that connect the Orders and Families of Birds. 495 
a hind toe; but that member is at the same time so small and 
feeble, as scarcely to form more than the rudiments of a toe : 
and in the structure of their bill, and more particularly in their 
habits, they evince a more natural union with the present family 
than with Tringa, where a strict adherence to the structure of the 
foot would place them. The genus Cursorius, Lath. also appears 
to come among these groups which are joined by the true Cha- 
radrius, Auct. Among the numerous species of this latter genus, 
some will be observed to be distinguished from the rest by the 
greater elevation of the farsi. These lead us to the genus Hi- 
mantopus, Briss., which exhibits such a singular and apparently 
disproportioned length of limb. ‘The family is terminated by the 
CEdicnemus of M. Cuvier, which, by its affinity with the earlier 
groups of the Gruide, connects the present family with that which 
commenced the order. We may remember that the family of 
Struthionide among the Rasores is closely allied to the Gruide 
of the order before us, and equally so to the Charadriade, in con- 
sequence of the absence of the hinder toe. With the latter in- 
deed it is frequently united into one group, from their simila- 
rity in this character, and the cursorial habits resulting from it, 
which are common to both. These three naturally allied families 
therefore are thus brought into contact, and their mutual affini- 
ties preserved ; while at the same time they retain in the system 
the various stations into which the difference in their more im- 
portant characters tends to separate them. 
Ord. V. NATATORES. 
The groups of the preceding order, that deviate from the ty- 
pical character by their habits of swimming, naturally lead us, 
as I have so often repeated, to the fifth or last order of Natatores. 
The 
