AVES. 473 



or with reticulate scales. Feathers of back between the wings and 

 at the base of tail mostly elongate, lax, soft, as though of silk. 

 Tail with feathers various in number. (Bill straight, with tip bent.) 



In this and in the preceding family, as we learn from the inves- 

 tigations of MUELLER, the lower larynx is not formed by the bronchi 

 but only by the lowest part of the trachea. To this division of 

 birds he gave in consequence the name of TracheopJiones. Abhandl. 

 der Akad. der Wissensch. zu Berlin, 1845, s. 357 365. 



Section I. Menurince. 



Menura DAVIES, LATH. Bill moderate, keeled, broad at the 

 base. Nostrils placed in a lateral fossa, covered by membrane, 

 elongate. Orbital region naked. Tarsi long, covered behind at 

 the upper part with smaller scutes, below reticulate. Claws strong, 

 curved, elongate; claw of hallux longer than the rest. Wings short, 

 with first five quills gradually longer, sixth, seventh, eighth and 

 ninth subequal, longest of all. Tail elongate, in male erect, with 

 16 feathers, most of them lax, in female cuneate, with 12 feathers. 



Sp. Menura superba DAVIES, Menura Lyra SHAW, DAVIES Linn. Trans, vi. 

 1801, pp. 207 210, Tab. 12, GUEBIN. Iconogr., Ois. PL 13, fig. i, LESS. 

 Ornith. PI. 88 ; the outer tail-feathers are curled outwards and ornamented 

 with ruddy spots; Menura Alberti GOULD, JABDINE Contrib. to Ornith. 

 1850, PL 50; a species discovered not long ago, with shorter tail; the 

 outer tail-feathers are shorter than those that succeed to them internally. 

 Both species are large, shy birds of New Holland, which feed on insects, 

 particularly beetles, and on land-slugs. Comp. JULES VERBEAUX Notes sur 

 les moeurs, &c. du Menura superba GUEB. Revue et Magas. de Zool. 1849, 

 pp. 113 1 1 6. 



Section II. Myiotherince. 



Pteroptochus KITTLITZ. Bill moderate, straight, with culmen 

 obtuse, curved. Nostrils basal, lateral, covered by a horny oper- 

 culum. Bristles at the base of bill and around the eyes. Feet 

 strong; tarsus equalling middle toe or exceeding it a little; lateral 

 ies equal; hallux elongate. Claws curved, strong. Wings short, 

 rouncted, with third and fourth quills and on to the seventh sub- 

 equal, longest of all. Tail moderate, graduated. 



Sp. Pteroptochus rubecula KITTL., Mem. presentes a I'Acad. des Sc. de St 

 Petersbourg, I. 1830, p. 179, Tab. u ; Pteroptochus aJbicoUis KITTL. ib. p. 

 1 80, Tab. in. Megalonyx medius LESSON, Illustr. de Zool. PL 60. 



