BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 225 
riide).—Sa.vin and Gopman, Bigl. Centr.-Am., Aves, ii, 1891, 145 (includes 
Furnariide). 
=Dendrocolaptide Garrop, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1877, 452.—STzsneGeER, 
Stand. Nat. Hist., iv, 1885, 478, in text. 
Tracheophone Mesomyodian Passeres with the metasternum 2- 
notched, interorbital septum imperforate, postorbital process small, 
maxillo-palatines short and broad (crossing posterior end of the 
olfactory fossa and terminating immediately in front of the descend- 
ing plate of the palatine), vomer short, tensor patagii brevis tendon 
typically passerine, nares usually holorhinal (but occasionally schizo- 
rhinal); syrinx tracheal, with two pairs of short tracheo-bronchal 
muscles, palate compound egithognathous or semi-desmognathous 
(the palatines fused at anterior end and with the internasal septum) ; 
mesorhinium normal; tarsal envelope endaspidean; outer toe about 
as long as middle toe (much longer than inner toe), the three anterior 
toes united for full length of the basal phalanx; the middle adherent 
to the outer by nearly, if not quite, the full length of the second 
phalanx also; hallux (without claw) shorter than inner toe (without 
claw). 
Like the allied Furnariide the Dendrocolaptide are peculiar to 
the continental portions of the Neotropical Region, but unlike the 
latter they belong almost exclusively to the intertropical portions, 
and are, proportionally, better developed in the Central American 
district. The family is far less numerous and varied, however, than 
the Furnariide, consisting of only about 14 genera and 127 species, 
or considerably less than half as many as are contained in the allied 
family. 
The Dendrocolaptide are more arboreal than the Furnariide, all 
being distinctly ‘‘scansorial,’’ while comparatively few of the Fur- 
nariide are thus adapted. They represent and more or less resem- 
ble, superficially, the Woodpeckers (Picide) and Tree-Creepers 
(Certhiidz), more especially the latter, most of the species having 
similarly curved and compressed bills, a more or less varied brownish 
coloration, and lengthened, graduated, and stiff-pointed tails. Like 
the Certhiide and unlike the Picide they have three toes in front 
and one behind, but the former, instead of being cleft to the base 
are united for the length of their first and second phalanges; and 
the middle toe, instead of being much longer than the outer one, 
barely, or not at all exceeds the latter in length. Like the Wood- 
peckers, however, and unlike the Creepers, the Woodhewers have the 
habit of loudly tapping or hammering on the trunks and branches of 
trees. Some genera have the bill enormously developed as to length 
and greatly curved, sometimes in the shape of a bow—a modification 
evidently adapted to the purpose of probing the burrows of wood- 
boring insects. In others the bill is straight and quite woodpecker- 
81255°—Bull. 50-—11—15 
