CORACI1 FORMES. 



473 



swift. Panyptila Cab., America. Collocalia G. R. Gr., India and Aus- 

 tralia, chiefly the islands of the Indian Ocean ; they breed in company 

 and make their nests in caves or on the surface or bare face of a cliff. 

 Macropteryx, Acanthyllis Ag. (Chaetura), with the shaft of the rectrices 

 projecting in spines. 



Fam. Trochilidae. Humming-birds. Among them are the smallest 

 of birds. The plumage is variegated with a metallic lustre. The beak is 

 long and awl-shaped, and the long tongue which is cleft to the root can be 

 projected in the form of a double tube. There are 10 primary remiges and 

 10 rectrices. They are insectivorous, spending most of their time flitting 

 from flower to flower in which they find their food. Confined to America 

 and West Indies ; 400 to 500 species. Rhamphodon naevius Less., Brazil. 

 Phaethornis superciiiosus Sw., Brazil. Trochilus colubris L. Lophornis 

 magnified Pp., Brazil. Loddigesia mirabilis Gould, Peru. Patagona 

 gigas, the largest of the group, 8i inches long, Patagonia ; Mellisuga 

 minima, the smallest 2f inch, Jamaica. 



Group 5. Colii. 



This group includes the single family Coliidae. called the mouse-birds 

 either from their creeping habits or from their colour. The hallux is re- 

 versible, but commonly directed forwards. They are small frugivorous 

 forest birds with long tail and short dense plumage and are confined to 

 Africa ; about 9 species, Colius Briss. 



Group 6. Trogonss. 



With the single family Trogonidae. The only heterodactylous birds, 

 i.e. the first and second toes are directed backwards, the third and fourth 

 forwards. Tropical, usually brightly-coloured, insectivorous and frugi- 

 vorous forest birds. The skull is schizognathous ; the beak is short and 

 strong, usually w r ith serrated edges ; the mouth is wide with bristles at 

 the corners. There are 10 primaries and 12 rectrices. About 40 species ; 

 Central and South America, Africa, and Indo-Malaya. Trogon curucui 

 L., Brazil. Pharomacrus mocinno de la Llave, the quesal, Vera Paz 

 and Guatemala. Haploderma Ag., Africa. Harpactes Sw., Indo-Malaya. 

 Trogon gallicus M. Edw., from the Miocene of France. 



Group 7. Pici. 



Zygodactylous birds, i.e. 1st and 4th toes directed backwards, the 

 other toes forward with a variable palate (schizognathous, aegithogna- 

 thous, or desmognathous). 



Fam. Galbulidae. Jacamars. Desmognathous, with large precoracoid 

 process, functional caeca and normal carotids, 10 primaries, and 10 or 12 

 rectrices. Confined to Central and tropical South America. Galbula 

 Moehr., jacamars. Jacamarhalcyon, Picoides, Urogalba. Bucco, L., 

 puff-birds. 



Fam. Capitonidae. Aegithognathous, without caeca, with left carotid 

 only. 



Sub-fam. 1. Capitoninae. Barbets. Asia, Ethiopian, Neotropi- 

 cal, about 100 species in tropical forests. With brilliant plumage. 

 Capita, Cyanops, Barbatula, Gymnobucco, Megalaema, Pogonorhyn- 

 chus. 



