134 HELIOKNITHID^.— GEUES. 



Outer secondaries with broad white tips. 



F. americana. 14". Mid toe and claw 31". Bill dusky. From N. and 0. America. 



F. caribcea. 13i". Mid toe and claw 31". From the Lesser Antilles. 



F. leucoptera. 11". Mid toe and claw 31. Bill yellow. From S. America. 



F. alai. llj". Mid toe and claw 3-2". Bill yellow. From Sandwich Islands. 



F. novae zealandice. Not identified. 



Also the extinct species — F. newtoni, from Mauritius ; F. minor, from Oregon ; F. desjardini 

 and F. prior, from Queensland. 



Also the extinct genus Leguatra. One species — L. gigantea, from Mauritius. 



Also five fossil genera of BallidcB — Oypsomis, one species, from France ; Telmatomis, two 

 species, from New Jersey ; Orthoimemus, four species, from S. France ; Elaphrocnemms, three 

 species, from S. France ; and Tapinopus, one species, from S. France. 



Also the family Mesitid^, akin to the Ballidce, but with hind toe on same level as others. 

 Rectrices sixteen. Primaries ten. Breast-bone with deep notch on each side. Five pairs of 

 powder-down patches (two dorsal, two ventral, and one lateral). Bill shorter than head. Nostrils 

 linear, upturned, more than half length of beak, and covered above. One genus — Mesites. One 

 species — M. variegata, lOJ", mid toe and claw 1-05", from Madagascar. 



Family HELIOENITHID^. 



Externally like, but larger than Rails. Toes with scalloped lateral webs. No 

 after-shaft. Fifth secondary present (wanting in Heliornis). Tail of eighteen 

 feathers. Young hatched naked and helpless. 



Genus HELIOPAIS. 



No frontal shield. Toes webbed only at base, lobed as in Coots and broadly 

 fringed. Wing round. Second quill longest or second and third equal. Tail of 

 eighteen feathers, about half the length of the wing, short and rounded, soft and 

 broad. Sexes differ slightly. 



109. Heliopais personata. The Masked Finfoot. 



(? 22". ? 20|". Legs light green. Bill orange. Mid toe and claw 3-1". 

 Hind toe has no lobe or web. Tail of eighteen feathers, much rounded. — Male : 

 Crown and hind neck bluish grey. Forehead, face, chin, and throat black. Sides 

 drab. Breast, abdomen, lower tail-coverts white. Back and scapulars dark brown. 

 Female : Chin, throat, and foreneck white, with black border. From Assam to 

 Sumatra. (B. 1406.) 



Also the genus Heliornis. One species — H. fuliea, 12", with toes webbed for nearly two- 

 thirds of length, from S. and C. America. 



Also the genus Podica. Two species, from Africa, with tail-feathers narrow and pointed, 

 long, stiff, and ribbed. P. senegalensis, 21", mid toe and claw 3 1"; and P. petersi, 23", mid 

 toe and claw 3-4'. (B.M. Cat., xxiii. 229-235.) 



Suborder GEUES. 



No notches on posterior margin of breast-bone {Eurypygidoe excepted). Oil- 

 gland tufted. Hind toe present. Young hatched clad in down and run at once. 

 Includes Cranes, Limpkins or Courlans {Aramidce),* Sun Bitterns,* Kagus,* and 

 Trumpeters.* 



* Not represented in India. 



