48 KEY AND DESCIilPTION 



G. Bill very broad and flattened, twice as wide near tip as at the 



middle ;^ young ... XL VIII. Spoonbills. 



H. Nail of middle toe (pectinated) with a fine, saw-like ridge on the 



inner edge ;^ bill straight, acute, and with sharp cutting edges 



XLV. Herons, etc. 



H. Nail of middle toe without saw-like teeth. (I.) 



I. Bill very broad and flattened, twice as wide near the tip as at the 



middle 1 XLVIII. Spoonbills. 



I. Bill narrow, about as wide as high, gradually and decidedly curved 



downward for its whole length ^ XLVII. Ibises. 



I. Bill either narrow, straight for half its length and then curved 

 downward,* or else a very large bill (over 2 higii at base) with the 



end curved upward ^ XLV I. Storks, etc. 



L Bill higher than broad, about straight, not very acute ;'' very large 

 birds over 40 long, with very long necks and legs. XLIV. Cranes. 



Key to the Families of Swimming Birds 



* Hind toe present and cttnnected with the inntr toe by a webbing; i.e. 



all four toes webbed." (E.) 



* The front toes bordered by broad membranes for their whole length — ^ 



— Diving birds with legs at the end of body LXIV. Grebes. 



— Legs near center of body. XLI. Phalaropes, or XLII. Rails, etc. 



* The three front toes connected together by webbing.^ (A.) 



A. Bill with teeth or ridges along the edges, easily seen from the lower 



side •" L. Ducks, etc. 



A. Bill with the cutting edges even. (B.) 

 B. Legs inserted so far back along the body that the bird in standing has 

 to take a vertical position (see p. 342) ; diving birds — 



— No hind toe LXIL Auks. 



— Hind toe present, short LXIII. Loons. 



B. Legs so inserted that the body in standing takes nearly a horizontal 



position. (C.) 

 C. Nostrils tubular, the tubes near together at the top of the bill;" 



wings less than 1-3 long LVII. Shearwaters, etc. 



C. Nostrils tubular, the tubes on the sides of the bill near the base ; 



wings, lG-30 long LVIII. Albatrosses. 



