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Suborder Herodit— HERONS AND BOATBILLS. 



The H&i'odii contain two families, distinguished by the follow- 

 characters : 



a} Bill lance- shaped, or compressed, narrow, and pointed, its lateral outlines nearly 

 straight, the gonys several times longer than the width of the under mandi- 

 ble Ardeidse, 



a? Bill shaped like a broad inverted boat; its lateral outlines much bowed, and the eonys 

 not longer than width of under mandible Coehleaxiidae, 



The Cochleariidm are not represented in our fauna, being 

 peculiar to tropical America. 



