CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS, 663 



Single eggs are often laid here and there on the plains, but these are 

 not incubated. 



The Emu (Dromons] is represented by two species in Australian 

 deserts and plains. The fore-limb is greatly reduced, the feathers have 

 long aftershafts. Nearly related are the Cassowaries (Casuarius) living 

 in the Austral-Malayan region, eight species in the Papuan Islands, one 

 in N.-E. Australia, and one in Ceram. They live in the forests and 

 scrub. The fore-limb is very small, with the shafts of the wing feathers 

 reduced to spines ; the ordinary feathers have long aftershafts. On 

 the top of the skull there is a horny helmet, covering a core of light 

 spongy bone ; this protects the bent head as the fcird rushes through the 

 scrub. There are three toes, the inner one with a long sharp claw a 

 formidable weapon. In both these genera the clavicles are rudimentary 

 and the coeca small. 



The Kiwi (Apteryx} forms a very distinct genus of Ratitie, represented 

 by four species, restricted to New Zealand. It is not larger than a 

 hen, and has simple hair-like or bristle-like feathers, a long bill and 

 terminal nostrils, a very rudimentary wing and no clavicles, and no 

 distinct tail feathers. There are four clawed toes. The cceca are large. 

 It is a nocturnal bird, swift and noiseless in its movements, feeding in 

 great part on earthworms. The egg is very large for the size of the bird. 

 Among the extinct forms are the gigantic Moas (Dinornis), which 

 seem to have been exterminated in New Zealand in comparatively recent 

 times. The fore-limbs were almost completely reduced, the hind-legs 

 were very large, and some forms attained a height of 10 ft. or even more. 



Another recently lost order of giant birds is represented by remains of 

 sEpyornis found in Madagascar. Some of these indicate birds as large 

 as ostriches, but eggs have been found holding six times as much as that 

 of an ostrich. 



We may think of the Ratitce, according to W. K. Parker, as "over- 

 grown, degenerate birds that were once on the right road for becoming 

 flying fowl, but through greediness and idleness never reached the 

 'goal,' went back, indeed, and lost their sternal keel, and almost lost 

 their unexercised wings." 



2. Division ODONTOLC.*:. Represented by Hesperornis from N. American 



Cretaceous strata, somewhat like a swimming ostrich, \vith sharp 

 teeth sunk in a groove, with saddle-shaped cervical vertebrae as in 

 modern birds, with a rudimentary fore-limb, but with a powerful 

 swimming leg. In an English representative Enaliornis the 

 vertebrae are chiefly biconcave. These extinct birds have many 

 Ratite skeletal characters, and they have also some interesting 

 resemblances to some old-fashioned living Carinatae, notably the 

 divers (Colymbidse). 



3. Division CARINAT.*:. Flying Birds with a keeled breast-bone. 

 Apart from the extinct types of Carinatce, such as Ichthyornis (with 



teeth and biconcave vertebrae), there seem to be over 11,000 living 

 species. These may be grouped in twenty-one orders, such as Passeres 

 (thrushes, etc.), Accipitres (hawks, etc.), Columbse (doves), Gallinse 

 (pheasants, etc.), Gavire (gulls, etc.), Psittaci (parrots). Of the twenty- 

 one orders only three are unrepresented in Britain. 



