344 REPTILES AND BIRDS. 
and a back toe which is altogether rudimentary ; indeed, in some 
species entirely wanting. They are mostly vermivorous ; some, how- 
ever, are granivorous or herbivorous. In this order a number of 
rather dissimilar Birds have been reckoned, some of which belong 
decidedly to the Wader tribe, whilst others, by their general habits, 
are more allied to the Gad/inacee. Among them are the Golden- 
breasted Trumpeter, the Cariama, the Oyster-catcher, the Plovers, 
the Lapwing, the Coursers, the Dotterel, and the Bustard. 
The Golden-breasted Trumpeter (Psophia crepitans) 1s a noble bird, 
Fig. 136.—Sun Bittern. 
covered with short glossy feathers on the head and neck, which reflect 
numerous golden tints, grey on the back, and black on the wings ; its 
body is about the size of an ordinary domestic fowl, but stands much 
higher on its limbs. It is very easily domesticated, and evinces as 
great attachment to its favourites as it does antipathy to dogs and 
cats. It accompanies sheep to their feeding-grounds, and is even 
said to drive them and watch over their safety. Being able to run 
with great velocity, it appears in cases of danger to trust more to its 
legs than wings. It is a native of South America. 
The Cariama (Cariama cristata, Fig. 137) has many of the same 
habits as the previous bird. In size it is a little larger, and is pos- 
sessed of a crest which remains always erect. The wings are a 
a 
