770 



COMPENDIUM! OF GENEPJC DISTINCTIONS. 



Genus. Florisuga. — Bill arched. Wings niodemte. 

 Tail short, forming rounded fork when closed ; tail corerts 

 very large, projecting beyond central feathers of tail. 

 Habitat — Tobago, Bi-azil. 



Genus. OxTPOGON. — Bill short and sharp. Head of male 

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

 drooping plumes on chin. Wings moderate. TaQ 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 Fe 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 Gi-anada, &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^na. — BiU 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. Tai-si bare. Habitat — 

 Peru and Bolivia. 



Genus. Calothorax. — BiU 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. Cynanthus. — 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 Bogotk. 



Genus. AvocETTA. — Bill much cui-ved upward in front. 

 Tail short. Wings moderate. 



Genus. Heliothrix. — Bill very sbghtly arched, and 

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

 largely feathered. Feet very small. Habitat — Brazil, 

 Guiana. 



Genus. Orthorhtnchus.— Bill short and straight. 

 Head with large loose tuft forming a long peak. Includes 

 Cephalepis. Habitat — Brazil, &c. 



Genus. Oreotrochilus.— BiU sUghtly curved ; nostrils 

 in long groove, concealed by projecting plumes. Wings, 

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

 partly plumed. Toes free. Habitat — South America. 



Genus. Mellisuga. — BiU straight; nostrils hidden by 

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

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

 longer than inner. Habitat — New World. 



Family. CERTHID.a:.— BUI long, arched ; nostrUs small 

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

 extremely varied. 



Siih-family. Ftimarinse.— 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. TaU moderate, rather squared. Tarsi 

 rather long ; toes moderate. Habitat — South America. 



Sitb-famibj. Certhinse. — 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. 



Gemis. Certhia. — BiU curved, nostrils lunate, partly 

 covered ■n-ith membranous scale. Wings, first quill short, 

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

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

 Habitat — Europe, Asia, and North America. 



Genus. TiCHODROMA. — Bill sUghtly curved, nostrils with 

 membranous scale. Wings long and rounded, quills as in 

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

 and Asia. 



Sub-famili/. Dendrocolaptinse. — BUI various ; nostrils 

 smaU and exposed. Tail, shaft of each feather projecting 

 bej'ond web. 



Genus. Dendrocolaptis (Xiphorhtnchus). — Bill much 

 cui-ved, 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. Sittinse. — Outer toe longer than inner, and 

 united as far as first joint to the middle toe. 



Genus. Sitta. — Bill straight, nostrils in broad groove. 

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

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

 middle. Habitat — Europe and North America. 



Sab-family. Menurinse. — Bill long and slender ; nostrils 

 with homy scale or membrane. Wings short and round. 

 Outer toe longer than inner, hind toe long. 



Genus. Menura. — BiU strong and broad ; nostrils in 

 broad triang-ular 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 quills 

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

 scaled in front. Toes long and slender. Habitat — Eiirope, 

 Asia, and America. 



Tribe. DENTIROSTRES.—Ti-p of upper mandible 

 slightly toothed and hooked. Outer toe united to centre 

 toe at base. 



Family. LTISCINID.S:.— BUI sharp, slender, straight, 

 sides rather 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. Orthotomus. — Bill slightly flattened at base ; 

 nostrils with longitudinal opening. Wings, fourth to eighth 

 quUls longest. Tail graduated, feathers narrow. Tarsi 

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

 Habitat — India and Archipelago. 



Genus. Drymoica. — BUI short, with short bristles at 

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

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

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

 — Africa, Southern Europe, India, and Australia. 



Genus. Stipiturus. — Bill with long bristles at base ; 

 nostrils with oval opening. Wings, fourth to sixth quiUs 

 longest. Tail long and graduated, six long slender shafts 

 with filamentous webs. Tarsi with large scale in front 

 Habitat — Australia. 



Subfamily. Luscininae.— BUI 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 claw. 

 Habitat- Old World. 



