446 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS.— PICABI^. 



suborders, not however insisting in the least upon the question of taxonomie rank, but simplj 

 employing the terms conformably with my usage in other cases. The three groups may be here 

 tabulated, with remarks calculated to give an idea' of their composition : — 



I. Ctpselipokmes — including only the three families Cypselida, Caprimulgidce, and 

 Trochilidee — the Swifts, Goatsuckers, and Humming-birds. They are birds of 

 remarkable volitorial powers ; the wing is pointed, and very long in its feathers and 

 terminal portions, though the upper arm is very short. The feet are extremely small 

 and weak, and are scarcely if at aU serviceable for progression. The hind toe is 

 sometimes versatile (among the Swifts) or somewhat elevated (in the Goatsuckers 

 and some Swifts) ; the front toes are frequently connected at base by movable web- 

 bing (Goatsuckers), and sometimes lack the normal number of phalanges (among 

 Swifts and Goatsuckers) ; but the feet are never zygodactyle nor syndactyle. The 

 variously-shaped tail has ten rectrices. One family (Humming-birds) shows the 

 tenuirostral type of bill ; the other two, the fissirostral, on which account they used 

 to be classed with the Swallows. The sternum is broad, with a deep keel, entire or 

 doubly notched (rarely singly notched) behind. The syrinx has not more than one 

 pair of intrinsic muscles. 

 II. CucuLiFORMES * — comprehending the great bulk of the order ; in all, about fifteen fami- 

 lies, rather more than less. They are only readily hmited by exclusion of the charac- 

 ters of the preceding and following groups. The sternum is usually notched behind ; 

 the syringeal muscles are two pairs at most. The feet are generally short ; the dis- 

 position of the toes varies remarkably. In the ColiidtB, or colies, of Africa, all the 

 toes are turned forward. In the Trogonidee, the second toe is turned backward, so 

 that the birds are zygodactyle, but in a different way from all others. Families with 

 the feet permanently zygodactyle in the ordinary way by reversion of the fourth, or 

 partially so, the outer toe being versatile, are — the Cueulidee, or Cuckoos, with their 

 near relatives the IndicatoridtB fir Guide-birds of Africa; the MhamphastidtB, or 

 Toucans, confined to tropical America and distinguished by their enormous vaulted 

 Bill; the Musophagidae, Plaintain-eaters or Touracos, of Africa; the Bucconida and 

 Capitonidce, or fissirostral and soansorial Barbets of the New and chiefly of Old World 

 respectively ; and the OalbuUdce, or Jacamars, of America. (The Cueulidee and 

 MusophctgidtB are by Garrod placed together with Gallinaceous birds.) In the 

 remaining groups, the toes have the ordinary position, but sometimes offer unusual 

 characters in other respects. Thus in the Alcedinidce (Kingfishers), and Momotidm 

 (Motmots or Sawbills) , the middle and outer toes are perfectly coherent for a great dis- 

 tance, constituting the syngenesious, syndactyle or anisodactyle foot. The Bucerotida;, 

 or Hornbills, of the Old World, characterized by an immense corneous process on the 

 bill, are relatives of the Kingfishers ; so are the Todidcs, a group of small brightly- 

 colored birds of Mexico and the West Indies. Other forms, all Old World, are the 

 Meropida or bee-eaters, the Upupid/z or Hoopoes, and the Coraeiides or Eollers, with 

 their allies the Leptosomatides, of Madagascar. 

 m. PiciPOEMES — comprising only three families, the lyngidx, or Wrynecks, with one 

 genus and four species, of Europe, Asia, and Africa ; the Picumnidcs, with one or two 

 genera and nearly thirty species, chiefly American ; and the Picida or true Wood- 

 peckers. The digits are permanently paired by reversion of the fourth, except in 

 two tridactyle genera, having no hind toe proper; there is a modification of the 



* While the Cypaeliformes and Piciform.es are each of them well characterized and perfectly defined groups 

 of birds, the reverse is the case with the CucuUformes, — a mixed lot requiring to be reconstructed by exclusion of 

 some of the famllieB here given as entering into its composition. The Trogmida have already been eliminated 

 by Sclater under the name of Heterodactitti. 



