FAM. RHINOCHETID« 
BY L. BRASIL 
seems to be really. However Kagu is somewhat allied, though not very closely, 

to Cranes and above all to American Sun-Bittern. Therefore Rhinochetida are 
included as these last Birds in the Order Grues, Graiformes or Alectorides. 
Characters, — The size is about that of a domestic fowl. The head is large, the neck 
strong and rather short, the legs are long. The bill is a little longer than the head, strong com- 
pressed, the culmen flat on about two third of its way trom the base, rounded on the last third 
and here rather arched. On each side of the maxilla is a wide and deep furrow, long about as 
the half of the bill, with at the base a very peculiar horned opercule, which conceals the nostril 
and is said to protect it when the bird rummages the earth for worms, The mandible is devoid 
of lateral grooves, The eye is very large. Behind the head, feathers are very elongated — the 
longest measure Io or 12 cm, —, and form a pendent tuft which is erected in angry, fright or 
any other excitement. The wings are moderate, broad, and rounded; the primaries are ten in 
number, the first is the shortest, the fifth the longest; the inner secondaries, which are thirteen 
in number, exceed the primaries, The tail is rather long, wide, and rounded, with twelve 
rectrices. The legs are Jong and slender. The tibiz are partly bare. The tarsi present in front 
large and high transverse scutes, smaller scales behind. Toes are four in number; the hallux 
is rather long and elevated; claws are arched and sharp. Feathers are somewhat desintegrated 
and they have a large aftershaft. In adults, down covers the whole surface. The general colo- 
ration is slaty grey, with the wings and tail obscurely barred. 
In opposition with the Gruida, but as in the Eurypygide and Meswnatida, powder- 
down patches exist and the present oil gland is nude. Powder-down patches have a very 
