VUI/TURE-UKE GUINEA FOWI, ON THE GROUND. 



(One-fourth natural size.) 



CHAPTER XVII 



THE GAME BIRDS AND RAILS ORDERS GALLING 

 AND FUL1CARI>E 



THE general appearance of the game birds is so well marked that the most 

 inexperienced can hardly fail to recognize them. The body in all is compact and 

 stout, and the neck rather long, supporting a fairly-large rounded head, with a 

 moderately-long, stout bill, the upper mandible being arched and overhanging the 

 lower. Though the legs vary in length, they are always strong and adapted for 

 rapid locomotion, the first toe being present, and the feet, with their powerful, 

 slightly-curved claws, specially suited for scratching up the ground. The wings 

 are concave, fitting close to the body, and the flight, though noisy and somewhat 

 labored, is often extremely rapid. The tail varies greatly in shape and size, being 

 enormously lengthened and developed in some species of pheasant, while in others, 

 as the painted quail, it is rudimentary and hidden by the upper tail coverts. 

 Among the more striking skeletal characteristics it may be mentioned in the first 

 place that the palate is of the cleft (schizognathous) type, while, secondly, the breast- 

 bone has two deep notches on each side of the posterior margin, and its superior proc- 

 ess perforated to receive the bases of the metacoracoids. The feathers of the body 

 (2160) 



