Xlll 
“ The syrinx of Eurystomus is constructed upon quite the same plan as that of Coracias. There 
are, however, as one would perhaps expect, a few diiferences of detail. These differences concern the 
bronchial semirings. The muscles are attached, as in Coracias, to the first bronchial semirings, but 
the following semirings show much more specialization than they do in Coracias. The second are 
much more closely attached to the first and appear to be ossified; following these again are two pairs 
of semirings which are very narrow indeed and also appear to be ossified; then comes the series of 
flatter, broader, soft cartilaginous rings. The width of the syrinx is greatest at the third semiring; 
in Coracias at the first. 
“ The syrinx of Leptosomus discolor has been described and figured by Forbes; he remarks that it 
‘ does not show much similarity of form to that of Coracias garrulus.' That is perfectly true, but it 
does show some resemblance to that of Eurystomus, which I have described above, I believe for the 
first time. The intrinsic mucles are, however, inserted on to the third bronchial semirings ; but these 
first three rings are ossified and closely applied to each other as they are in Eurystomus ; they are, 
however, broader than in the syrinx of the last-named bird. 
“ The genus Leptosomus, known to us from the memoirs of Sclater * and Forbes f, is in a few 
respects different from other Coraciidoe; the differences, however, do not affect the characters given 
in the above list, they chiefly relate to the pterylosis and to the form of the syrinx. The powder- 
down patches of Leptosomus were discovered by Sclater; the pterylosis has been described in some 
detail by Forbes. The inferior tract does not become double until a point about an inch behind the 
junction of the mandibular rami; at about the middle of the breast it gives off the slightly marked 
outer pectoral tracts, which are hardly at all marked in Coracias. 
“ The assemblage of characters given in the above list distinguishes the Coraciidi® from any other 
family of birds. In having a nude oil-gland, caeca, and pectoral tract with external branch given off 
beyond middle of breast, the Coraciidae fall into the division ‘ Passeriformes ’ of Garrod’s ‘ Anomalo- 
gonata.’ Their nearest allies in this group are doubtless the Meropidae, Bucconidae, and Galbulid^. 
The remaining groups, that of the Passeres and Trogonidae, may be put aside. 
“ The Coraciidae, however, differ from all these, except the Meropidae and Galbulidae, in the presence 
of that peculiar muscle so rare in the Picarian birds—the expansor secundariorum. The Galbulidae 
and the Bucconidae, however, have a peculiar arrangement of the deep flexor tendons not found in the 
Coraciidae ; the flexor hallucis supplies three digits, and is united by a vinculum only with the other 
flexor. In fact the Meropidae on the whole appear to be the nearest allies of the Coraciidae, but they 
only possess one carotid.” 
* P. Z. S. 1865, p. 682 ; reprinted in Nitzsch’s ‘ Pterylography,’ in Appendix, 
t P. Z. S. 1880, p. 465. 
