ON THE ANATOMY OF THE TODIES. 351 



(8) In the tendency to bifurcation of the manubrium sterni. 



(9) In possessing 8 sacral and 7 caudal vertebrae, as opposed to 11 

 and 6 in the Momotidae *. 



(10) In the oil-gland having a large tuft of plumes on its apex, this 

 being quite or almost altogether absent in the Momotidaa. 



(11) In the better development of the rictal and inandibular vibrissae. 



(12) In the ocreate tarsus, which is very long, whereas in the Momo- 

 tidaa it is transversely scutellated and short. 



(13) In the much greater syndactylism of the toes. 



(14) In the less development of the outer pectoral branch of the 

 inferior tract, which, in Momotus at least, is given off much nearer the 

 anterior margin of the breast, and diverges much more than in Todus. 



(15) In the shape of the tongue in the Motmots, apically frayed-out 

 and brush-like, and with the lacerations of the margin directed forwards, 

 not backwards. 



(16) In the possession of large and well-developed intestinal caeca, 

 these being completely absent in all the Motmots. 



(17) In the triangular shape of the obturator internus, this in the 

 Motmots being oval. 



(18) In the conformation of the syrinx. 



Of special points of resemblance between Todies and Motmots I am 

 unaware of any that can be considered characteristic of these two 

 families as a group, the points in which they do approach each other 

 being equally met with, in other allied birds. Thus the simple dorsal 

 tract of Todus and Momotus reappears in Alcedo, as do the crenulated 

 beak-margins in Merops"^. Neither is the termination of the expansor 

 secundariorum muscle on the teres peculiar to the two groups in question, 

 as it is found, as already observed, in some Kingfishers, as well as in 

 Steatornis. 



The resemblance between the termination of the tensor patagii tendons 

 in the two families is perhaps the best-marked feature of special resem- P. Z. S. 1882, 

 blance ; but, as already pointed out, though the arrangement is similar, p ' 449 ' 

 it is not identical, whilst, on the other hand, that characterizing the 

 Todies could easily be produced by a slight modification of that found in 

 some of the other groups of Anomalogonatae. 



In the face, then, of the many important differences that exist in all 



* In all the Momotidse I have examined (including the genera Momotus, Bary- 

 phthengus, and Hylomanes) this is the number of these vertebrae, the total being 37, except 

 Baryphthengus, which has only 36, by the reduction of its dorsal vertebras to 4 (0. 15, 

 D. 4, S. 11, Cd. 6=36). Dr. Murie, after stating the number of the vertebras in the 

 Motmots to be 36, 37, or 38, curiously enough gives the number characteristic of Todus 

 (35) as one of the characters of his group " Serratirostres," in which he includes the 

 Motmots (Ibis, 1872, p. 410) ! 



t As already pointed out by Murie, Ibis, 1872, p. 398. 



