15 



SYNOPSES AND LIST 



THE ORDERS OF NEBRASKA BIRDS 



1. Hind toe connected by web with inner front toe III. Steganopodes. 



I. Hind toe, if present, not connected with inner front toe (2) 



2. Cutting edges of bill more or less fringed or serrated . .IV. Anseres. 



2. Cutting edges of bill not fringed or serrated (3) 



3. Legs inserted in the rear of the body ; toes webbed or lobed. I. Pygopodes. 



3. Legs inserted near middle of body, or else toes not webbed (4) 



4. Front toes distinctly webbed, and tarsus shorter than tail .... 



II. Longipennes. 



4. Front toes not distinctly webbed, or else tarsus longer than tail. (5) 



5. Tibia more or less naked below; waders (6) 



5. Tibia entirely feathered ; not waders (8) 



6. Hind toe long and on the same level as the others ; lores naked 



V. Herodiones. 



6. Hind toe, if present, small and elevated; lores feathered (7) 



7. If more than 3 feet long, hind toe elevated; if less, on the same level. 



VI. Paludicolse. 



7. Never more than three feet long, hind toe, if present, elevated 



VII. Limicolse. 



8. Bill strongly hooked, and with distinct naked cere at base (9) 



8. Bill not both strongly hooked and cered ; or if cered the bill straight 



■; '••■, (10) 



9. Toes 3 in front, the outer toe sometimes reversible. . . X. Raptores. 

 9. Toes 2 in front, 2 behind XI. Psittaci. 



10. Hind toe short, decidedly elevated VIII. Gallinae. 



10. Hind toe but very slightly elevated, if at all (11) 



II. Bill with a soft swollen cere . . . ' IX. Columbae. 



11. Bill without a cere (12) 



12. Wing very long, tail feathers 10, gape very wide and deeply cleft ; 

 or else bill long and slender and secondaries 6. . .XIV. Macrochires. 



12. Wing not very long and gape not wide or deeply cleft; or else 



tailfeathers 12 (13) 



13. Toes 2 in front, or if 3, middle and outer toes connected for one-half their 



lengths (14) 



13. Toes 3 in front, middle and outer ones not connected for one-half their 



lengths XV. Passeres. 



14. Tail feathers stiff and pointed XIII. Pici. 



14. Tail feathers not stiff, nor pointed XII. Coccyges. 



