INTRODUCTION. 
GENERAL REMARKS. 
As stated in the Introduction to my ‘ Monograph of the Meropidse,’ the Rollers must be ranged 
very close to both the Bee-eaters and the Jacamars, and the result of subsequent studies, 
extending over the past seven years, has further confirmed that view. This will be seen by the 
following notes, for which I am indebted to Mr. Beddard; he considers that the nearest allies 
of the Coraciidse are the Meropidse, the Galbulidse, and the Bucconidse, the first of which 
is the most closely related. 
“GENERAL CHARACTERS AND ANATOMY. 
“ The anatomy of the Coraciidee has been investigated by Nitzsch, Huxley, Garrod, Gadow, 
Furbringer, Forbes, Sclater, and others; I have but few details to add to the facts accumulated by 
these authors. 
“ The principal anatomical characters that have been of use for systematic purposes have been so 
fully and ably discussed by Furbringer, in his great work upon bird anatomy, and by Gadow that it 
is unnecessary to enter upon the matter at length here. 
“ The following is a list of the characters :— 
“ (1) The oil-gland is nude. 
“ (2) The dorsal feather-tract has a median apterium. 
“ (3) There are 12 rectrices. 
“ (4) The skull is desmognathous, with rudimentary basipterygoid processes. 
“ (5) Both carotids are present. 
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