68 ELEMENTS OF ORNITHOLOGY. 
was better known, to be regarded in a lump as “ Natatory 
Birds” or “ Swimmers.” 
The long-legged Flamingo next conducted us to the Herons, 
Bitterns, Storks, Cranes, and Bustards, and thence to smaller 
Birds, such as Coursers, Tinamous, Curlews, Snipes, Stints, 
Godwits, Stilts, Plovers, Peewits, and Rails, most of which are 
more or less long-legged, and have more or less a wading 
habit, on which account they have been called “Stalkers,” 
“* Waders,” or “ Grallatorial Birds.” We were introduced to 
this group from the Ducks through the Moor-hens, but we ended 
Fig. 70. 






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The Common Kingfisher (Alcedo ispida). 
by affirming the greater resemblance between these last-named 
and the Rails than between them and the Ducks. 
After noting certain species which have become extinct, we 
enumerated other kinds, which are also eminently ‘Stalkers ” or 
‘‘ Cursorial Birds ”—such as the Ostrich, Rhea, Cassowary, and 
Emeu, all of which we mentioned after referring to the Apteryx. 
In days of loose classification these were regarded as forming 
one group with the Wading Birds above referred to, the whole 
being spoken of as Cursorial birds, or Gralla. 
We must now pass to Birds which are very different from 
