380 GENERAL ZOOLOGY 



the Gulf coast. Storks are natives of the Old World, fre- 

 quenting wooded regions or open country. The white stork 

 has been tamed in some countries, where it frequently occu- 

 pies nesting sites on houses. 



Cranes and Allies. Though superficially like the herons, in 

 that they have a long bill, neck, and legs, the cranes and 

 their allies may nevertheless be distinguished from the herons 

 by the elevation of the hind toe above the level of the others. 

 The cranes are scattered widely over the globe, though we 

 have but three species in North America. They frequent 

 marshes and open plains (their scientific name, Paludic'olce, 

 means marsh-inhabitant), and feed on both vegetable and ani- 

 mal food, the latter consisting largely of small reptiles and 

 amphibians. " Erect and tall, they may be seen striding 

 swiftly along with head thrown back, or strutting around 

 their mates; while in spring they often stand in rows and 

 proceed. to stalk about in single file, or dance to meet one 

 another with nodding heads, necks advanced, and wings 

 widely outspread. Thereafter they bow toward the ground, 

 jump in the air, and perform graceful antics of all descrip- 

 tions. The chosen spot for these dances is commonly near 

 water. The male courts his spouse in somewhat similar 

 fashion, and twigs or feathers are often tossed in the air in 

 sport, to be caught again ere they touch the ground" (Cam- 

 bridge Natural History, Vol. IX). 



Snipes, Sandpipers, Plovers, and Allies. The well-known 

 shore-birds, included in the group Limic'olce, usually have 

 long, slender legs, with the hind toe, when present, elevated 

 above the others. The scientific name refers to their habitat, 

 (Lat. limus, mud ; colere, to dwell). The bill is usually long 

 and slender and more or less soft, especially at the tip. With 

 their bills these birds probe the mud and sand of pond and 

 river margins and the seacoast for their food, which consists 

 of small crustaceans, worms, and mollusks. The plumage is 



