Sclater on the Syste?na Avium. 8 1 
under Prof. Huxley’s title Geranomorphce,* and divided them 
into two suborders, for which I have used Nitzsch’s names Fuli- 
cariae and Alectorides. In the last edition of the 4 List of Ani- 
mals’ (1879) I have added the Bustards and Cranes and consid- 
ered these suborders as orders, which is perhaps the most natural 
plan, although Aramus is certainly intermediate between the 
two groups. After Prof. Garrod’s investigations, however, f we 
must, I think, allow that Aramus is essentially more nearly allied 
to the Gruidae. 
The families of these two orders will therefore accordingly 
stand somewhat as follows : — 
Fulicaria:. Alectorides. 
Rallidae. Aramidae. 
Heliornithidae. Eurypygidae. 
Gruidae. 
Psophiidae. 
Cariamidae. 
Otidae. 
By placing the Otidae last we obtain a more gentle transition 
to the Limicolae through CEdicnemus. 
15. Limicolae. 
The Limicolae or Scolopacinae of Nitzsch (Charadriomorphae 
of Huxley) form a very natural group with but small pterylo- 
graphic differences. They also exhibit a characteristic form of 
skeleton and a well-marked type of schizognathous palate. In 
the 4 Nomenclator ’ I have assigned the following families to this 
order : — 
1. (Edicnemidae. 4. Chionididae. 
2. Parridae. 5. Thinocoridae. 
3. Charadriidae. 6. Scolopacidae. 
Prof Garrod| would exclude CEdicnemus (as being holorhinal) 
entirely from this order, and associate it with the Bustards ( Otis ) . 
But if we give in to this principle we should have to place the 
Plataleidie among the Limicolse, which I cannot agree to. 
* P. Z. S. 1867, p. 457. 
t P. Z. S. 1876, p. 275. 
t P. Z. S. 1873, p. 37. 
