XXxii INTRODUCTION. 



Order ALECTORIDES. 



Family GRUID.E. 



Grus, Bt'chstein. —B'lW longer than the head, straight, strong, compressed and 

 pointed. Nostrils placed longitudinally in a furrow, large, pervious, closed 

 posteriorly by a membrane. Wings moderate and rounded ; the first quill 

 shorter than the second, the third the longest in the wing. Legs very long, 

 robust, naked above the joint ; three toes in front, middle toe united to the 

 outer toe by a membrane, hind toe articulated high up on the tarsus (p. 507). 



Family OTIDID^. 



Otis, Linufxiis. —BiW moderate, straight, depressed at the base, the point of the 

 upper mandible curved. Nostrils a little removed from the base, lateral, 

 oval and open. Wings of moderate length, rather rounded in form ; the 

 third quill the longest. Legs long, naked above the tarsal joint. Toes three ; 

 all dh-ected .forward, short, united at the base, and edged with membranes 

 (p. 509)- 



Order LIMICOLJE. 



Family CEDICNEMIDiE. 



Qi^DiCNEMUS, Te??imincL — Bill stout, strong, and straight, a little depressed at 

 the base ; ridge of the upper mandible elevated, under mandible with a sharp 

 angle at the gonys. Nostrils in the middle of the beak, extending longi- 

 tudinally as far forward as the horny portion, open in front, pervious. Wings 

 moderate, the second quill longest. Tail much graduated. Legs long, 

 slender ; three toes only, directed forwards, united by a membrane as far as 

 the second joint (p. 515). 



Family GLAREOLID.F:. 



Glareola, B7-isson. — Bill short, convex, compressed towards the point, the 

 upper mandible curved throughout the distal half of its length. Nostrils 

 basal, lateral, pierced obliquely. Wings very long, the first quill the longest. 

 Tail forked. Legs bare for a short space above the tarsal joint, long and 

 rather slender ; three toes in front, one behind ; the middle toe united by a 

 short membrane to the outer toe ; the inner toe free ; the hind toe articulated 

 upon the tarsus ; claws long and subulate (p. 5i'7). 



Family CHARADRIID^. 



CuRSORius, Latham. — Bill a trifle shorter than the head, straight to the end of 

 the nasal furrow, then decurved to the tip, which is pointed. Nostrils oval. 

 Wings long, rather pointed ; the first and second quill the longest in the 

 wing. Tail rounded. Tarsi long and slender ; three toes, only, all in front, 

 the middle toe almost as long again as the lateral toes (p. 519). 



EuDROMiAS, C. L. Brehm. — Bill rather slender, compressed, shorter than the 

 head ; nasal furrow extending about half the length of the upper mandible, 

 which is horny and slightly decurved to the tip. Nostrils sub-basal, lateral, 

 linear. Tail rather long, slightly rounded. Wings of moderate length, 

 pointed, the first quill the longest ; the inner secondaries very nearly as long 



