770 



COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS. 



Genus. FLORISTTQA. Bill arched. Wings moderate. 

 Tail short, forming rounded fork when closed ; tail coverts 

 very large, projecting beyond central feathers of tail. 

 Habitat Tobago, Brazil. 



Genus. OXYPOGON. Bill short and sharp. Head of male 

 with long pointed crest, black in centre, rest white ; long 

 drooping plumes on chin. Wings moderate. Tail large, 

 slightly forked when closed. Habitat Cordilleras. 



Genus. HELIOMASTER. Bill long, straight, or nearly so. 

 Gorget very large, extended laterally by long lancet-shaped 

 feathers. Tail ample. Feet small. Habitat Brazil, An- 

 tilles. 



Genus. EUTOXERES. Bill rather long, very much curved. 

 Tail-coverts long. Tail rapidly graduated, composed of 

 lancet-shaped feathers. Habitat Veragua, Santa F6 de 

 Bogota. 



Genus. HELIANGELUS. Bill long as head, straight, 

 rather flat at base, rest cylindrical. Throat with scaly lus- 

 trous feathers, mostly a white or buff gorget. Wings 

 strong, outer primary well curved. Tail moderate, rounded. 

 Habitat Venezuela, New Granada, &c. 



Genus. LOPHORNIS. Bill short, slender, straight, and 

 sharp ; head crested. Neck furnished with fan-like plumes. 

 Tail moderate, rounded. Habitat Guiana, Cayenne > 

 Brazil. 



Genus. PETASOPHORA. Bill long, slender, almost, if not 

 quite, straight. Ear-coverts composed of large, scaly, me- 

 tallic feathers, standing boldly from neck. Wings large. 

 Tail squared. Habitat Mexico. 



Genus. TRTPH^ENA. Bill long and awl-shaped; gorget 

 large. Wings rather small. In male, tail long, forked to 

 upper tail-coverts. Habitat Mexico. 



Genus. COMETES. Bill long, cylindrical, boldly curved 

 downwards. Tail very long, very deeply forked, feathers 

 long, wide, and squared at ends. Tarsi bare. Habitat 

 Peru and Bolivia. 



Genus. CALOTHORAX. Bill long and curved, base broad, 

 covered with plumes ; nostrils concealed by plumes. Wings 

 moderate, first quill longest. Tail long. Tarsi slender, 

 partly plumed. Outer toe shorter than inner. Habitat 

 Central America. 



Genus. CYNAKTHUS Bill straight. Tail very deeply 



forked, the two exterior feathers being broad, squared, and 

 twice the length of the second pair. The remainder are 

 lancet-shaped, and rapidly graduated to the central, which 

 are very short. Habitat Peru, Santa F6" de Bogotit. 



Genus. AVOCETTA. Bill much curved upward in front. 

 Tail short. Wings moderate. 



Genus. HELIOTHRIX. Bill very slightly arched, and 

 wedge-shaped ; nostrils hidden by plumes. Wings long, 

 largely feathered. Feet very small. Habitat Brazil, 

 Guiana. 



Genus. ORTHORHYNCHUS. Bill short and straight. 

 Head with large loose tuft forming a long peak. Includes 

 CEPHALEPIS. Habitat Brazil, &c. 



Genus. OREOTROCHILUS. Bill slightly curved ; nostrils 

 in long groove, concealed by projecting plumes. Wings, 

 first quill longest. Tail long and rounded. Tarsi slender, 

 partly plumed. Toes free. Habitat South America. 



Genus. MELLISUQA. Bill straight ; nostrils hidden by 

 plumes. Wings, first quill longest. Tail long. Tarsi 

 slender. Exterior toes united to middle at base ; outer toe 

 longer than inner. Habitat New World. 



Family. CEKTHID2E. Bill long, arched ; nostrils small 

 and with membranous scale. Wings, tail, tarsi, and toes 

 extremely varied. 



Sub-family. Fumarinae. Toes long, outer longer than 

 inner, and united at base to middle toe. 



Genus. FURNARiUS. Nostrils oval, covered with plumes 

 of forehead. Wings, quills graduated to fourth and fifth, 

 which are longest. Tail moderate, rather squared. Tarsi 

 rather long ; toes moderate. Habitat South America. 



