THE CLASSIPICATIOlf OF BIEDS. 265 



palate desmognathous ; no caeca, save in Todies, where they are 

 large ; no pterygoid processes ; epistemal processes of sternum 

 not perforated for coracoids ; accessory semitendinosus present, 

 save in the Kingfishers. 



Suborder 3. Bueerotes. 



Spinal feather-tract not defined on the neck; oil-gland 

 tufted ; palate desmognathous ; no c«ca; basipterygoid pro- 

 cesses ; mid-front of sternum grooved or perforated for coracoid 

 processes ; sternum with two posterior notches ; femoro-eauddl, 

 semitendinosus, and accessory semitendinosus present; ambiens 

 and accessory femoro-caudal absent; bill large, strong, and 

 arched ; wings short ; female incubates enclosed in a tree. 



This order contains twelve families, whereof seven belong 

 to the first suborder and four to the second. 



The families belonging to the Coracice are those of the Swifts 

 (Cypselidce) ; the Goatsuckers i (Caprimulgidce) ; that of the 

 Oil-bird ° — which is thus shown to be far indeed from the 

 liaptorial group — the SteatornithidcB ; the Frog-mouths or 

 More-porks, Podargidce, and the family of the Cyrombo of 

 Madagascar — the Leptosomidce. Next comes the family which 

 contains the type of the suborder Coracice, namely the com- 

 mon EoUer ', and, lastly, the pretty and attractive Bee-eaters * 

 or Meropidce. 



The suborder Halcyones contains the very small family of 

 Colies", Coliidce, and the very large one of Kingfishers % 

 Alcedinidce ; also the Motmots ', Momotidce, and the half-dozen 

 Todies ', Todidm. 



The suborder Bueerotes consists but of a single family, 

 Bucerotidce, containing all the Hornbills ". 



The third order of Birds, the Piciformes, also consists of about 

 650 species in three suborders: — 1. Upupoe, 2. Trogones, and 

 3. Scansores. The following are their characters : — 



