COMPENDIUM OF GENEEIC DISTINCTIONS. 



777 



Suh-faniihj. Tallegallinae. — Billj sides compressed. 



Genus. Tallegallus. — Head and neck very bare. Bill 

 strong-, opening of nostrils large, in membranous groove. 

 Wings, fifth and sixth quills equal and longest. Tail long, 

 rounded on sides. Tarsi powerful, feathered below knee, 

 and covered with scales in front ; toes long, claws powerful 

 and sharp. Habitat — Australia and New Guinea. 



Suh- family. Megapodinse.— Bill rather weak, sides com- 

 pressed. 



Geims. Meqapodius. — Bill straight, rather vaulted to- 

 wards tip ; nostrils with oval opening in fore part of mem- 

 branous groove. Wings large and round. Tail short and 

 round. Tarsi very jsowerful. Habitat — Australia and jiart 

 of Asiatic Archipelago. 



Geni's. Leipoa. — Bill like Megapodius ; nostrils in short 

 membranous groove, with oblique opening. Tail long, 

 broad, and rounded. Claws long, sharp, and flattened. 

 Habitat — Australia. 



Family. PHASIANID-E.— Bill moderate. Wings mo- 

 derate and round. Tail long and broad. Tarsi mostly 

 spurred. Toes moderate, hind toe short and elevated. 



Sub-family. Pavoniaae, — Tail and coverts developed and 

 depressed. 



Genus. Pavo. — Bill apical, half arched. Wings short 

 and round, sixth quill longest. Tail long and round, coverts 

 very long, extending far beyond tail. Tarsi with conical 

 sjJur. Toes moderate. Habitat — India. 



Genus, Polyplectron. — Bill, nostrils with longitudinal 

 opening, partially concealed by membrane. Wings, fifth 

 and sixth quills longest. Tail long, broad, and round. Tarsi 

 with two or three spurs in male. Habitat — India, 



Suh-family. Fhasianinse. — Tail long and wedge-shaped. 



Genus. Argus. — Head and neck nearly bare. Bill rather 

 long ; nosti'ils large, with opening partly closed by mem- 

 brane. Wings short and round, secondaries much larger 

 than quills. Tail, two central feathers very long and slender. 

 Tarsi not spurred. Toes, outer longer than inner. Habi- 

 tat — Indian Archipelago. 



Genus. Phasianus. — Bill moderate ; nostrils in groove 

 at base. Wmgs, fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail long, 

 each feather narrowing at tip. Tarsi spurred in male. 

 Toes, outer longer than inner. Habitat — Asia. 



Sub-family. Gallinse. — ^Bill moderate; nostrils large, 

 nearly semicircular, in membranous groove, and protected 

 by a scale. Wings, secondaries equalling quills. Tail com- 

 pressed. Tarsi spurred. 



Genus. Gallopha.sis. — Sides of head bare, skin hanging 

 in wattles. Wings, fourth to seventh quills equal and 

 longest, secondaries broad. Tarsi covered on both sides 

 with large scales, spurred on inner side near hind toe. 

 Claws short and cui-ved. Habitat — India. 



Genus. Gallus. — Fleshy crest on head, and wattled 

 below chin ; cheeks bare. Bill strong, nostrils exposed. 

 Tail compressed, and covered bj' lengthened coverts. Tarsi 

 covered in front with broad scales, and long curved spur. 

 Hind toe little elevated. Habitat — India. 



Genus. Ceriornis. — Bill short and thick, tip blunt, 

 nostrils oval and naked. Wings very concave. Tail large 

 and round. Tarsi strong, scales in front, and short spur. 

 Long horn over each eye. Two naked wattle-like spaces 

 below chin. Habitat — Central Asia. 



Subfamily. Meleagrinse.— Tail short and drooping. 

 Head and neck naked, haired, or wattled ; sometimes base 

 of lower mandible wattled. 



Genus. Meleagris.— Bill strong, keel arched to tip, 

 nostrils in groove. Wings short, fifth and sixth quills longest. 

 Tail broad and rounded. Tarsi long and strong, scaled in 

 front, and bluntly spurred. Front toes united at base. 

 Habitat — America. 



Genus. NuMiDiE. — Bill, nostrils large, oval, partly 

 covered by membrane. Wings, fifth quill longest. Tarsi 

 with broad divided scales. Inner toe shorter than outer. 

