CARINATiE. 261 



hardly separable from existing species, together with Pcla- 

 gornis, an extinct ally of the Pelicans. 



Of the Pliocene and Post-Tertiary Natatores, the only form 

 requiring notice is the great extinct Cnemiornis of the Post- 

 Tertiary deposits of New Zealand. The remains of this bird 

 indicate that it was an aberrant member of the Anserince, 

 most nearly allied to the living Cereo2)sis of Australia, but 

 resembling the Ciorsores in the massive construction of the 

 hind-limbs and the rudimentary condition of the wings. 



Okder II. Geallatores. — The birds comprised in the order 

 of the Grallatores, or Waders, for the most part frequent the 

 banks of rivers and lakes, or the shores of estuaries, marshes, 

 lagoons, and shallow pools, though some of them keep almost 

 exclusively to dry land, preferring, however, moist and damp 

 situations. In accordance with their semi-aquatic amphibi- 

 ous habits, the Waders are distinguished by the great length 

 of their legs; the increase in length leing mainly due to the 

 great elongation of the tarso-metatarsus. The legs are also 

 nnfeathered from the lower end of the tibia downivards. The 

 toes are elongated and straight, and are never completely pal- 

 mate, though sometimes semi-palmate. There are three anterior 

 toes, and usually a short hallux, hut the latter may he ivanting. 

 The wings are long, and the power of flight usually consider- 

 able ; but the tail is short, and the long legs are stretched 

 out behind in flight to compensate for the brevity of the tail. 

 The body is generally slender, and the neck and beak usually 

 of considerable length. 



Amongst the more important Grallatorial Birds are the 

 Ptails {Rallidoi), Water-hens [Gallinida^), Cranes {Gruida;), 

 Herons {Ardeidm), Storks {Ciconinoi), Snipes {Scolopacidce), 

 Sandpipers {Tringidm), Curlews {Numenius), Plovers {Chara- 

 driidm), and Bustards {OtidaS). 



As in the case of the Natatores, the earliest traces of the 

 Waders appear to belong to the Cretaceous period, and are 

 found in deposits of this age in the North American area. 

 The forms in question constitute the genera Palmotringa and 

 Telmatornis, the former being allied to the Sandpipers, while 

 the latter is rather related to the Eails. 



In the Eocene Tertiary various Grallatorial birds have 



