I70 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



Flamingoes are an Order by themselves. The 

 Wading Birds have four families, Spoonbills, 

 Ibises, Storks and Herons. Then there 's an Order 

 of Running Birds, with three families, Cranes, 

 Courlans and Rails, and the last of the Water-Bird 

 group is the Shore-birds with six families, Phala- 

 ropes. Stilts, Snipes, Plovers, Turnstones and 

 Oyster-Catchers. ' ' 



Shan drew a breath of relief. 



"Looks to me," said the old man, "as if you'd 

 got 'em down right smart. But in yo' Shore 

 Birds, son, I reckon yo ' forgot the Sandpipers, the 

 commonest of 'em all. ' ' 



"No, I didn't," answered the boy, triumphantly. 

 ' * Sandpipers go in the family of Snipes. ' ' 



"They do, eh? Well, they might, too. How 

 about yo' Land Birds, now?" 



"I don't know those as well," Shan confessed. 

 "There are the Fowls, with three families. Quail, 

 Grouse and Turkeys. Pigeons have an Order to 

 themselves. Birds of Prey have six families. Vul- 

 tures, Eagles, Falcons, Fish-Hawks, Bam-Owls 

 and Owls Proper. Parrots have an Order all 

 to themselves. Cuckoos and Kingfishers share 

 one between them. The Woodpeckers are alone. 

 With the Goatsuckers, such as the Whip-Poor- 



