70 VOLITATKICES. 



ORDER II. VOLITATRICES. GLIDERS. 



Birds of small or moderate size, having the body short, 

 and proportionally light ; the neck very short ; the head 

 roundish and depressed. Bill very short, of great breadth 

 at the base, the mouth being extremely wide ; upper 

 mandible with its dorsal line straight until near the end, 

 when it is decurved, the basal sinuses wide, the sides de- 

 pressed, the edges arched and continuous, the tip very 

 small and deflected ; lower mandible with the angle wide, 

 the dorsal line extremely short, and convex, the edges 

 arched, the tip very small and pointed. Mouth capacious, 

 generally wider than the head ; tongue small, triangular ; 

 oesophagus wide, without crop ; proventriculus with a belt 

 of oblong glandules ; stomach large and thin, or mode- 

 rately muscular ; intestine of moderate length and width ; 

 coeca none, or very small, but in the nocturnal species 

 large and oblong. Nostrils small ; eyes of moderate size 

 or large ; aperture of ear large. Feet extremely small ; 

 tarsus very short ; toes four, short ; claws curved, com- 

 pressed, acute. Wings very long, generally narrow. 



The Volitatrices have a peculiarly light and bounding 

 flight, glide along with surprising speed, deviate on oc- 

 casion as if without effort, and seem scarcely liable to 

 fatigue on their aerial rambles, which are therefore 

 extremely protracted. Owing to the very diminutive 

 size of their feet, they are all incapable of walking effi- 

 ciently, or of advancing to any distance on the ground or 

 on trees. They feed on insects, which they seize in open 

 flight, with the bill. Three distinct groups, the CYP- 



