xvi NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



II. Cypseli. I'lilalc !i'f,'itli()j;ii;itliuiis. Winj^s li'ii.u'tlieiKMl in lliuir tcr- 

 iiiiiuil poilioiis, iililnvvialci! luisiilly, willi llic liisl iniiniiry not ri'diii-cd. 

 Tiiil 111' Icii rcctrifus. Bill lissiinslriil or U'iiiiin»lnil. KciM iicvur /A\i;o- 

 (liic'tylc iioi- syiiiliwlylo, small, \v<'ak, scarcely lillcil I'ni' locoiiiulioii ; 

 hallux oflcii clcvalcil or lat(M-al or reversed; front Iocs usiiidly welilicd 

 at base, or with aliiioriiial ratio ol' jilialaiiucs in lenj:'lh and nnnilicr, or 

 liotli. Stci'nnni dec]i-kecli'd, nsually entire oY else donlily notelieil or 

 |verl'orate. Syrinireal mnscles not, more than one pair. 

 h. Cuculi. I'alale desnioi;iiatlious. Winjrs not pcciliar in lirevity ol' 

 liroxinial or Icniilh ol' distal |iori ms, and with lirst, primary not rcilnccd. 

 Tail ol' <'ij;ht lo twelve rectrices. Bill of indeterminate form, never 

 cercd ; tonj;iie not extensile. l''cet varionsly modilied l>y versatility 

 or reversion of eithi'r lirsl, second, or I'onrlli toes, oi' liy cohesion for a 

 j(reat distance of third and fourlli, oi' liy alisenec or rudimentary condi- 

 tion of lirst Ol' second ; ofleu liii.dily seansorial, rarely ainhiiialorial. 

 Syi'ini;'eal muscles luii paii's at most. 



('. Fici. I'alale "' exhiliilinjr a simpliliealion and tlciiradaliou of tlie 

 il'gitlioL'ualhous structure" llluxlcyl: wiuLis hcaiiii;;- out this passi'i'iue 

 allinity in the couunou i-eiluclion of the liisl pi-iuiary anil ihi restriction 

 of the 1,'reati'r coverts. Tail of ten perfe<'t rectrices and usually a si\p- 

 plenientary pair. iJostruTU hard, straii;hl, narrow, snliccpial to head, 

 with counuonly extensile and vermiform hut not furcate tonj;uc. Feet 

 hij^hly seansorial. Fourth toe permaucutly reversed ; liasal |ilialaui;'e.s 

 of toes alilircniatcd. ."-^teruum doulily notched. Salivary i.dimds highly 

 developcil. llyoidean apparatus pcculiai'. 



C. PSITTACI. IJill enor}uously thick-, sIkuI. hi-li. nnich ai-chcd li-om the 

 l)asc, tla; upper mandible stroiiL'ly hooked at the end, ecred at base, and 

 freely movable hy couipleto artii'idatiou with the forehead, the under nian- 

 diblo with short, broad, truncate symphysis. Keet peninniently zyirodactylo 

 by reversion f)f the fourth toe, which articulates by a doulile lacet. Tarsi 

 reticulate. Syrinx peculiarly constructed of three jiairs of intrinsic nuiscles. 

 Tou.u'ue sliort, thick, lleshy. Sternum entire or h'nestrate. Clavicles weak, 

 defective, or wantiiifT. Orliit iuor(! or less completed l)y apiiroach or union 

 of postoibital proiess and lachrymal. Allricial; jisilopaMlie. 



D. RAPTORES. Bill usually i.ciwerful, adapted for tcarin-- llcsh, stronudy 

 di'curvi'd and hooked at the cud, furnished with a cere in which the nostrils 

 open. Feet strongly lle.xilile, with large, sharp, nutch curved claws graihially 

 narrowed from ba.se to til), ^'oiivex on the sides, that of the second toi' laiger 

 than that of the foinili toe, an<l the hinder not .snndler than the second one. 

 Feet never permanently zygodactyle, though fourth toe often vei-satih'; an- 

 tt'rior foes lonunouly with one basal web; hallux eonsiderable and com- 

 pletely incumbent (cxceiit Ciilliiirtiilo'). Legs leatliere(l lo the sull'rago or 

 beyond. Ileetriees twelve (with rare exceptions); ]ii'imaries sinuate or 

 einarginate (with rare exc(>i)tions). Sternum singly or doubly notclie(l or 

 fenestrate. Palate ilcsmognathous. Cai-otids double. Syi'inx wanting or 

 developeil with only one pair of nnisc'les. .\ltrieial; the young being weak 

 and helpless, yet ]itilopa'die, being downy at birth. 



E. COLUMB.S!. Bill straight, eompre.ssed, horny at the vaulted liji, which 

 is scparatccl by a constriction from the sol> nieiubranous basal portion. Xos- 



of Pif/friir, corrospoiid rospco lively to the ('iii»irloiii(ir/iliir, i'litTiigntnnriihii; and Ci'li'omorjAcc of 

 Huxley, from whom many of the cliamctcifi arc liorrowcj. 



