338 



DE. E. W. SHUFELDt's MOEPHOLOaiCAL 



the skeleton alone, it is very plain that they have no special 

 affinity with the Trochili. 



When my eyes first fell upon the skeleton of one of these 

 Trogons, as I have already stated, the remark was forced from 

 me that they were " Caprimulgine Cuckoos." First impressions, 

 however, are not always to be relied upon, for, apart from the 

 general likenesses of their sterua, and having the same number 

 of cervical vertebrae without ribs, from skull to pygostyle, and 

 from pinion to pes, so far as the skeleton goes, Trogon mexicanus 

 has nothing whatever to do witli Geococcijx calif or nianus, and, as 

 stated, I have no true Cuckoos to compare it with. I dare 

 say that if related to the Cuckoos at all, it is more than likely 

 to be nearer these latter in its osteology. I have not had the 

 opportunity, as yet, to examine the skeletons of either Croto- 

 phaga or Scythrops. 



Beyond a few apparent resemblances I find nothing in the 

 skeleton of the Trogons that in any way points to their being re- 

 lated, even remotely, to the order Caprimulgi ; and it seems to 

 me that there must be a considerable gap between the Trogons 

 and Kingfishers. 



The Anatomy of ceetain Capeimulgi. 

 Glancing at our list of material, we find that we have but a 

 few American forms to illustrate the structure of this highly 

 varied group of birds. There is an alcoholic specimen of the 

 common Whip-poor-will, a couple of skeletons of the Nuttall 

 Poor- will, and several species of Chordeiles, both in alcohol and 

 skeletons. 



In my first contribution in the P. Z. S., relative to the structure 

 of the Caprimulgine types, I gave a very full account of the 

 osteology of Chordeiles, with a number of figures, as well as a 

 description of the skeleton of Nuttall's Poor-will. I am con- 

 vinced that when the hundred or more species composing this 

 order come to be carefully examined as regards their structure, 

 there will be not only some very good characters brought to 

 light, but considerable difference found in the economy of the 

 forms composing the group. 



Among the notable departures it will be remembered that in 

 my first contribution to their structure I found the arrangement 

 of the bones of the palate entirely different in the Nightjars and 

 true Whip-poor-wills. 