 Habitat — Africa. 



Sub-family. Lopliophorinse. — Bill broad at base, upp6r 

 mandible projecting, nostrils partly covered with feathers and 

 membrane. Wings moderate. Tail large. Tarsi short, 

 strong, with divided scales. Front toes united. 



Genus. Lophophoru.S.— Bill flattened at base. Wings, 

 fourth and fifth quills longest. Tarsi si^urred in male. 

 Habitat — Himalayas. 



Family. TETRAONID.ffi.— Bill broad at base and com- 

 pressed, arched above to blunt tip. Wings short and 

 rounded. Tail rounded. 



Sub-family. Perdicinse. — Edges of bill entire, nostrils 

 covered witli a hard scale. Tarsi long, with divided scales 

 in front. 



Genus. Ithaginis.— Bill short. Wings, fourth to sixth- 

 quills longest. Tarsi with two or three spurs. Outer toe 

 longer than inner ; hind toe long. Habitat — Himalayas. 



Genus. Perdix. — Bill short, nostrils with rounded scale. 

 Wings, third to fifth quills longest. Tail short. Tarsi not 

 spurred. Outer toe longer than inner. Habitat — Old 

 World. 



Gemis. Caccabis. — Bill, nasal groove with short plumes, 

 scale bare. Wings, second to fifth quills longest. Tail short. 

 Tarsi with a blunt tubercle. Habitat — Europe, Asia, and 

 Northern Africa. 



Gemis. CoTURNix. — Bill short. Wings, second to fourth 

 quills longest. Tail very short. Tarsi not spurred. Habitat 

 — Old World and Australia. 



Sub-family. Odontophorinae. — Bill, lower mandible with 

 two teeth, nostrils in short groove, covered with a scale. 

 Wings and tail rounded. Tarsi with divided scales. 



Genus. Ortyx. — Edges of beak curved and waved. 

 Wings, third to sixth quills longest. Outer toe united to 

 inner at base. Habitat — America, West Indies. 



Snb-family. Tetraoninse. — Bill short, broad, gradually 

 compressed to tip, nostrils feathered. Wings rounded. 

 Tarsi feathered, toes long. 



Genus. Tetrao. — Wings, third and fourth quills longest. 

 Tarsi feathered to base of toes. Toes with rough scales. 

 Eyebrows bare, with red warty skin. Habitat — Northern 

 — Europe and America. 



Genus, Bonasa. — Basal half of tarsi haired, remainder 

 scaled. Habitat — Eurofie and America. 



Genus. Lagopus. — Tarsi and toes wholly haired. .Habitat 

 — Europe and America. 



Sub-family, Pteroclinae. — Bill short, curve'.! to tip, sides 

 compressed. Wings and tail long and pointed. Tarsi 

 feathered ; hind toe verj- small. 



Genus. Pterocles. — Bill small, nostrils partly concealed 

 by membrane. Wings, first and second (juills longest. Tarsi, 

 front and inner sides feathered. Toes short, united at base 

 by membrane extending along sides of toes. Habitat — 

 Southern Europe, Asia, and Africa. 



Family. CHIONID.a:. — Bill moderate, nostrils pro- 

 tected by horny sheath. Wings long and pointed. Tarsi 

 short, front toes united at base, hind toe short. 



Sub-family. Chionidinae — Horny sheath extending over 

 the basal half of the bill. 



Gemis. Chionis.— Bill short, base broad ; base and cheeks 

 covered with naked skin. Wings, second (juill longest, 

 tubercle at bend. Tarsi roughly scaled. Habitat— Islands 

 of Antarctic Ocean. 



Family. TINAMID.5;.— Bill straight, flattened, with 

 membrane at base, nostrils large. Wings short and concave. 

 Toes long. (Sub-family, Tinaminse, with same character- 

 istics.) 



Genus. Tixamus. — Bill rather short, hooked at tip ; sides 

 compressed ; nostrils towards ba.se. Wings, third and fourth 

 quills longest, tips curved. Tail very short, coverts length- 

 ened. Claws short and thick. Habitat — South America, 



Order. ST RUTH I ONES.— Very largo size. Wings al- 

 most rudimcutal. 



Family. STRUTHIONIDiE.— Wings very short. Toes 

 short, broad, and unequal. Taisi very long "and powerful. 



