ORDEB STEGAN0P0DE8--THE TOTIPALMATE SWIMMERS. 193 



Order STEGANOPODES.— The Totipalmate Swimmers. 



Charactebs. Hind toe lengthened, united by a web with ttie Inner toe; bill longer 

 than the head, with sharp cutting edges, and usuallr with a curved maxillary unguis or 

 terminal hook (waiting in Aninngidce and Phaethontidce). Throat usually with a more 

 or Ies3 distensible pouch of naked skin, situated between the mandibular rami (wanting 

 in FhaethonlidcE). Nostrils obsolete (except in Phaethontidcc). 



Leaving cut the f>;enus Pliaethon which, if truly belono:ii]g to 

 this order, is at least an aberrant form, the Steganopodes con- 

 stitute a very natural group of birds, the main characters of 

 which are as given above. So far as its external appearance 

 goes, Pha'ethon is very similar to the larger Terns, the most 

 obvious difference being in the character of the feet. 



Following are the characters of the several families belonging 

 to this order, the names of those represented in the Illinois 

 fauna being in heavy-faced type, the others in italics: 



A.. Bill terminated by a conspicuous, strongly curved hook. 



a. Tarsus esces-ively short, scarcely equal to the hallux, including its claw. 



1. Fregatidce. Wings and tail excessively elongated, the latter deeply forked: 



middle toe much longer than the outer, its claw flattened and pectinated on 

 the inner edge; webs very small, occupying less than half the space between 

 the toes. 

 6. Tarsus moderately lengthened, much longer than the hallux, including Its claw, 

 (sometimes more than twice as long). 



2. Pelejanile. Bill excessively elongated (much longer than the tarsus and 



middle toe), greatly depressed, the gular pouch very large, and greatly dis- 

 tensible. Middle toe longer than the outer, 



3. PhalacroooraoidsB. Bill moderately elongated, or rather short (shorter than the 



middle tos), compressed; gular pouch small, scarcely distensible. Outer too 



much longer than the middle. 



6. Bill tapering to the point, which Is without a terminal hook or unguis (very faintly 



indicated in Sulidce). 



a. Nostrils obliterated; outer and middle toes nearly eQual in length, and much 



longer than the inner: lores, orbital region, lower»jaw, chin, and throat, naked. 



4. Anhingldes. Bill slender, heron-like, the outlines nearly straight (the oulmen 



perfectly so); head very small, neck extremely long and slender. Tail 

 long and fan-shaped (nearly as long as the wing), rounded, the feathers 

 very broad, the middle rectrioes transversely oomigsted In the adult. 



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