that connect the Orders and Families of Birds. 485 



a species that, as far as we can now conclude, is no longer to be 

 found ; while the link which it supplied in nature was of consi- 

 derable importance. The bird in question, from every account 

 which we have of its economy, and from the appearance of its 

 head and foot, is decidedly gallinaceous ; and, from the insuffi- 

 ciency of its wings for the purposes of flight, it may with equal 

 certainty be pronounced to be of the Struthious structure, and 

 referable to the present family. But the foot has a strong hind 

 toe, and, with the exception of its being more robust, — in which 

 character it still adheres to the Struthionidce, — it corresponds 

 exactly with the foot of the Linnean genus Crax, that commences 

 the succeeding family. The bird thus becomes osculant, and 

 forms a strong point of junction between these two conterminous 

 groups ; which, though evidently approaching each other in 

 general points of similitude, would not exhibit that intimate bond 

 of connexion which we have seen to prevail almost uniformly 

 throughout the neighbouring subdivisions of nature, were it not 

 for the intervention of this important genus. 



The family of Cracidce, thus connected with the StruthionidcE, 

 are separated from the typical groups of the order by the length 

 and robustness of the hinder toe, and by its being situated more 

 nearly on a level with those in front. These birds, placed in this 

 manner at the extreme of the present order, assume more of the 

 habits and appearance of the preceding order of Ferchers than 

 the other Rasores, with the exception of the family of Columhida. 

 They are found most frequently to make their abode in trees, 

 and to resort to the neighbourhood of forests : in the lesser num- 

 ber of their tail-feathers they evince an equal deviation from 

 their more typical congeners, and they never possess a spur. 

 This family contains the Ourax of M. Cuvier, and the true 

 Crax, Linn., together with the Penelope and Ortalida of M. Mer- 

 rem. The two latter genera have their hind toe articulated on a 



3 R 2 level 



