546 



ZOOLOGY. 



sand, or forcing the vermian food out of their holes by 



stamping on the ground. 



Connecting in some degree 

 the waders and gallinaceous 

 fowl are the bustards of the 

 Old World, certain strange 

 exotic birds, especially the 

 horned screamers represented 

 by a very rare bird, the Pa la- 

 medea cornuta Linn., which 

 has sharp horns on the wings. 

 The form of the gallina- 

 ceous birds, formerly called 

 Rasores, from their peculiar 

 habit of scratching the ground 

 for food, is readily recalled 

 by a simple enumeration of 

 the partridge, Oreortyx (0. 



Fig. 470. Stilt. From Coues 1 Key. 



pictus, Fig. 471), quail (Ortyx), ptarmigan (Lagopus, Fig. 

 472), pinnated grouse or prairie hen (Cupidonia cupido), 

 sage-cock, Canada grouse 

 or spruce partridge (Te- 

 trao), and wild turkey 

 (Meleagris), as well as the 

 exotic forms, the pheasant 

 of the Old World, the use- 

 ful hen or barn-yard fowl, 

 which is a descendant of 

 Gallus Bankiva Tem- 

 minck, of India. These are 

 allied to the argus-pheasant 

 and the peacock, the latter 

 rivalling the humming- 

 birds in its gorgeous plum- 

 age. The guinea-hen is 

 an African bird. To this 



,, Fi<* 471. Plumed Partridge. From Cones 



group belongs the curious K * y lg> 



mound-bird (Megapodius), 



of Australia and New Guinea. Tt heaps up a large mass of 



