SORTATION. 39 



But first for the others. There is only one family 

 having its four toes in front. This is the Cypselidce in 

 respect of the one genus, Cypselus, of which the only 

 representatives are the Swifts. There are two Swifts in 

 the list, one of which, the Alpine one, is never known to 

 breed here, and is a very infrequent visitor ; so that, 

 practically, we have only one bird with four toes in front. 

 The Cypselidce have, however, another genus, Acanthyllis, 

 in which three toes are in front, in the ordinary way ; but 

 we shall have that exception to deal with presently. 

 Some birds have two toes in front and two behind. Amongst us, 

 this " zygodactyle " group is represented by the Wood- 

 peckers and Cuckoos. The distinction, like most of those 

 we have been giving, only holds good for the birds on the 

 British list, for some of the foreign Woodpeckers have only 

 three toes. The Cuckoos belong to the Cuculida, and the 

 Woodpeckers to the Picidaj and, while the Cuculidse can 

 be at once recognised by their long graduated tail, the 

 Picidffi are as readily recognisable by their long wedge- 

 shaped bill and long extensile and bristly tongue. 

 We have now reached the last of our divisions as regards the feet. 

 The families remaining to be dealt with are only half a dozen in 

 number. They are : — 



Cypselidas, in respect of the one genus Acanthyllis. 

 Coraciidas, which has only one representative, the Roller. 

 Columbidae, the Pigeons. 



Rallidse, in respect of the genera Crex and Rallus. 

 Scolopacidas, in respect of the genera Tringa and Gallinago. 

 Passeridffi, in respect of all its genera as yet unmentioned. 



To one of these groups our bird belongs. It does not belong to 

 the first, for that consists only of the one genus and one species, the 

 Needle-tailed Swift, only two specimens of which have ever been 

 heard of here, and which is known at once by its having its tail 

 feathers ending in sharp spines. It does not belong to the next, for 

 that also has only one representative, the Roller, which is a brightly 

 coloured bird, not unlike a Parrot in Oxford and Cambridge blues, 

 whereas ours is mere brown and grey. It does not belong to the third, 

 for it is not a Pigeon ; its bill is not deflected, nor does it thin in the 

 middle, and swell towards the point ; nor has it its nostrils in a soft 

 skin at the base of the bill. It is not a Crake, for its beak is neither 

 short nor stout, nor are its wings rounded, nor its feet large, nor its 

 legs or tail short. It is not a Snipe, nor a Stint, nor a Sandpiper, for 

 that is what the only remaining genera of the Scolopacidae represent. 



And as it is neither assignable to Cypselidas, nor Coraciidse, nor 

 Columbida;, nor Rallidaa, nor Scolopacidae, the only family that can 

 claim it is the Passeridas, which is the most important family of birds, 

 not only in Great Britain, but in the world. 



Thus far, then, have we gone with the feet. By leaving the 

 Passerines for special treatment and eliminating the birds of prey we 

 have been enabled to sort out all the families in our list. And before 

 we proceed further it will simplify matters to print the plan we have 

 worked to in tabular form. 



