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Genus—S PHENOSTOMA. 
Sphenostoma Gould, Synops. Birds Austr., pt. rv., 
pi. (63), April 1st, 1838. Type (by monotypy) .. S. cristatum Gould. 
Small crested birds with short laterally compressed deep bills, short wings, 
long tail, longish legs and delicate feet. 
The bill is shorter than the head, the culmen arched, the tip sharp but 
not hooked, laterally compressed even at base, so that the stout lower man¬ 
dible is nearly as deep as upper and the depth of the bill at base is more than 
half its length ; the interramal space very short, almost obsolete, the gonys 
keeled and up-curved ; the culmen ridge keeled; the linear nostrils strongly 
operculate in a deep short grove, hidden by frontal feathers and outstanding 
nasal bristles, but rictal bristles few and slight. 
The wing is rounded, the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh subequal and 
longest, the third a little shorter and about equal to the eighth, the second 
shorter than the ninth, which is equalled by the secondaries ; the first primary 
short, about half the length of the third. 
The tail is very long and regularly wedge-shaped, longer than the wing. 
The stout legs are strongly scutellatc in front, bilaminate behind; the 
feet are small, the claws rather flattened and long, the hind-toe a little stouter 
than the middle toe, but the hind-toe and claws little shorter than the middle 
toe and claw; the outer and inner toes subequal, the inner a little shorter 
than the outer, and with claw less than middle toe alone. 
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