on Dr. Jerdor/s ‘Birds of India.’ 231 
which is merely modified externally to confer extraordinary 
vigour of wing. The Cypselidce have not even one characteristic 
of that very variously modified special ornithic type, and in¬ 
ternally as well as externally—in the bony framework equally 
with the exterior adaptations—are modified to attain the maxi¬ 
mum power of flight; and the same remark applies to the Tro- 
chilidce. There is a fundamental conformity in the organization 
of the Cypselidce and Trochilidce, analogous to what exists in the 
genus Indicator and the great family Picidce , and which alike 
removes Indicator from Cuculidce and Cypselidce from Hirun - 
dinidce ; and in the same way Leptosomus, which has been com¬ 
monly assigned to Cuculidce , is far more nearly akin to Coracias 
and Merops, if not also (as I long ago suggested) to the South 
American family Bucconidce, which latter group I formerly 
styled Tamatiadce *, and separated altogether from the special 
group which comprehends the Rhamphastidce and kindred Me- 
galcemidce and Capitonidce (if these latter can be properly recog¬ 
nized apart). There is no occasion to pursue this subject fur¬ 
ther here, as in the sequel I have found occasion to comment on 
the affinities of particular groups. Let me now, therefore, pro¬ 
ceed to the special object of this contribution, which will occupy 
a good many pages of the e The Ibis/ 
In his first page the author states that the rapacious birds have 
“ all their toes upon one plane,”—the kindred genera Sarcorham- 
phus and Gyparchus, and Cathartes also to some extent, being the 
only exceptions that I know of, alike appertaining to the minor 
continent. 
* Mag. Nat. Hist. n. s., 1838, p. 317. Vide also p. 256 et seq.^ of the 
same volume for remarks exceedingly in unison with what I have now 
written, and which I have been led to peruse upon having occasion to seek 
for the date of them. Two mistakes occur, however, the rectification of 
which is necessary to render my papers of 1838 as intelligible as they 
would otherwise be. I mistook Pteroptochus (or some kindred form) for 
Megapodius; and by Promerops I intended sundry passerine birds which 
were then usually classed in that genus, as distinguished from the real 
African Promeropidce, which are intermediate to Bucerotidce and Upupidce. 
With this explanation, the outlines of classification which I then proposed 
are very nearly the same as what I at present adopt and adhere to, with 
the advantage of greatly increased information and of more than a quarter 
of a century of further experience. 
