FAMILY BURHINID32. 115 



a hypocleidium. The carotids are two, the syrinx tracheo-bronchial, a single pair 

 of intrinsic muscles present or absent ; the digestive system is periccelous and ortho- 

 coelous, tending to the typically mesogyrous, and caeca usually large though sometimes 

 rudimentary. The leg muscle formula is variable, generally AXY-f-, but in many 

 cases ABXY-f . The biceps slip and expansor secundariorum generally present, 

 but in a few cases altogether missing. The oil gland is present and feathered, an 

 aftershaft present and the wing aquincubital. The pterylosis of a few species is 

 known but the variation has not been determined. The nestlings are hatched 

 covered with down and the colour pattern of this down seems a valuable character 

 for the recognition of groups, as it is very constant. 



SUPERFAMILY BURHINOIDEA. 



An ancient group with only a single family and few genera distributed generally 

 through the Temperate and Tropical zones of the world. Superficially the whole 

 series agree, only showing variation in size, shape and size of bill and proportions 

 of wings, legs, etc. Thus (Edicnemus contains the smaller species, Burhinus the 

 larger ones with small bills, Orthorhamphus larger ones with very large straight stout 

 bills, and Esacus larger ones with large stout recurved bills. The same style of 

 coloration is retained by all with not much variation. 



Osteologically great stress has been laid upon the holorhinal nostrils, as all other 

 Charadriiform birds are credited with schizorhinal ones, but upon examination the 

 holorhiny will be seen to be spurious and that the nasals are of schizorhinal origin. 

 Another peculiar item is the variation of the leg muscles within the limits of the 

 " genus " (Edicnemus, some members having lost the femoro -caudal, while others 

 possess the full complement. There are no basipterygoid processes nor occipital 

 foramina but supraorbital grooves are present. The lachrymals are united to the 

 prefrontals. The cervical vertebrae are sixteen in number, while the coracoids 

 overlap ; the dorsal vertebrae are heteroccelous and the sternum is four notched at 

 the posterior border. There are generally no intrinsic muscles to the syrinx. 



FAMILY BURHINID^E. 



Four genera only are admitted in this family, of which two are represented in 

 Australia, one being endemic. It is noteworthy that the extra-limital " genus " 

 (Edicnemus shows more internal variation than appears externally, the variation 

 in the leg muscles being extraordinary. The Australian endemic genus Burhinus 

 has the formula BXY-f-, in this respect agreeing with the type of (Edicnemus, while 

 other species of " (Edicnemus " have the formula ABXY-K Such a difference is 

 elsewhere regarded as of great importance, but in this group merely as of specific value. 



Genus BURHINUS. 



Burhinus Illiger, Prodr. Mamm. et Av., p 250, (pref. April) 1811. Type (by monotypy): 

 Charadrius magnirostris Latham. 



Planorhamphus Billberg, Synops. Faunae Scand., Vol. I., pt. 11., Aves, tab. A, 1828. New 

 name for " Burrhimis 111.? " c/. Austral Av. Rec., Vol. II., pts 2 and 3, p. 40, Oct. 23rd, 1913. 



Burhinine birds with short bills, short wings, long tails, and long legs and feet. 



The bill is shorter than the head, thick, and strong ; nostrils pervious ; the 

 nasal depression is less than half the length of the bill with the linear nostrils placed 

 in its anterior portion ; the culmen is much less than half the length of the meta- 

 tarsus. The wing is short with the second primary longest, the first equal to the 

 third ; the wing is much less than three times the length of the metatarsus. The 

 tail, consisting of twelve rectrices, is long and wedge shaped, and more than half 



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