4.00 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the present 
cygomorphe of Huxley) stand associated together in our 
‘Nomenclator’ under the name Coccyges, given to them by 
Sundevall in 1835 (K. Vet.-Ac. Handl. 1835, p. 69), and are 
divided according to the structure of their feet nearly after 
the plan suggested by Prof. Huxley (P. Z. S. 1867, p.466). I 
fear, however, that this is not likely to be a permanent arrange- 
ment. Although we may not at once go to the length of 
following Prof. Garrod in separating the whole class of Birds 
into ‘‘ Homalogonate” and “ Anomalogonate,” there can, I 
think, be no question that some weight must, in future, be 
allowed to the presence or absence of the ambiens muscle, and 
that it must be allowed that the Cuculide and Musophagide, 
in possessing this character and in other respects, stand per se 
among the Picariz of Nitzsch, and show much affinity with 
the Galline. I believe therefore that it will be better for 
the future to restrict the term Coccyges to these two families. 
The question then is, what shall we do with the remaining 
groups of the order? The arrangement of them by the 
structure of the feet, according to Prof. Huxley’s scheme, 
although very simple, is not quite natural. Leptosoma, for 
instance (as I believe I first showed in 1865%*), although the 
outer toe is more or less reversed, must certainly come near 
the Rollers (Coraciidee); and Colius would now appear to be 
nearly related to the same group +, although its foot-structure 
is by no means similar. There seem in fact to be several dif- 
ferent categories combined in the order Coccyges thus con- 
sidered. First we have the Lipoglossz of Nitzsch, consisting 
of the four families Alcedinide, Bucerotide, Upupide, and 
Irrisoride t+. These all belong to the Piciformes of Garrod§, 
and all the best authorities are pretty well agreed as to their 
consanguinity. Along with these must come the Cuculinze 
caloptere or Todide of Nitzsch, containing also four families, 
which, to my mind, are also closely related—namely the 
* P. Z.S. 1865, p. 682. My. Sharpe, in making the Leptosominze 
merely a subfamily of Coraciide (Ibis, 1871, p. 285), appears to have 
entirely overlooked the structure of the feet. 
+ Cf. Garrod, P. Z.S. 1876, p. 416. 
{ Pterylography, p. 102. § P.Z.S. 1874, p. 117. 
