34 THE CLASSIFICATION. OF BIRDS 



name of Fulicarise, is a not very important question, respecting 

 which there may be differences of opinion. 



Of the Ralliformes, the Heliornithidce are tropical ; the Colym- 

 Mdce arctic ; the Podicipidce almost cosmopolitan ; whilst the range 

 of the other three families does not extend to the Arctic Regions, 

 that of the JJtididce is restricted to the Old World, and that of the 

 Heliornithidce* to the New World. 



CHARADRIIFORMES. 



The Birds .which I have associated together to comprise the 

 Order to which the name of Charadriiformes has been given 

 possess the following characters : 



The flexor perforans digitorum is connected with the second, 

 third, and fourth digits, but not with the hallux (which is some- 

 times absent). 



The fifth secondary-quill is absent. 



The maxillo-palatines are free. 



The bifurcation of the nasals is schizorhinal. 



The humerus is furnished with a more or less prominent 

 ectepicondylar process.'!' 



The Charadriiformes may be divided into five Suborders, which 

 of course all possess the characters that are diagnostic of the 

 Order, and which may be diagnosed from each other as follows : 



Gat-ice. Charadriiformes with the spinal feather-tract well- 

 defined on the neck; the dorsal vertebrae opisthocrelous ; the 

 basipterygoid processes absent ; the oil-gland tufted [and the 

 young generally prsecocal except in the Alcidce]. 



Limicolcc. Charadriiformes with the spinal feather-tract well 

 defined en the neck ; the dorsal vertebrae opisthoccelous ; the 



* Heliornis has always been regarded as the New World representative of the 

 Old World genus Podica, The theory that the resemblance is only accidental, 

 and that Podica is the_01d World representative of the New World Psophice, is 

 siipported by several facts. In spite of statements to the contrary, there can be 

 little doubt that Podica is qiiincubital and belongs to the Galliformes, whilst 

 Heliornis is aquincubital and belongs to the Ralliformes. Three specimens (two 

 of them in spirit) of Podica sencgahnsis, and one of Hdiornis fulica, have been 

 most carefully examined for me by experts at the British Museum. 



t This process is not found in the (Edicnemidce, a holorhinal family of the 

 Fulicarise (Lydekker, "Catalogue of the Fossil Birds in the British Museum," 

 p. 168). 



