M INTRODUCTION. 



cidce, abounding in the forests, easily procured, and 

 producing* a savoury food ; and, towards the extre- 

 mity, we meet with the Rhea or South American 

 Ostrich. One continental island may be noticed in 

 this short sketch. Australia is remarkable, not in 

 possessing- many rasorial forms, for they are very 

 few if we except its pig-eons, but as showing- ano- 

 ther peculiar analogue to the large Struthionida? 9 

 in the emu, and in possessing- as its representing 

 rasorial form, the Megapodince, composed of birds 

 remarkable for the great developement of their 

 feet. The various islands in the world possess their 

 Rasores, according to their extent and the conti- 

 nents to which they are related ; those of Britain 

 are now becoming too thickly inhabited to lay 

 claim to many species, while these are even gradu- 

 ally decreasing- in numbers; two or three pigeons, 

 a straggling bustard, the partridg-e in our cultivated 

 fields, the grouse or black g-ame in our wooded val- 

 leys, are nearly all; the moorfowl of our heath-clad 

 hills being- our only peculiar boast, most remark- 

 able, as continuing- so restricted, and apparently 

 still unknown elsewhere, either indigenously, or by 

 the assistance of introduction. 



The next order, the GRALLATORES, leads us to 

 those birds which are truly aquatic in their habits, 

 or which are appropriated to, and hold their place 

 in, that important element, " the waters," which 

 cover so great a portion of the surface of our earth. 

 The WADERS, as the name implies, frequent the 