Sub-family. Certhinae. Toes very long and delicate, 

 outer toe longer than inner, and joined to middle joint 

 beyond first joint ; inner toe united as far as first joint ; 

 hind toe very long and slender ; claws long and curved. 



Genus. CEHTHIA. Bill curved, nostrils lunate, partly 

 covered with membranous scale. Wings, first quill slioil, 

 fourth and fifth equal and longest. Tail long, graduated, 

 tips of feathers sharp and stiff. Tarsi short and slender. 

 Habitat Europe, Asia, and North America. 



Genus. TICHODROMA. Bill slightly curved, nostrils with 

 membranous scale. Wings long and rounded, quills as in 

 Certhia. Tail short, tips of feathers soft. Habitat Europe 

 and Asia. 



Sub-family. Dendrocolaptinae. Bill various ; nostrils 

 small and exposed. Tail, shaft of each feather projecting 

 beyond web. 



Genus. DENDHOCOLAPTIB (XIPHORHYNCHUS). Bill much 

 curved, broad at base, then compressed to tip, nostrils oval. 

 Wings, fourth quill longest. Tarsi short and strong, broad 

 scaled. Outer toe longer than inner, and united to middle 

 toe. Habitat South America. 



Sub-family. Sittinae. Outer toe longer than inner, and 

 united as far as first joint to the middle toe. 



Genus. SlTTA. Bill straight, nostrils in broad groove. 

 Wings, first quill very short, third and fourth longest. 

 Tail short and broad. Tarsi strong ; hind toe longer than 

 middle. Habitat Europe and North America. 



Sub-family. Menurinae. Bill long and slender ; nostrils 

 with horny scale or membrane. Wings short and round. 

 Outer toe longer than inner, hind toe long. 



Genus. MENTJRA. Bill strong and broad ; nostrils in 

 broad triangular groove. Wings, sixth to ninth quills 

 longest. Tail very long, in males lyre-shaped. Tarsi rather 

 long, broadly scaled in front; claws long, powerful, and 

 blunt Habitat Australia. 



Genus. TROGLODYTES. Bill straight ; nostrils in a groove, 

 protected by membrane. Wings, fourth to sixth quilla 

 longest. Tail short and round. Tarsi rather short, broadly 

 scaled in front. Toes long and slender. Habitat Europe, 

 Asia, and America. 



Tribe. DENTlROSTRES.Tip of upper mandible 

 slightly toothed and hooked. Outer toe united to centre 

 toe at base. 



Family. LU8CINIDJE. Bill sharp, slender, straight, 

 sides rattier compressed towards tip. Wings rather long. 

 Tarsi slender. 



Sub-family. Malurinae. Nostrils open, in membranous 

 groove. Tail long and rounded. Hind toe with strong 

 claw. 



Genus. ORTHOTOMTJS. Bill slightly flattened at base; 

 nostrils with longitudinal opening. Wings, fourth to eighth 

 quills longest. Tail graduated, feathers narrow. Tarsi 

 with single scale in front. Outer toe longer than inner. 

 Habitat India and Archipelago. 



Genus. DRYMOICA. Bill short, with short bristles at 

 base ; nostrils with semi-lunar opening, partly covered by a 

 scale. Wings, fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail long, 

 broad, and rounded. Tarsi broadly scaled in front. Habitat 

 Africa, Southern Europe, India, and Australia. 



Genus. STIPITUBDS. Bill with long bristles at base ; 

 nostrils with oval opening. Wings, fourth to sixth quills 

 longest. Tail long and graduated, six long slender shafts 

 with filamentous webs. Tarsi with large scale in front 

 Habitat Australia. 



Sub-family. Luscininae. Bill slender and straight ; nos- 

 trils in membranous groove. Wings and tail moderate. 

 Tarsi slender and scaled. Toes long and slender, claws 

 sharp. 



Genus. SYLVIA. -Bill with few weak bristles at base ; nos- 

 trils in broad short groove, with partly semi-lunar opening. 

 Wings, first quill very short, third and fourth longest. Outer 

 toe united at base to middle ; hind toe with strong dnw 

 Habitat Old World. 



