KEY TO THE ORDERS OF BIRDS xv 



COCCYGES. 



Bill not strongly hooked and without a cere, but rather long and 

 somewhat hooked, and tail feathers not stiff or pointed. 



With 3 toes in front and 1 behind. 

 STEGANOPODES Pelicans, Cormorants, and their allies. 

 All 4 toes connected by a web. 



Only front toes fully webbed. 

 TUBINARES Petrels and Shearwaters. 



With tubular nostrils. 

 ANSERKS Ducks and Geese. 



Nostrils not tubular, and edges of bill more or less fringed or saw-like. 

 PYGOFODES Loons. 



Like Anseres but edges of bill not fringed, tail short, and legs 



placed far back. 

 LONGIPENNES Gulls and Terns. 



Like Anseres but edges of bill not fringed, tail long, and legs placed 



near the middle of body. 



Front toes not fully webbed. 

 ODONTOGLOSS.E Flamingoes. 



Bill bent abruptly downward at its middle; neck and legs long. 

 COLUMB-E Pigeons. 



Bill not bent abruptly downward at its middle, the upper mandible 



with a soft cere, bill slightly if at all hooked; legs short. 

 RAPTORES Hawks and Owls. 



Upper mandible with cere at base not soft, bill strongly hooked. 

 PYGOPODES Grebes. 



Upper mandible without naked skin (cere) at base; tail absent or 



practically so; toes with lobes, or flaps. 

 HERODIONES Herons. 



Tail well developed, lower part of thighs naked, or bill long and 



grooved on each side; outer toe separate from the middle toe for 



its whole length; space around the eye and between the eye and the 

 bill not feathered; neck and legs long. 

 PALUDICOUE Cranes, Rails, an ' Gallinules. 



Like Herodiones but space around the eye and between the eye and 



the bill feathered; hind toe on the same level as the front toes, or 



else bird over 3 feet long. 

 LIMICOUE Shore Birds. 



Like Paludicola but hind toe short and inserted above the level of 



the front toes, or else bird not over 3 feet long. 

 GALLINJE Gallinaceous Birds. 



Lower portion of thighs feathered, or else the outer toe united to the 



middle toe for half its length; bill, if long, not grooved on the side; 



the hind toe elevated, or else the longest wing quill not twice as long 



as the secondaries. 



CorCYGES CuckoOS. 



Hind toe inserted on the same level as the front toes, and the outer 

 toe united to the middle toe for half its length. 

 MACROCHIRES Goatsuckers, Swifts, and Hummingbirds. 



The outer toe not united to the middle toe for half its length; tail 

 feathers, 10. 

 PASSERES Perching Birds. 



Similar to Macrochires but with 12 tail feathers. 



