224 GEMITRICES. 



ORDER XI. GEMITRICES. CODERS. 



The birds of this order vary much in form, some having 

 the body full, others rather slender ; but this difference 

 is more dependent upon the elongation of the wings and 

 tail, than upon the actual form of the body, which is 

 generally rather full, while the neck is moderate, and the 

 head always small, oblong, compressed, with the forehead 

 rounded. Bill short or of moderate length, straight, gene- 

 rally slender ; upper mandible having the nasal mem- 

 branes large, bare, fleshy, tumid, scurfy, and by their ap- 

 proximation obliterating the ridge, the extremity horny, 

 arched or convex, more or less compressed, the tip blunt 

 and thin-edged. Mouth narrow, but extensile, the crura 

 of the lower mandible being slender and elastic ; tongue 

 fleshy, triangular, pointed ; oesophagus of moderate width, 

 but presently dilated into a very large crop, formed of 

 two lobes, and lying across the neck and fore part of the 

 breast ; proventriculus oblong ; stomach a powerful giz- 

 zard, of a somewhat rhomboidal form, with very large 

 muscles, radiated tendons, and dense epithelium, having 

 two thick, elliptical, transversely rugous plates ; intestine 

 long and slender ; cceca very small, cylindrical ; rectum 

 very short. Tarsi generally short and stout, either scu- 

 tellate or feathered ; toes four, on the same level, the 

 hind toe shorter than the lateral, all scutellate, laterally 

 margined, flattened beneath ; claws short, compressed, 

 moderately arched, rather blunt. Plumage various ; fea- 

 thers without accessory plumule ; wings large, more or 

 less pointed ; tail various. 



