GRALLATORES. 1911 



Order GRALLATORES. 



The birds comprised in this Order are very fairly repre- 

 sented in Australia. Among the forms peculiar to that 

 country are the genera Dro7naius, Cladorhi/nchus, Tribonyx, 

 and Eidaheornis, while among those also found in other 

 countries are Casiiarius, Otis^ Ardea, Egretta, Ardeola, Lohi- 

 vanelliis, Strepsilas, Squatarola, Charadrius, Hcdviatopus, 

 Eudromias, Himantopus, Schcdniclus^ Terekia, Gallinago, lle- 

 curvirostra, Limosa, JRhynclicBa, Nitmenius, Mycteria, Parra, 

 Rallies, and Porzana. 



I have not failed to remark that w^herever similar physical 

 conditions exist similar forms of birds generally occur : thus 

 the marshes of Australia have the usual accompaniment of 

 Herons, Rails, and Snipes ; the plains their Bustard, and 

 the strands of the sea-shore their Sandpipers and Plovers. 

 Still there are some remarkable exceptions to this rule in 

 Australia : for she has no Pterocles among her Rasorial Birds, 

 or Cursoriics among her Grallatores, for both of which forms 

 the country would seem to be well adapted ; neither has she a 

 PhcBnicopterus, like Africa. 



Fanuly STRUTHIONID^. 



Time was when many parts of our globe were inhabited by 

 enormous birds of this family, evidence of which is afforded 

 by their semi-fossilized remains found in Madagascar, New 

 Zealand, and elsewhere. These great Struthiones have still 

 their representatives ; for America has two, if not three, 

 species of Rhea; Africa, its Ostrich; New Guinea and the 

 neighbouring islands, their Cassowaries ; Australia, its Emus ; 

 and the islands of New Zealand, two or three species of dimi- 

 nutive Apteryyes. 



