230 VERTEBRATA. 



C. australis, C. bermettii [the mooruk], C. uniappendiculatus, and 

 C. bicarunculatus}, and three kiwis (Apteryx australis, A. owenii. 

 and A. mantelli). Six other species, or so-called species, of casso- 

 waries have been described, but they appear to differ very slightly 

 from one or another of the above (in one case the young), and 

 are mostly only known from one or two specimens. 



Struthiones have been combined with bustards, and ev^n with 

 the dodo, to form the order Cursores of the older authors. They 

 form, according to Huxley, one of the two orders of living birds. 

 Claus places them after Accipitres, as the last order of birds. 

 Mpyornis has been referred to the Vulturidse. 



StruthionidfB. Casuariida. JEpyornithid&. 



Struthio (Ostrich). Dromaeus (Emu). *J3pyornis. 



Casuarius (Casso- 



Rheidte. wary). Apterygidce. 



Khea (Nandou). Apteryx (Kiwi). 

 Dinornithidce. 



*Dinornis (Moa). 

 Order VIII. GRALLJ3. 



GrRALLATORES. LlTTORES. 



Bill various, generally longer than the head. Legs long, naked 

 above the knee ; toes not webbed. 



The tibia and tarso-metatarsal bone are generally long, and the 

 former more or less naked. The neck and bill are also long ; the 

 latter may be weak or porous, as in the snipes, or strong, with a 

 cutting-edge, as in the herons. The body is mostly thin and 

 compressed, with wings of great power, although the flight is 

 often slow, and near the carpal joint they are sometimes armed 

 with a spur or spine. Many can swim with ease ; but the greater 

 part are waders, living on fish, worms, &c ; a few feed on grain, 

 insects, &c., never going near the water. 



In some of the Grallae the trachea is singularly convoluted, 

 bent sharply back in the thorax before it enters the lungs, or, as 

 in the crane, the convoluted part is lodged between the two walls 

 of the keel of the breast-bone. 



These birds construct very simple nests, some indeed, as the 

 bustards, lay their eggs on the bare ground. The young in some 

 cases feed themselves, especially when the parents are polygamous, 

 In many species there is a considerable difference between summer 

 and winter plumage. 



