FOOT. 



425 



Phasianus (c) ; the inner toe is placed behind, the three ante- 

 riorly directed toes are fused as far as the middle (p. gressorii), 

 Alcedo (e) ; inner toe behind, the three anterior toes are united 

 by a short membrane (p. insidentes), Falco (/). The wading legs 



Fio. 236. — The most important forms of birds' feet (6, c, d. f, n, from the R^gne animal), 

 a Cypselus apus ; b Picas capensis ; c Phasianus colchicus ; d Tardus torquatus ; e Alcedo 

 kispida ; / Falco biarmicus ; ;, Mycteria senegalensis ; h Struthio camelus ; i Meryiis merganser ; 

 k Recurvirostra avocetta ; I Podicipes cristatus ; m Fxtlica atra ; n Phaelhon aethereus. 



{p. vadantes) as opposed to the walking legs are characterised by 

 the partly or completely unfeathered tibial region ; they are 

 found principally in aquatic birds, some of which have a very 

 long metatarsus. The feet of birds with long wading legs 

 may be distinguished into those in which the anterior toes are 



