226 BULLETIN 5 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL ilUSEUM 



Ixxvi, art. 24, 1930, 4 ; Smiths, Misc. Coll. Ixxxix, No. 13, 1934, 6 ; xcix, No. 



7, 1940, 6.— Petees, Check-list Birds of World, ii, 1934, 213. 

 =Heliornithid£e Sclatee and Salvin, Nom. Av. Neotr., 1873, viii, 140. — Shaiipe, 



Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxxiii, 1894, xii, 229; Hand-list, i, 1899, lU.— 



Beddakd, Struct, and Classif. Birds, 1898, 327, in text.— Salvin and Godman, 



Biol. Centr.-Amer., Aves, iii, 1903, 330.— Knowlton, Birds of World, 1909, 



348. 

 <HeliornithidEe Shaepe, Rev. Rec. Att. Classif. Birds, 1891, 70 {HeUomis 



only). 

 <Podic£e Shakpe, Bev. Rec. Att. Classif. Birds, 1891, 70 (genus Podica). 



This being the only family in the suborder Heliornithes, the char- 

 acters are the same as those of the latter, as given on the pages 

 immediately preceding. 



KEY TO THE GENERA OF HELIOENITHIDAE 



«. Much smaller (total length about 300 mm.) ; feet relatively small and veeak, 

 tarsus less than one-fifth as long as wing, decidedly shorter than the rela- 

 tively small and slender bill, the latter not longer than head ; anterior toes 

 extensively vrebbed, web between middle and outer toe extending for entire 

 length of first two phalanges of former ; rectrices with shafts slender and 

 rigid only toward base; feet banded with black and yellowish (American 



Tropics) Heliomis (p. 226) 



aa. Much larger (total length 400 to nearly 600 mm.) ; feet large and stout, tarsus 

 more than one-fifth as long as wing, about as long as the large and stout 

 bill, the latter longer than head ; anterior toes slightly webbed, web between 

 outer and middle toes falling short of distal end of first phalanx of latter ; 

 rectrices with shafts strong and rigid throughout ; feet unicolored (tropical 

 Africa and Asia). 

 6. Tail less than three-fourths as long as wing, rectrices broad, with slenderer 

 shafts, their edges not upturned; mesorhlnium a narrowly compressed 

 ridge (as in Heliornis) ; second and third primaries (from outside) long- 

 est, the outermost equal to or slightly longer than sixth (as in Heliornis) . 



Heliopais (extralimital)' 

 bb. Tail more than three-fourths as long as wing, rectrices very narrow, with 

 heavy, very rigid shafts and upturned edges ; mesorhinium broad and flat- 

 tened ; fourth and fifth primaries (from outside) longest. 



Podica (extralimital)' 



Genus HELIORNIS Bonnaterre 



Heliornis Bonnateebe, Tabl. Encycl. M6th., i, 1791, Ixxxiv, 64. (Type, by mono- 

 typy, H. fulioarius Bonnaterre=OoZ)/m6tt.s fuUca Boddaert.) 



Podi)a ILLIGEE, Prodr. Orn., 1811, 267. (Type, Ploius surin-amensis Gmelin= 

 Colymhus fulica Boddaert.) 



'Heliopais Sharpe, Bull, Brit. Orn. Club, i, 1893, p. xxxvii; Ibis, 1893, 439 

 (type, by original designation. Podica personata Gray). (Cambodia, etc., to 

 Malacca and Sumatra ; monotypic. ) 



'Podica Lesson, Traits d'Orn., 1831, 596 (type, by monotypy, Heliornis setie- 

 galensis Vicillot). — Rhigelura Wagler, Isls, 1832, 1229 (type, by monotypy, Helior- 

 nis senegalensis Yieillot). — Podoa ("ex[Ill]iger" but not of Illiger, 1811) Bona- 

 parte, Consp. Gen. Av., ii, 1857 [1855], 182. 



