THE BIRDS 

 NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 



By Robert Ridgway, 



Curator, Division of Birds. 



Part VII. 



Order COCCYGIFORMES. 



CUCKOO-LIKE BIRDS. 



=Coccyges Sclatee, Ibis, 1880, 400, in text (restricted to Cuculidae+Musopha- 

 gidae). — Fukbkinger, Unters. Morph. Syst. V6g., ii, 1888, 1567 ("Gens" of 

 Suborder Coccygiformes). — Seebohm, Classif. Birds, 1900, pp. vii, xi, 10. — 

 Sharpe, Rev. Rec. At. Classif. Birds, 1891, 82; Hand-list, ii, 1900, 152. 



= Cuculoidese Stejneger, Sci. Rec, ii, May 15, 1884, 155; Stand. Nat. Hist., iv, 

 1885, 371 (Superiamily of "Picarise"). 



>Coccygiformes Furbringer, Unters. Morph. Syst. Vog., ii, 1888, 1567 (Suborder 

 of Coracornith.es; includes Bucconidse and Galbulidse). 



^>Cuculiformes Gadow, Bronn's Thier-Reich, Vog., ii, 1893, 212, 300; Classif. 

 Vertebr., 1898, pp. xv, 36 (includes Psittaciformes). — Knowlton, Birds of 

 the World, 1909, 50 (includes Psittaciformes). 



= Cuculiformes Pycrajt, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1903, pt. 1, 258. 



= Cuculi Gadow, Bronn's Thier-Reich, V6g., ii, 1893, 213, 300; Classif. Vertebr., 

 1898, pp. xv, 36 (Suborder). 



Homalogonatous, desmopelmous, desmognathous zygodactyle 

 birds, with dorsal vertebrae heterocoelous, rostrum fixed (not mov- 

 ably articulated with skull), bill not hooked nor furnished with cere, 

 feet not prehensile, tarsal envelope scutellate, expansor secundari- 

 orum muscle present, secondaries quinto-cubital, rectrices 8-10, 

 down on apteria only, and young gymnopaedic. 



In the general scheme of classification presented in Part I (p. 11) 

 of this work, the "Order Cuculif ormes " includes the Parrots as well 

 as the Cuckoo-like birds (Cuculidse and Musophagidse), this being in 

 accordance with the views of Gadow and Garrod. The Parrots are, 

 however, so distinct and sharply circumscribed as a group that it 

 seems better to consider them as a separate order, Psittaciformes 

 (immediately following the present group), and segregate the other two 

 1957°— Bull. 50, pt 7—16 1 



