ARTIFICIAL KEY TO THE LARGER GROUPS. 



A. Distinctly web-footed.— B, BB, 15BB. 



B. No hind toe, 3 front toes fully webbed. — G, CC. 



C. Wings long; tail well developed. — Kittiwake Gull, Family Laiida;, 



page 50. 

 GC. Wings short, tail soft, short and hardly visible. — Family 3, Alcida), 

 Auks and Murres, page 43. 

 BB. Hind toe present and connected by web to inner toe; nostrils small 

 or wanting. Order IV, Steganopodes, Totipalmate Swimmers, 

 page 65. 

 BBB. Hind toe present; not connected with front toes. — E, EE. 



E. Gutting edges of bill with teeth or comb-like ridges. — Order V, 



Anseres, Ducks, Geese and Swans, page 70. 

 EE. Gutting edges of bill without teeth or comb-like ridges. — F. FF, 

 FFF. 

 F. Legs short, shank (tarsus) compressed hke knife-blade; feet placed 

 far back; no visible tail. — Families 2 and 3, Colymbidae and 

 Gaviidffi, Grebes and Loons, pages 36 and 40. 

 FF. Legs short, shank not noticeably compressed; legs midway in 

 body: tail well developed. — Order II, Longipennes, Gulls and 

 Terns, page 47. 

 FFF. Legs very long and slender, bill slender, recurved at tip.— 

 Avocet, Family 25, Recurvirostridse, page 169. 

 AA. Imperfectly or not at all web-footed. — G, GG. 



G. Tibia more or less bare above heel ("knee"). — H, HH. 

 H. Lores naked (sometimes part of head also). — I, II, III. 



I. Bill straight and sharp, middle claw pectinate (with a comb). — 



Family 20, Ardeida^, Herons, page 127. 



II. Bill straight, not very sharp, middle claw not pectinate. — Family 



21, Gruidse, Granes, page 148. 



III. Bill decurved, not sharp; middle claw not pectinate.— Family 

 18, Ibididse, Ibises, page 124. 



HH. Lores, and rest of head, feathered or bristly. — J, JJ. 



J. Large, length 3 feet or more.— Family 21, Gruida?, Granes (young), 



page 148. 

 JJ. Small, length less than 2 feet.— K, KK. 



K. Legs very short; tarsus about one half as long as middle toe. — 



Family 45, Alcedinida?, Kingfishers, page 341. 

 KK. Legs long, tarsus little if any shorter than middle toe. — L, LL. 

 L. Feet large and clumsy-looking, the middle toe equal to or 

 longer than the tarsus.— Family 23, Rallidir, Rails, page 152. 

 LL. Feet and legs slender, the middle toe barely equal to tarsus, 

 often much shorter.— M, MM. 

 M. Tarsus scutellate in front (with a single row of transverse 

 plates). (Fig 54).— N, NN. 

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