INTRODUCTION. 



XVll 



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trils beneath a soft, tumid valve. Tomia of the mandiljles mutually apposed. 

 Frontal leathers sweej)in<jr in strouyly convex outline across base of upper 

 mandi!)le. Lc<;s feathered to the tarsus or iK-yond. Hallux incumbent (with 

 few exceptions), and front toes rarely webbed at l)ase. Tarsus with small 

 scutella in front, or ottener reticulate, the envelope rather membranous 

 than corneous. Head very small. Plumajre without aft(.'r-shafts. One })air 

 of syrincre.il muscles. Sternum doui)ly notched, or notched an<l ienestrate 

 on each side. Carotids double. Palate schi/.ognathoiis. Monogamous, 

 and hiirlily aliricial an<l psilopjedic. 



F. QALLIN.2E. Bill rrenerally short, stoat, convex, with an obtuse 

 vaulted tip, corneous except in the nasal fossa, and without constriction in 

 it:5 contiiuiity. Nostrils scaled or feathered. Tomia of ujiper mamlible over- 

 lapping. Frontal feathers forming re-entrant outline at the Itase of upper 

 nuindible. Legs usually feathen'd to the tarsus or beyoml. Hallux ele- 

 vated, with few exce2)tions (e.g. CracitJcr and Mef/a/tndkla:), smaller than the 

 anterior toes, occasionally wanting (as in the Hemijiods). Tarsus, when not 

 feathered, generally broadly scutellate. Front toes conunonly webbed at 

 base. Claws blunt, little curved. Wings strong, short, and concavo-convex. 

 Rectrices conunonly more than tw«'lve. Head small. Plumage usually 

 after-shafted. Carotids doulde (except Turniciihr and MefjajKxlidd). No 

 intrinsic svriuireal muscles. Sternum verv deenlv. irenerallv doublv. notched. 

 Palate schizoguathous. Chiefly polygamous. Pnecocial and ptilopiedic. 

 G» LIMICOLiEi. Tibi.e bare of feathers for- a variable (sometimes ver; 

 sliijlit) ihstance above the suffrai^o. Lejjs conunonly lenijrthened. some- 

 times excessively so, and neck usually produced in corresponding ratio. 

 Tarsi scutellate or reticulate. Toes never coherent at l)ase; cleft, or united 

 for a short distance by one or two small movable l)asal webs ([»almate only 

 ill Rerurvirostra. lobate onlv in Phahtropodida). Hallux always reduced, 

 obviou>ly elevated and free, or wanting; giving a foot of cursorial char- 

 acter. Wings, with lew exceptions, lengthened, pointed, and flat; the inner 

 primaries and outer secondaries very short, forming a strong re-entrance on 

 the posterior Ijorder of the wing. Tail shorter than the wing, of simple 

 form, and of few feathers, except in certain Snipes. Head globose, sloping 

 rapidly down to the contracted base of the bill, completely feathered (except 

 Philomadius ^). Gape of bill short and constricted; tip usually obtuse; 

 bill weak and flexible. Rostrum conmionlv lencrthened, and more or less 

 terete and slender; meml»ranous wholly or in great part, without hard cut- 

 ting edges. Nostrils narrow, placed low down, entirely surrounded with 

 soft skin ; nasal fossie extensive. Palate schizoguathous. Sternum usually 

 doubly, sometimes singly, notched. Carotids double. Pterylosis of a par- 

 ticular pattern. Nature pnecocial and ptilopivdic. Comprising the '• Plover- 

 Snipe" group; species of medium and small size, with never extremely 

 compressed or depressed body ; more or less aquatic, living on plains and 

 in oi>en places, usually near \vater, nesting on the ground, where the young 

 run freely at birth. 



H. HERODIONHS. Tibiae naked lielow. Legs and neck much length- 

 ened in corresponding ratio. Toes long, slender, never coherent at base, 

 where cleft, or with movable basal webbing. Hallux (ius compared with 

 that of the preceding and following group) lengthened, free, and either 

 perfectly incumbent or ])ut little elevated, with a large claw, giving a foot of 

 insessorial character. Wings commonly obtuse, but broad and ami>l(\ with- 

 out marked re-entrauce on posterior border, the intermediate remiijes not 



Vol.. I. c 



