Jo Sclater on the Systema Avium. 



- Nomenclator' Pici, Cypseli. and Coccyges. The order Picariae 

 may then be divided into the following six suborders : — 



Families. Families. 



r. Pici 2 4. Heterodactyloe .... 1 



2. Cypseli 2 5. Zygodactyly 5 



3. Anisodactyla; . . 12 6. Coccyges 2 



The Picariae thus considered embrace altogether about 1600 

 species of birds referable, as shown above, to twenty-four families. 



5. PsiTTACI. 



The Parrots {Psittaci), annexed by Cuvier and his disciples 

 to the Zygodactvhe, are now generally allowed to form one of 

 the primary divisions of the Carinatae, as was first. I believe, 

 suggested by Nitzsch in 1829.* The affinities of this ancient 

 group to other orders appear to be somewhat remote, but their 

 most natural position seems to be between the Picariae and the 

 Accipitres. The best mode of subdividing this order has long 

 been a matter of discussion. Dr. Finsch's mode of grouping, as 

 well as those adopted by previous writers, being not very satisfac- 

 tory. But a flood of light has been thrown upon this subject by 

 Garrod's excellent memoir on the anatomy of the Psittacida?,f 

 and I think we may safely base our arrangement upon the results 

 of his observations. This, indeed. I have already done in the 

 last edition of the ' List of Vertebrated Animals living in the 

 Zoological Society's Gardens' (1S79), where I have arranged 

 the Psittaci upon the following plan, of which the details are 

 taken from Garrod's investigations : — 



A. Left carotid normal. 



A'. Orbital ring complete 1. Cacatuida. 



B'. Orbital ring incomplete. 



A". Sternal keel aborted ... 2. Strbngopidee. 



B". Sternal keel developed . . 3. Palaornithidoe. 



B. Left carotid superficial 4. Psittacidcs. 



All the New-World Parrots belong to the last family. 



6. Striges. 



That the Owls, with so many peculiarties in their organization,} 

 should constitute an order separate from the Accipitres I think 

 there is little doubt. There is no known intermediate form. 1111- 



* Obs. de Avium art. carotide communi. t P. Z. S. 1874, p. 586. 



J Cf, Nitzsch, Pterylogr. p. 67. 



