416 CLASS XVT. 



in Tlmringia, in Silesia, in the south of Russia and Siberia ; with us only 

 rarely ; in old times, as it seems, it was more common. 



Otis tetrax L., Buff. PL enl. 25 male, 10 fem., Naum. Taf. 169; South 

 of Europe, Tartary, North Africa ; an instance of the occurrence of this 

 species in North Brabant is known. 



b) With hill moderate, hroad at the base, depressed. Eupodotis Less. 

 (add. Chlamydotis and Si/pheotis ejusd.), Gray, 



Sp. Otis aurita Lath., Temm. PI. color. 533; from the continent of India; 

 the adult male has on each side of the head three long curved shafts of 

 feathers, which bear a vane at the extremity only; — Otis senegalensis 

 ViEiLL., Otis Rhaad Kdepp. 1. 1. Tab. 15; — Otis houbara Gm., Psophia 

 imdulata Jacquin ; Beitrdge ziir Gesch. der Vogel, Wien, 1 784, Tab. 9, 

 Naum. Tab. 170; — Otis caffra Lichtenst., Otis ruficoUis, Guer. Iconogr., 

 Ois. PI, 49, fig. I, &c. 



Family X. Proceri Illig. {Struthionidce ViGORS). Wings 

 without quill-feathers, unfit for flying. Feathers of body loose. 

 Bill of various shape, mostly depressed, with culmen distinct; 

 upper mandible with tip produced beyond the lower. 



The struthious birds are birds of large size, of warm countries, 

 living upon vegetable food. Since they are not able to fly they 

 have the breast-bone less developed than in other birds, and the 

 projecting keel on the forepai-t is wanting, to which in other birds, 

 the pectoral muscles are attached. 



Section I. Apterygince. Feet tetradactylous, with hallux short, 

 raised. 



Apteryx Shaw. Bill long, slender, with culmen depressed, tip 

 subclavate, obtuse. Nostrils placed near the tip of bill at the in- 

 ferior part of lateral groove. Wings very small, concealed under 

 the coverts. Tail inconspicuous. Tarsi thick, reticulate with 

 irregular, unequal scales, broader in the anterior row, transverse. 

 Anterior toes thick, rather long, with claws strong, curved, fos- 

 sorial. Internal rudiment of hallux resembling a spur. 



Sp. Apteryx australis Shaw, Naturalist's Miscellany, xxiv. PI. 1057, 1058, 

 Yarrell in Transact, of the Zool. Soc. i. pp. 71—76, PI. 10, Gray Gen. of 

 Birds, PI. CLXXix ; from New Zealand ; lives chiefly amongst high and 

 close ferns and feeds on insects and worms. See on the anatomical peculi- 

 arities of this strange bird Owen Zool. Transact. 11. pp. 257 — 301, PI. 47 

 — 55- — Apteryx Oweni Gould, ibid. Vol. III. 1848, pp. 379, 380, PI. 57. 



