BIEDS. 43 



Tarsus partly or entirely feathered, as is also the nasal 

 groove ; sides of neck usually with bare skin or pecul- 

 iar feathers TETRAONIIXE, 49. 



Tarsus and nasal groove imfeathered ; no peculiar feathers 

 on neck PEKDICID^E, 50. 



M. FAMILIES OF LIMICOL^E. 



I. Toes lobate ; tarsus notably compressed ; body depressed. 



PHALAROPODUXE, 54. 



II. Toes not lobate ; tarsus not specially compressed. 



* Legs exceedingly long; tarsus as long as tail; bill much 

 longer than head, slender, acute, and curved upwards ; feet 

 4-toed and palmate, or 3-toed and semipalmate. 



RECURVIROSTRID.E, 53. 



** Bill usually shorter than head, pigeon-like, the broad, soft 

 base separated by a constriction from the hard tip ; head 

 sub-globose, on a short neck; tarsus reticulate; toes 3 

 (except in Squatarola). . . . CHARADRIID^:, 51. 



*** Bill usually longer than head, mostly grooved, not con- 

 stricted, softish to its tip ; tarsus scutellate ; toes 4 (except 

 in Calidris) SCOLOPACID^, 55. 



**** Not as above; bill hard, either compressed and truncate, 

 or acute ; feet 4-toed and cleft, or 3-toed and semipalmate. 



HJSMATOPODUXE, 52. 



N. FAMILIES OF HERODIONES. 



I. Bill long, straight, acute ; middle claw pectinate. ARDEID^E, 56. 



II. Bill curved downwards, or else flat and spoon-shaped. 



TANTALUM, 57. 



0. FAMILIES OF ALECTORIDES. 



I. Very large ; length 36 or more, with excessively long neck and 



legs ; toes shorter than tarsus ; bill contracted at the middle. 



GRUID.E, 58. 



II. Smaller, length 18 or less, with comparatively short neck and 



legs ; toes as long as tarsus ; bill not contracted. 



RALLIDJE, 59, 



