 

 nearly as long. Tall short. Outer toe united to middle 

 nearly to tip, hind toe short and broad. Habitat — Most 

 parts of Old World, 



Geims. Alcyone. — As Alcedo, but inner toe wanting. 

 Habitat — Australia, Indian Archipelago, and New Guinea. 



Suh-family. Galbulinae. — Bill various, but always long. 

 Wings moderate, fourth quill longest. Tail long and gra- 

 duated. Tarsi short. Toes, three or four, two front toes 

 united to near end of inner toe. 



Geiius. Galbula. — Bill squared and straight, two long 

 slender bristles at base ; nostrils in small groove. Tarsi 

 feathered. Inner hinder toe very small or wanting. 

 Habitat — Tropical America and Islands, Includes Jaca- 

 Maralcyon. 



Genus. Jacamerops. — Bill curved. Inner hind to© 

 shortest, claws long, compressed, and sharp. Habitat- 

 Tropical America. 



Family. MEROPIDa:.— Bill long, both mandibles curved 

 and very sharp ; nostrils on sides of base, partly hidden by 



* These are better called Puff- birds than Darbets, for which sea 

 l)ai,'e 550. 



