The Cubital Coverts of the Euronitlice. 323 



alluded to. It is significant that these should be limited to the 

 Mesomyodi, a group of aberrant Passeres commonly regarded 

 as representing annectant forms between the Passeres proper 

 and the true Picarian birds, to be noticed presently. The 

 birds referred to are the Cotingid^, the Bower Birds 

 {Ptilorhynchus and Chlamydodera) , and, possibly also, the 

 EuRYL^MiDiE. In these more than one row of Minor Coverts 

 occur, each with proximal overlap. As this is the special 

 characteristic of the Picarians, it is just possible that subse- 

 quent research may prove that the birds in quesiton rightly 

 belong to that section, and are not Passerine birds at all.^ 



III. The CucuLiNE Style. — Two lines of modification are 

 traceable from the Passeres. One of these passes through 

 the CucuLiDiE and the CapeimulgiDtE. In these the number 

 of feather rows is greater than occurs in the Passerine birds ; 

 and the distinction of the Minors from the Marginals cannot 

 be satisfactorily made out. In one section of those there is 

 present a group of five or six feathers projecting beyond the 

 rest of the median coverts, and answering to what I have 

 elsewhere called the Inframedials. For the present, Pigs. 6 

 and 11 must suffice to represent this style. We shall need 

 to return to these sections later on. 



IV. The Picarian Style. — A very simple advance upon 

 the Passerine type is presented by the Picarians. In these, 

 as the figure of the Gecinus viridis will show (Fig. 7), the 

 diff'erence lies in the increased number of rows of coverts 

 between the Marginals and the Majors. Of these, the single 

 row of Medians, as well as the Minors, which occur usually 

 in not less than two rows, overlap proximally and ivitlwut 

 any interrivption or '' faiolting ^^ whatever. This style 

 characterises the whole of the PIC I, as well as the Aniso- 

 dactylous Picarians, with the exception of the Steatorni- 

 THiD^, the Podargid^, and possibly the Bucerotid^. It is 

 particularly well displayed by the Kingfishers, the Toucans, 

 and the Woodpeckers (Fig. 7). 



^ Since this was printed Mr Eagle Clark has shown me a specimen of Irisor, 

 which is sometimes classed with the Picarians. This bird has an unmistak- 

 able Passerine wing style ; so that those are probably right who place tliis 

 genus near Sturnus. 



