544 



ZOOLOGY. 



Fig. 466. Carolina RaiL From 

 Coues' Key. 



quently brought into the market. The wild goose (Branta 



Canadensis) breeds in the North- 

 ern United States and in British 

 America. While it usually breeds 

 on the shores of rivers, it has 

 been known in Colorado and 

 Montana to nest in trees. Allied 

 to it is the barnacle goose of 

 Europe (Branta leucopsis),vf\ttch 

 very rarely occurs in this coun- 

 try. The swans are characterized 

 by their long necks, the trachea 



or wind-pipe being remarkably long, especially in the trum- 

 peter swan, where it enters a cavity in the breast-bone, 



makes a turn and enters the lungs, 



after forming a large coil. 



To this group, or next to it, also 



belong the flamingoes, the American 



flamingo (Phasnicopterus ruler] occur- 

 ring on the Florida and Gulf coast. 



Its feathers are scarlet, its bill yellow, 



large and thick, while the legs and 



neck are of great length. It connects 



the swimming with the wading birds. 



The foregoing group forms a division 



called the Natatores or swimming 



birds. We now come to the Oralla- 



tores or wading birds, which have long, 



naked legs, and therefore long necks, 



with usually remarkably long bills. 



They are divided into cranes, rails, etc. 



(Alectorides), the herons and their 



allies (Herodiones), and the shore-birds, 



snipes and plovers, or Limicolm. 

 The cranes, together with rails (For- 



sana Carolina, Fig. 466) sometimes 



have lobate feet, the toes are often 



long, and in some forms, such as the 



coots and gallinules, there is an approach to the ducks. 



Fig. 467. The ' Giant " of 

 Mauritius. After Schlegel. 



