1882. ] ANATOMY OF THE TODIES. 443 
warded to me, with other valuable specimens, four examples in spirit 
of the Tody of San Domingo (T’odus dominicensis). It is on the 
examination of these two species that the following paper is based. 
Dr. Murie has given us, in his article on Todus,’ an exhaustive 
account of the opinions held by previous writers as to the position 
of the Todies, as well as a valuable description of their osteology, 
and reference to what was known of their visceral anatomy. ‘T’o this 
paper I therefore refer any reader interested in the literary history 
of the group in question. Since its publication Sundevall, Garrod, 
and Sclater have all treated of the classification of birds. 
The Swedish ornithologist’, relying as usual solely upon external 
characters, was misled into placing Todus amongst the Passeres, in 
the close vicinity of the Tyrannide and Pipridz, though in the 
same year Mr. Sclater pointed out® the impropriety of such a 
position. 
Garrod at first * made the Todine with doubt a subfamily of the 
Coraciidee, the Momotine forming another; but subsequently, on 
discovering that the Momotide lacked colic ceca’, removed the 
latter altogether from the group of Passeriformes, and, adopting the 
opinion of Maurie, Sclater, and others as to the close affinities of 
Todus to the Motmots, included the Todide with them, the two 
‘almost certainly forming a single family.’ Mr. Sclater, in his 
lately published opinions on the classification of birds®, maintains his 
earlier view, the Todide being placed nearest the Momotide. My 
better opportunities for observation do not allow me to fall in with 
the opinion of the last two distinguished naturalists. Reserving 
for the present comparison, I append my notes on the dissection 
of the two species of Zodus I have examined. 
The tongue is elongated, about *75 inch long, flat and thin, nearly 
parallel-sided, though slightly tapering apically, and of horny con- 
sistence for most of its length. ‘The root of the tongue, which is 
more fleshy, has some small spines developed along its base and for 
a short distance along the lateral margins. These margins anterior 
to this are frayed-out or ciliated, the direction of the laminz so 
produced being backwards ; the tip itself is quite entire. There is 
no crop; the proventriculus is, as usual, zonary; and the stomach 
(containing insects and seeds in the specimen examined) is a fairly 
muscular gizzard, lined by hard epithelium. The right lobe of the 
liver is much larger than the left. The intestines are remarkably 
short, their total length not exceeding 33 inches. he ceca are 
well-developed’, and large for the size of the bird, measuring about 
one third of aninch. Their shape is that constantly met with in all 
the non-Passerine Anomalogonatous birds possessing ceeca—narrowed 
' “On the skeleton of Todus, with remarks as to its allies,” P. Z. 8. 1872, pp, 
664-680, pl. Lv. 
2 «Tentamen, p. 60: Stockholm, 1872. 
$ This, 1872, p. 179. * Coll. Papers, p. 216. 
5 L. ec, p. 427. The contrary had been asserted by Blyth and Murie. 
® This, 1880, p. 401. 
7 They are erroneously stated by Duvernoy (Anat. Comp. Cuy. iv. [2] 
p- 284) to be absent. : 
