RASORES. 5 I 5 



and one behind, the latter being short, and placed at a higher 

 level than the other toes. All the toes terminate in strong 

 blunt claws suitable for scratching (fig. 223, A). The food of 

 the Scratchers or Gallinaceous birds consists chiefly of hard 

 grains and seeds, and in accordance with this they have a ca- 

 pacious crop and an extremely strong and muscular gizzard. 

 They mostly nidificate, or build their nests, upon the ground, 

 and the more typical members of the order are polygamous. 

 The males take no part in either nidification or incubation, 

 and the young are generally "precocious," being able to run 

 about and provide themselves with food from the moment they 

 quit the egg. The young of the Pigeons and Doves, however, 

 are brought forth in a comparatively helpless condition. The 

 wings in the majority of the Rasores are more or less weak, 

 and the flight is feeble and accompanied with a whirring sound. 

 Many of the Pigeons, however, are capable of very powerful 

 and sustained flight. 



The order Rasores is divided into two sub-orders, called re- 



^ ; ; 



T> 



A 



Fig. 223. Rasores. A, Foot of Fowl (Callus Bankiva) ; B, Head of Guinea-fowl. 



spectively the Gallinacei and the Columba&i, or sometimes, 

 from the characters of the sounds which they utter, the Clama- 

 tores and the Gemitores. 



Sub-order i. Gallinacei or Clamatores. This sub-order 

 comprises the typical members of the order Rasores, such as 

 the common Fowls, Turkeys, Partridge, Grouse, Pea-fowl, and 

 a number of allied forms. Its characters are therefore those 

 of the order itself, but it is especially distinguished from the 

 Columbacei by being less fully adapted for flight. The body is 

 much heavier comparatively speaking, the legs and feet are 

 stronger, and the wings shorter and less powerful. On the 

 whole, therefore, these birds are worse fliers than the Columbacei, 

 and are better adapted for living upon the ground. The hallux 

 is elevated above the anterior toes, and merely touches the 

 ground in walking. The back of the tarsus, too, is usually 

 furnished in the males with a spur (calcar), which is used as an 



