196' 



MR. J. G. GOODCHILD ON THli 



[Apr. 6, 



these feathers that is characteristic of a large number of the birds 

 remaining to be describerl. 



Still following the plan of tracing out the various modifications 

 of wing-pattern without reference to any other characteristics, however 

 important, the place of the Coccyges should be somewhere near the 

 confines of the Columbae. 



Fig. 20. 



Car])OCQccyx. 



Fig. 19 



Cucuhis. 



Coccystes. 



In passing in review a number of species belonging to the Coccyges, 

 they seem to be naturally divisible into the Cuckoos proper, well 

 represented by Cuculus canorus (fig. 19), and the Centropodinae, 

 represented by Carpococcijx radiatus (fig. 20). The Cuckoos proper 

 somewhat resemble the Pigeons, and where they differ from the 

 Pigeons they seem to approach the Picarian birds. The Ground 

 Cuckoos seem to make some approach to the Peristeropods ; in 

 other respects they remind one of the Musophagidae. Judging from 

 stuffed specimens alone, the wing of Opisthocomus closely resembles 

 that of the Cuckoos. 



In the living Bustards, so far as I can judge, there seems again to 

 be another variation on the general pattern of the Columbse ; but I 

 have hitherto failed to obtain a satisfactory sketch of the wing-pattern 

 in this bird. Of the remaining families of the Order Alectorides given 

 in the List, I have also, so far, failed to obtain any good evidence, 

 except in the case of the Gruidse, which will be referred to in more 

 detail presently. It is especially desirable to obtain good observations 

 upon the point specially under notice iu the case of the Curiamas ; 

 but the lax texture of their wing-feathers renders any such observation 

 a matter of considerable difficulty. So far as I can judge at present, 

 the style of coverts in the Cariamas agrees with that of the Bustards, 

 and differs from that of Serpentarius. 



The specimens of Chauna chavaria living at the Gardens present a 

 style of imbrication that seems to approach the Columbine type 

 very closely. The disposition shown in fig. 21 is practically the 

 same as Wolf has drawn in Ch. nigricollis { — derbiand), P. Z. S. 1864, 

 pi. xi. Whether the feathers of the distal tract of the cubital 

 region follow exactly the same disposition as do those of the Pigeons 



