SUB-ORDER 
STRISORES. 
The essential characters of this sub-order are presented in the general table at the beginning 
of tbe report. Cabanis divides tbe Strisores into the Macrochires , including the Trochilidae, 
the Cypselidae, and the Caprimulgidae, and into the Amphibolae , embracing Opisthocomidae and 
Musopliagidae. The first division is well represented in the United States, the second not at all. 
A more recent article by Burmeister includes tbe Halcyonidae and Prionitidae with the Strisores , 
taking them from the Clamatores, where Cabanis placed them. A division of the American 
forms might then be made into Macrochires , with the wings long and pointed, the fore arm 
shortened ; and into Orthochires , with the wings moderate and the fore arm rather long. They 
agree in having the muscles of the lower larynx thin, flat, or entirely wanting, the voice 
incapable of modulation, &c. As, however, the precise limits and characteristics, external 
and internal, of these families have not yet been fully settled, I prefer to use Cabanis’ arrange¬ 
ment for the present, at least, and with him shall consider the Anisodactyli as Clamatores 
rather than Strisores. 
Of the three families of Macrochires , the Trochilidae are easily recognized by the long, 
subulate, very slender, and acute bill, but little cleft at the base, and the peculiar tongue, as 
well as by the excessively diminutive size and gorgeously metallic plumage. The remaining 
families agree in having the bill very short, triangular, and weak ; the gape very long and 
wide, extending to beneath the eyes, and the culmen much shorter than half the gape ; the 
nostrils opening upwards; the outer toe usually with an incomplete number of joints. The 
Cypselidae , however, have the plumage compact, the bill entirely without bristles, the middle 
toe scarcely longer than the lateral, the claw without any serration, the anterior toes all cleft 
to the base, the fore arm short, the colors uniform, &c. In the Caprimulgidae the plumage 
is soft, loose, and downy, as in the owls ; the bill with bristles, even around the nostrils; the 
middle toe considerably longer than the lateral, and the claw serrated, or at least much 
extended, on its inner edge ; the toes with a web at the base, the fore arm long, and the colors 
mottled. 
The following schemes of the families are taken from Burmeister ; the common characters of 
the Macrochires being: wings long and pointed, the arm portion more or less shortened, the 
middle and outer toes not clcjsely united: 
A. Bill long and thin. Tongue long, divided, thread-like. 
Trochilidae. —Secondaries six in number. 
B. Bill short, and very broad at tbe base. Tongue short, flat, three-sided. Secondaries 
more than six. 
Cypselidae. —Plumage unicolor. Fore arm short. 
Caprimulgidae. —Plumage spotted and marbled. Fore arm moderately long. 
