150 Animal Life 
N.B.—The great Jacamar (Jacamerops grandis) has a curved bill, but its pair-toed 
feet will distinguish it from a Bee-Hater; the Three-Toed Jacgamar (Jacamaralcyon 
tridactyla) has only three toes, the first, or true hind-toe, being missing; this will 
distinguish it from the Three-Toed Kingfishers, in which the missing toe is the second, 
or inner front one. 
The Puff-Birds (Bucconide) have rather stout bills of moderate length, curved or 
hooked at the tip, and the toes in pairs. 
The Motmots (Momotide) have a bill of moderate length and stoutness, curved, 
and notched like a saw along the edges; the feet have three toes in front, jomed in 
a common skin, and a smaller hind-toe; the shanks are short, but not excessively so. 
This and the toothed bill will distinguish these birds from Bee-Haters, the short-winged 
species of which they otherwise much resemble. 
The Todies (Todide), with a long, straight, flat bill, have three toes in front, joined 
in a common skin, and a smaller one behind; the shank is rather long, distinguishing 
these birds from some flat-billed Kingfishers. 
The Broadbills (Hurylemide) have short broad bills with a wide gape, and three 
toes in front united at the base, with one toe behind, as large as the inner front one; 
the shank is covered behind with numerous small scales, which will distmeguish them 
from Passeres, in which the hind-toe is also large. 
In the Frogmouths (Podargide) the bill is stout and powerful, but very short and 
broad, with a wide gape, and the nostrils sht-hke and well separated; there are three 
toes in front, webbed at the base, but the outer toe is turned out sideways in perching; 
the hind-toe is smaller. Their wings are short. 
N.B.—The Owlet Nightjars (4gotheles), which belong to this family, in their very 
small beak are like the true Nightjars, but their short wings will distinguish them. 
ACTIVE PERCHERS. 
Spending much of their time moving about in trees. 
The Parrots (Psittacida) have an extremely short and much-hooked bill, covered at 
the base with a skin as in birds of prey, but with a narrow mouth not reaching beyond 
the forehead; the feet also are very characteristic, with four toes in two pairs, the outer 
front toe being turned backwards; the shanks are always short and covered with 
numerous small scales all over. (Fig. 19.) 
N.B.—The Lories (Loriide), which live much on honey and have a brush-like 
termination to the tongue, are often ranked as a distinct family. 
The Touracous (Musophagide) have a very short stout bill with curved profile and 
saw-like edges, shanks of moderate length, with a hind-toe smaller than the rest; the 
outer front toe, though joined by a short web at the base to the middle one, can be 
turned back, and is indeed usually so. The wings are always short and the tail long 
and rounded. (Fig. 20.) 
The Mouse-Birds (Coliid@) are small birds with long tapering tails, short wings, and 
short beaks with curved profile. Their feet are very peculiar, having the four toes with 
no special direction, but capable of turning any way; the first toe is the smallest. 
The Cuckoos (Cuculide) have a bill of moderate length, with the profile curved as a 
rule, or, if not, hooked at the tip, and the nostrils very low down and near the edge of 
the upper chap (or jaw). The feet have two toes before and two behind, the outer 
front toe being turned back. (Fig. 21.) 
The Toucans (Rhamphastide) have an enormous beak, the largest among known 
birds, and feet with the toes in pairs, the outer front turned back; this will distinguish 
them from the Hornbills, with which they are often confounded. (Fig. 22. 
