450 BT7LLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM, 



Siaperfamily MIOTVEOTI. 

 THZ HOTMOTS. 



>roiiFuBEBEiNGBE, Unters. Morph. Syst. V6g., ii, 1888, 1567 (includes Todi). 

 "^Momotidae Gadow, in Bronn's Thier-Reich, Vog., ii, 1893, 229, 301 (includes 



Todi); Classif. Vertebr., 1898, 36. 

 =Momoti Shakpb, Rev. Classif. Birds, 1891, 81; Hand-list, ii, 1900, 76. 

 =Momoti7iae Gadow, Bronn's Thier-Reicli, Vog., ii, 229, 301. 



Synpelmous, anisodactyle Coraciiformes with myological formula 

 AXY, basipterygoid processes and adult downs absent, two carotid 

 arteries, at least two of metastemal notches closed (converted iuto 

 foramina), caeca absent, oil-gland (if present) nude or tufted, tomia 

 serrated, no spinal apterium, and primaries 11. 



Palate desmognathous; nares holorhinal, pervious or impervious; 

 vomer present; cervical vertebrae 15; complete ribs 3-4 pairs; 

 metasternum with 4 foramina or 2 notches and 2 foramina; spina 

 externa stemi present, bifid; spina interna absent; syrinx tracheo- 

 bronchial; tensor patagii brevis muscle present, biceps shp absent; 

 expansor secundariorum muscle present; feet anisodactyle, syn- 

 pelmous, the hallux connected with the flexor perforans digitorum 

 (flexor tendons of type V6); intestinal convolutions of type VI, 

 gall-bladder present; spinal pteryla well-defined on neck, not forked 

 on back; aftershaft present; oil gland (if present) may be either 

 nude or tufted; primaries 10; rectrices usually 10 (12 in genus 

 Momotus); tomia serrated. 



Family MOMOTID^. 



THE UOTMOTS. 



=Momotidx Sclatee, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1857, 248; Cat. Am. Birds, 1862, 

 261. — Gbat, Hand-list, i 1869, 79. — Sclatee and Salvin, Nom. Av. Neotr., 

 1873, 102.— Selts, Bull. Acad. Roy. Belgique, ser. 2, xlviii, 1879, 773.— 

 Stejnbgee, Stand. Nat. Hist., iv, 1885, 395, 397, in text. — Salvin and 

 GoDMAN, Biol. Centr.-Am., Aves., ii, 1895, 454. — ^Beddaed, Struct, and 

 Classif. Birds, 1898, 210.— Fijebeingee, Unters. Morph. Syst. Vog., ii, 1888, 

 1354, 1355, "1567.— Shaepe, Hand-list, ii, 1900, pp. xi, 76. 



= Momotmss Eyton, Osteol. Av., 1867, 59.— Geat, Hand-list, i, 1869, 79.— 

 Gadow, Bronn's Thier-Reich, Vog., ii, 1891, 229, 301. 



—Prionitidcw Bonapaetb, Prodr. Syst. Orn., 1840, 6; Consp. Av., i, 1850, 164. — 

 Cabanis and Heine, Mus. Hein., ii, 1860, 112. 



=Prionitinae Bonapakte, Prodr. Syst. Orn., 1840, 6.— Cabanis, Wiegmann's 

 Archiv filrNaturg., 1847, pt. i, 342'.-^Si7Ndevall, Met. Nat. Av. Disp. Tent., 

 ii, 1873, 94 (English translation, 1889, 175). 



The principal anatomical and a few of the external characters of 

 this family have been given above under the heading of superfamily 

 Momoti, Additional external characters are as follows: 



Bill about as long as head, more or less (though sometimes very 

 slightly) decurved terminally, very variable as to relative width and 

 depth, the culmen indistinctly ridged to distinctly carinate; tomia 



