388 
DR. R. W. SHUPELDT’S MORPHOLOGICAL 
a Joird as Trogon puella and Geococcyx californianus for instance. 
Surely there must be a gap of no mean width when we come 
to push them in that direction. Not long ago I published 
(Proc. Zool. Soc. for 1887) some contributions to the anatomy 
of Geococcyx , wherein, in my conclusions, I pointed out what 
appeared to be the correct classification of the United States 
Cuckoos, supporting Garrod’s original suggestion of placing the 
true Cuckoos and Ground- Cuckoos in separate subfamilies. Still 
maintaining, as I do, this opinion, I am free to confess that 
I consider the subfamilies to be thus represented markedly 
distinct, to say the least of it. Por instance, bow close to such a 
bird as Coccyzus minor may Geococcyx be ? Notwithstanding 
the zygodactyle foot in the latter (a character sometimes of 
uncertain meaning), I have always entertained the notion that 
some day we may see an affinity between Geococcyx and the Da- 
celonince, as in Dacelo gigantea ; or, carrying it a little further, 
a certain kinship with the GaTbulidce, more particularly those 
which possess the two carotid arteries and the myological 
formula A . XT. But here, again, the proper material has never 
yet been at my disposal. 
Since the appearance of my first contribution to the present 
subject (P. Z. S. 1885), nothing has arisen in the course of 
my more extended researches which has in any way modified 
my original opinion in regard to the Caprimulgine birds, nor 
have I anything to add to what I have already stated in the body 
of the present memoir. They constitute the first group which I 
propose to remove from the old Order Picari^;, and for them I 
create a separate Order, the Caprimttlgi, first alluded to in my 
previous paper, to contain all the true Caprimulgine birds of the 
world, including such types as Steatornis, Podargus, ^Egotheles , 
Nyctidromus, Ny ctilnus, Psalurus, and others. 
These birds have their nearest kin in the Owls, and they have 
no special affinity with the Cypseli, much less with the Trochili. 
With our present knowledge of their structure, these Caprimul- 
gine forms may easily be relegated within this Order to their 
proper family and subfamily positions, and in a way, too, I think, 
that would meet the approval of all, as it would be based entirely 
upon the structural characteristics of the several and respective 
types, the best and only guide in such matters. 
Coming now to the PLirundmidce, I see in these fissirostral 
Oscinine Passeresa group of birds, which, although they still possess 
in their organization a majority of the structural characters of 
