STERNA OF THE GRALLIDjE. 403 



The clavicle is elongated, curved forward at the middle 

 of its branches, and directed at their junction through- 

 out the middle part of the anterior edge of the keel, 

 and they are enlarged in breadth toward their junction 

 with the coracoids. The scapulars are rather large, 

 flat, straight for great part of their length, but bent 

 downwards toward the points, so as to have a firm 

 embedment on the back. 



In this latter part of the structure it will be per- 

 ceived that those birds have much more the character 

 of walking or ground birds, than those of the preceding 

 group, or indeed than any of the water birds which 

 are much in the habit of using the wing, even though 

 not so good fliers for a short time as some of the 

 wading birds are. The enlargement of the clavicle 

 toward the shoulder-joints, the large heads of the 

 coracoids, and especially the increased size and 

 peculiar form of the scapular, together with the com- 

 paratively loose attachment of the coracoids to the 

 sternum, show that the strength of the shoulder in 

 those birds is not wholly, or even chiefly, based upon 

 the sternum, but that great part of it is connected 

 with the back through the produced shoulder-bone, 

 and being connected with the back, it is, by means of 

 that, referred to the legs for support. This is not the 

 case so exclusively as in the wingless birds, because 

 all the grallidae can fly occasionally, most of them can 

 fly well, though their flights are rather short, and the 

 wings of them all are ready in turning and wheeling ; 

 but still a careful examination of their sternal ap- 

 paratus, as combining the elements of walking and 

 the elements of flight, would probably be found a 

 much better ground of classification than any to which 

 systematists have hitherto resorted. We shall give 

 the sternal apparatus of the lapwing, which is a 



DD2 



