338 GRUIDZ.—CDICNEMIDZ. 
The Sandhill Crane (Grus mexicana), notwithstanding its specific name, does not 
appear to visit Mexico, and we have no evidence of its occurrence within our limits. 
It is a larger bird than G. canadensis, with a tarsus about ten inches in length. 
The range of G. mewicana is given in the ‘A. O. U. Check-list’ as the “Southern 
half of North America; now rare near the Atlantic coast, except in Georgia and 
Florida.” 
Order LIMICOL. 
This Order includes the Thick-knees or Stone-Plovers (Cidicnemide), Jacanas 
(Parride), Plovers (Charadriide), Sheath-bills (Chionidide), Seed-Snipes (Thino- 
corythide), and the true Snipes and Sandpipers (Scolopacide). Of these six families 
the Chionidide and Thinocorythide are not represented within the limits of the present 
work, the former having a subantarctic range, and the latter being purely South 
American. The Jacanas are found in the tropical and subtropical areas of the Old 
and New Worlds, and the remaining three families—the Cidicnemide, Charadriide, 
and Scolopacide—are practically cosmopolitan in their distribution. 
The Limicole have a schizognathous palate and an aquintocubital wing, with the 
fifth secondary wanting. The nostrils are schizorhinal, excepting in the (idicnemide, 
and there are many other anatomical and osteological features which are characteristic 
of the Order. The nestlings are covered with down, generally of a highly variegated 
pattern, and are able to run alone and feed themselves a short time after being 
hatched. 
Fam. @DICNEMIDZ. 
The Stone-Plovers or Thick-knees have a schizognathous. palate, but they differ from 
all the other Limicole in having holorhinal nostrils. In this respect these birds 
exhibit an affinity with the Bustards (Otidide), a family restricted to the Old World. 
‘They even show a certain likeness to the smaller Bustards in appearance, but are 
inhabitants of the more open country, and they lay quite a different type of ege from 
that of the Otidide, in this respect evincing a relationship with the Oyster-catchers. 
In addition to several well-marked osteological features which distinguish the 
C&dicnemide, they possess other external characters which render them easily 
recognizable from ordinary Limicole. Like the Bustards they have a very large head, 
but the enormous yellow eye is also a distinguishing characteristic of the family. The 
swollen joint of the tarso-metatarsus, whence the Stone-Plovers derive their popular 
name of Thick-knees, is more in evidence in the young birds than in the adults. The 
toes show no trace of an interdigital web, the hallux is absent, and the claw of the 
middle toe is not pectinated. The tarsus is reticulated both before and behind. 
