THE CLASSIFICATION OP BIEDS. 269 



hours ; no lateral bare tracts on neck ; two notches on each side 

 of binder margin of sternum ; oil-gland preseat ; no powder- 

 down patches ; no swollen soft cuticle covering nostrils ; basi- 

 pterygoids rather backwards ; caeca present. 



The first suborder includes the very large family of Doves 

 and Pigeons ^ {Golumhidce), aud the family which contains only 

 the tooth-billed Pigeon, and is called Didunculidce. 



The second suborder has a single small family which consists 

 of the Sand-grouse ', and is named Pteroclidoe. 



The sixth order, with nearly 500 species, is Psittaci, and is not 

 divided into suborders. Its characters may be thus expressed : — 



Order VI. PSITTACI. 

 Palate desmognathous ; maxilla exceptionally moveable ; basi- 

 pterygoid processes absent ; hallux always present and supplied 

 by the Jlexor hallucis ; young born helpless and nearly naked ; 

 feet zygodactyle ; dorsal vertebrse opisthocoelous ; spinal feather- 

 tract well defined on the neck and forked on the upper back ; 

 plantar tendons not free ; oil-gland tufted or absent ; tarso- 

 metatarsus very short compared with the length of the tibia. 



There are six different families belonging to this order. 

 The first of these, Nestoridm, contains the singular Kea Parrot ^ 

 and all the Nestors. The second family is named Loriidce, and 

 is that of the Brush-tongued Parrots and Lories. The third 

 family, Gydopsittaeidm, contains but two genera. The fourth, 

 Cacatuidce, is that of the Cockatoos. The bulk of the order is 

 contained in the fifth family, Psittacidce, in which are the 

 Macaws, the true Parrot (which gives its name to the family), 

 the Love-bird, Agapomis, and the Eose-ringed Parrakeet 

 (PalcBornis torquatm) — the only Parrot supposed to have been 

 known to the ancients. The last family, Stnngopidce, contains 

 only the curious Owl-like Parrot *- 



The seventh order, of more than 500 species, is that of the 

 Birds of Prey, Eaptores, and consists of the suborders 1. Fal- 

 cones, 2. Serpentarii, 3. Cathartes, and 4. Striges. 



1 P. 13. = P. 12. ' P. 73. * P. 72. 



