25 



With them are associated the Sun-Bitterns, the Kagu, and the 

 genus Mesites, the latter a strange and rare bird inhabiting Mada- 

 gascar. 



The Cranes (family Gruidcp) are birds of large size, not numer- 

 ous in species, and mainly confined to the Old World. Some are 

 beautifully crested, as the African Demoiselle and Crowned 

 Cranes (see Case N), but in general they are plainly colored and 

 have the front of the head naked. (For the American species see 

 Case E.) The Trumpeters (family Psophiidcv) are South Amer- 

 ican (see Case I), and derive their name from the curious loud 

 ventriloquial sounds they emit ; they combine characters allying 

 them not only with the Cranes and Rails, but suggesting the 

 Pheasants. 



The Courlans (family Aramidce) number only two species, con- 

 fined to tropical and subtropical America. The Florida species 

 (Case D) has the local name Crying-bird, from its strange wailing 

 notes. The Rails (family Rallidie) are a numerous and widely- 

 distributed group, peculiar in structure and habits, having small 

 weak wings and thin bodies. Some of the forms of this family 

 are almost flightless, as the so-called Wood-hens (genus Ocydro- 

 mus) of New Zealand, and certain extinct species of the Mascarene 

 Islands. One of these, the Geant {Legai/tia gigantea) was of gigan- 

 tic stature, standing about six feet in height. (See Fig. 8.) It 

 was an inhabitant of Rodriguez, and became extinct about the 

 end of the seventeenth century. The true Rails are mostly 

 of small size and sombre colors ; the Gallinules and Porphyrios 

 are larger, and many of them are brightly colored ; the Coots re- 

 semble them in size and form, but are dull-plumaged and have 

 lobated toes. (See Cases D, I, and N.) 



The Sun-Bitterns (family Eurypygidw) resemble both Rails 

 and Herons, though strongly different from either, and having 

 really no near allies. The only two species known are birds of 

 pecuHar and striking coloration, inhabiting South America. (See 

 Case I.) The Kagu [idimWy Rhinochefidce) — a. %ixdi\\gt bird, differ- 

 ing so much from all others as to form a family by itself — is con- 

 fined to the single small island of New Caledonia. The Sun-Grebes 

 (family Hcliornifhida) constitute a small group of three species — 

 one South American, the others African and Asiatic— which sin- 



