492 DINORNIS. ORDER GRALLATORES. 



a party of Malays, driven thither in a storm (which was probably 

 the mode in which human beings first found their way thither), 

 these birds were eagerly sought, as being the only large animals 

 that could serve as food ; and that by being improvidently de- 

 stroyed, the whole race was soon extirpated. The remains 

 of some large birds allied to the Apteryx have also been dis- 

 covered in New Zealand ; they have been described under the 

 name of Palapteryx by Professor Owen. Within the last few 

 years the eggs and a few bones of a Bird supposed to be as large 

 as the Dinornis have been found in Madagascar. The largest 

 of the eggs measured upwards of a foot in length, or twice as 

 much as that of the Ostrich. The bird has been described under 

 the name o 



ORDER VI. GRALLATORES. 



443. THE scientific name of this order, which literally means 

 stilt-walkers, is, on the whole, more appropriate than the term 

 Waders, which is commonly applied to it. For all the Birds 

 which it includes are remarkable for the length of their legs, and 

 especially of the shank ; whilst many can scarcely be said to be 

 aquatic in their habits. The length of the lower part of the leg, 

 and the absence of feathers at the lower end of the tibia, enable 

 them to wade into water of a certain depth, without wetting 

 their plumage ; and thus to procure fish, mollusks, aquatic 

 worms and insects, &c., by means of their bills, which are usually 

 supported upon necks of a length proportional to that of their 

 legs. They are for the most part slender in form ; and thus pre- 

 sent a marked contrast with the robust bodies of the two preced- 

 ing orders. The wings of these Birds are usually long, and 

 adapted for rapid flight. The tail, however, is short ; and when 

 flying, the Birds stretch out their long legs behind, to counter- 

 balance their long necks, and to serve as a rudder. They are 

 very generally diffused over the globe ; and many of them make 

 periodical migrations of considerable length. They generally 

 construct their nests upon the ground, concealing them among 



