586 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 54. 



It will be noted that in five of the characters outlined, NyctiMus 

 agrees with the Podargidae, and in five with the Caprimulgidae. In 

 the absence of an oilgland, presence of powder down patches, single 

 carotid artery, four notched sternum, and the possession of five 

 phalanges in the fourth toe Nyctibius resembles Podargus (here 

 taken as typical of the family Podargidae). While in its tracheo- 

 bronchial syrinx, 14 cervical vertebrae, presence of basipterygoid 

 processes, development of the procoracoidal process, and the form of 

 its palatines Nyctibius is similar to the Caprimulgidae. It is seen 

 from a study of these points then, that, as Gadow stated,^ the 

 Nyctibiidae seem to form an intermediate group between the other 

 two. Study and comparison of the known characters of Aegotheles 

 which forms another family of this group, the Aegothelidae, serves 

 to narrow the gap between Podargidae and Caprimulgidae still 

 more.^ , It is thought that the two major groups will be found still 

 more closely allied when more is known of Aegotheles, and when 

 Batrachostomus has been more carefully investigated. From present 

 knowledge Batrachostomus seems to belong in the family Podargidae 

 as it is said to have a four-notched sternum, a bronchial syrinx, and 

 a desmognathous palate, while it lacks basipterygoid processes. It 

 differs from Podargus in possessing an oil gland. 



From the facts outlined above it seems that the suborder Nyctico- 

 raciae of the Order Coraciiformes may be divided into two super- 

 families, the Steatornithoidae with the single genus Steatornis and 

 the Caprimulgoidae with the families Podargidae, Nyctibiidae, 

 Aegothelidae, and Caprimulgidae. In the second superfamily the 

 Podargidae, though specialized, are considered lowest and the Capri- 

 mulgidae highest in development. The Nyctibiidae and the Aegothe- 

 lidae seem to be about on the same level, though on the whole the lat- 

 ter seems the more primitive. 



1 Bronn's Klassen und Ordnungen des Thier-Reichs, Vogel, vol. 2, p. 243. 



2 As alcoholic specimens or skeletons of Aegotheles are not available, the writer is 

 indebted for information on this genus and on Batrachostomus to the following : Bed- 

 dard, Structure and Classification of Birds, 189S, pp. 231-244 ; Gadow, Bronn's Klassen 

 und Ordnungen des Thier-Reichs, Vogel, vol. 2, pp. 242-243 ; to brief notes gleaned from 

 other sources, and to such characters as are available from the study of skins. 



