Page 420, 
352 THE ANATOMY OF COLIUS, 
from the Coraciide, Meropide, Bucerotide, and Caprimulgide. In 
Musophaga -the distribution of the tendons is on quite another 
principle, as it is in the Psittaci.* 
The intestines of Oolius are voluminous and short, being only 
9 inches in length. I could find no trace of intestinal cmca. 
Nitzsch has shown that the oil-gland is tufted, and that there are ten 
rectrices. 
In wy paper on the classification of birds I proposed to distribate 
the Anomalogonats into two groups, according to whether the ceca 
are present and at the same time the oil-gland is nude, or the 
ceca are absent and the oil-gland is tufted, arranging them in the 
following manner :— 
PICIFORMES. PASSERIFORMES. 
With tufted oil-gland and With nude oil-gland and 
without ceca. with ceca. — 
Pict. Passeres, 
{ Capon Bucconide (? as to ceca). 
Ramphastine. Trogonide. 
Upupide. Meropide. 
(Coliide). Galbulide. 
Bucerotide. Caprimulgide. 
Alcedinide. Coraciide. 
Momotide. 
From what has been said above it is evident that Colius must be 
included among the Piciformes, and near those of this division with 
a left carotid only, a four-notched sternum, and a blended plantar- 
tendon arrangement. No other piciform bird, however, combines all 
these characters. In the Alcedinide the sternum and plantar ar- 
rangement correspond; in the Bucerotide Toccus agrees as to the 
carotid and the plantar tendons. The Picide (Picine+Capitonine+ 
Ramphastine) have a left carotid, a two-notched sternum, but a 
specialized plantar-tendon distribution. Consequently the fact that 
the combination of characters is unique justifies us in retaining the 
Coliide in a separate family, related on the one hand to the Picide, 
and on the other to the Alcedinide# and Bucerotide. 
Something must be said with reference to the probability of Oolius 
having psittacine affinities. It is an interesting fact that in those 
species of the genus Cacatua (galerita, leadbeateri, moluccensis, &c.) 
in which the oil-gland is not lost, the resemblances (only accidental 
I assume) to the genus Colius are peculiarly numerous. In these 
Cacatue there is a left carotid artery only, no ambiens muscle, and a 
* Vide “ Proceedings of the Zoological Society,’”’ 1875, p. 339. (Supra, p. 289.) 
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