CHAPTER II 



THE PRINCIPAL BIRD GROUPS 



The two Primai-y Divisions — The Carinat^e and Ratitae — 

 Moas and Rocs — Rheas, Cassowaries, and Emus — Kiwis 

 and Ostriches — The Crypturi or Tinamous — The Im- 

 pennes or Penguins — The Colymbiformes or Divers and 

 Grebes — The Procellariiformes or Petrels — The Pelargi- 

 formes or Herons, Storks, Spoonbills, and Ibises — The 

 Pelecaniformes or Tropic Birds, Gannets, Cormorants, 

 Pelicans, Darters, and Frigate Birds — The Anseriformes 

 or Swans, Geese, Ducks, and Mergansers — The Grui- 

 formes or Cranes and allied birds — The Ralliformes or 

 Rails and Finfoots — The Galliformes or Game Birds — 

 The Pediophili or Sand-Grouse — The Columbiformes or 

 Pigeons — The Charadriiformes or Bustards, Plovers, 

 Sandpipers, Jacanas, Sheath-bills, Crab Plover, and Seed 

 Snipes — The Lariformes or Gulls, Terns, Skuas, and 

 Skimmers — TheAlciformesor Auks — TheFalconiformes 

 orBirdsofPrey — TheCoraciiformes — ThePsittaciformes 

 or Parrots — The Cuculiformes or Cuckoos and Plantain- 

 Eaters — The Passeriformes or " Perching Birds." 



Without leading the student into the hopeless 

 labyrinth of avine classification, it will, I hope, 

 be quite possible to give a brief outline of the 

 various great natural groups into which the 

 kingdom of the Birds is divided by systematists. 



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