272 ELEMENTS or OENITHOLOGT. 



family of Owls is named Stngidos from the generic tenn applied 

 to the typical species of the whole suborder — namely, the Barn- 

 owls. 



The next and eighth order, with 68 species, is that of the 

 Steganopodes, the characters of which may be thus expressed : — 



Order VIII. STEGANOPODES. 

 Palate desmognathous ; plumage of neck continuous ; young 

 born helpless, passing through a downy stage ; hallux supplied 

 hj flexor Jiallucis; a tufted oil-gland; caeca present; no basi- 

 pterygoid processes ; mandible not produced backwards beyond 

 the quadrate ; sternum not perforated by coracoids. 



There are three families in this order. The first is the 

 Pelecanidce, and contains all the Gannets \ Pelicans ', Cormo- 

 rants, and Darters ^ The second contains the Tropic-birds', 

 and is named Phaetontidce ; while the Frigate-bird ' bestows 

 its name on the third family of Tachypetidoe. 



The ninth order, the Herodiones, has about 134 species, with 

 the following characters : — 



Order IX. HEEODIONES. 

 Spinal feather-tract either not defined or not reaching far 

 up on the neck ; fl^exor digitorum not supplying the hallux ; 

 young bom helpless and passing through a downy stage ; palate 

 desmognathous ; basipterygoid processes absent ; nasals schizo- 

 rhinal or not so ; semitendinosus present ; dorsal vertebrae not 

 opisthocoelous ; oil-gland present and tufted. 



Eive families belong to this order. The first of these, Arde- 

 idce, embraces the Herons and Bitterns °. The second family, 

 Scopidce, includes the TJmbrette ', the Shoe-bill °, and the Boat- 

 bill °. The third family, Ciconiidce, includes the Storks ", the^ 

 Adjutant", and the Wood Stork '^ but not the Crane", which 

 belongs to quite another order. The fourth family is called 



