BIRDS OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES 



KEY TO ORDERS. 

 WATER BIRDS. 



1. Feet fully webbed (except grebes in Pygopodes, which have the toes 

 lobed or margined). ' 



2. Foot with three webs, all four toes connected. 



Steganopodes : Totipalmate Swimmers, p. 3. 

 2'. Foot with two webs, three front toes connected. 

 3. Nostrils tubular. Tubiiiares : Tube-nosed Swimmers, p. 3. 

 3'. Nostrils not tubular. 



4. Edges of mandibles toothed or serrate. 



Anseres : Lamellirostral Swimmers, p. 3. 

 4'. Edges of mandibles not toothed or serrate. 

 5. Legs placed far back ; wings short. 



Pygopodes : Diving Birds, p. 2. 

 5'. Legs placed near middle of body ; wings long and pointed. 



Longipennes : Long-winged Swimmers, p. 2. 

 r.Feet incompletely or not at all webbed. 

 2. Lores and ring around eye naked. 



Herodiones : Herons, Storks, and Ibises, p. 4. 

 2'. Lores and ring around eye feathered. 



3. Hind toe long and approximately on a level with front toes (except 



in cranes, which are over three feet long) . . . Paludicolae : 



Cranes, Rails, Coots, Gallinules, etc., p. 4. 



3'. Hind toe short and elevated or absent ; bird never over twenty-six 



inches long Limicolae : Shore Birds, p. 4. 



LAND BIRDS. 



1. Bill strongly hooked. 



2. Toes two in front and two behind, outer toe permanently reversed. 



Psittaci : Parrotsi etc., p. 109. 

 2'. Toes three in front, or outer toe reversil)U'. 



Raptores : Birds of Prey, p. KM). 

 r. Bill not strongly hooked. 



2. Hind toe small and elevated ubovr front ones. 



Gallinae : Gallinaceous Birds, p. 108. 

 2'. Hind toe not elevated above front ont-s. 



3. Bill with soft swollen skin around nostiils. 



Columbae : Pigeons or Doves, p. 108. 



