260 ORALLY. ARDEAD^E. 



The food of the Lapwing consists largely of 

 earth-worms, to which are added slugs, insects 

 and their larvae, and small Crustacea. It is not 

 unfrequently kept in gardens, where it soon be- 

 comes an interesting pet, and by its destruction 

 of vermin proves useful. Its mode of obtaining 

 earthworms is thus described by Dr. Latham: 

 " I have seen this bird approach a worm-cast, turn 

 it aside, and after walking two or three times 

 about it, by way of giving motion to the ground, 

 the worm come out, and the watchful bird, seiz- 

 ing hold of it, draw it forth." 



FAMILY II. ARDEAD.E. 



(Herons.) 



Mr. Swainson considers that the Herons shew 

 the strongest affinity to the Ostriches, but we con- 

 fess that to us they appear to present more points 

 of dissimilarity than resemblance. They are 

 decidedly carnivorous in their appetite, feeding on 

 fishes, aquatic reptiles, small mammalia, mollusca, 

 worms, and insects. The Cranes, however, are 

 more terrestrial than the others, and join with an 

 animal diet, grains, seeds, and herbage. The 

 legs and feet in these birds are long and slender, 

 as is also the neck, which is very flexible : the 

 beak is long, straight, sharp-pointed, firm in tex- 

 ture, and very powerful ; in some genera it is of 

 great thickness and strength. The Spoon-bills, 

 however, shew an exception to the sharpness of 

 this organ ; and the Curlews to its straightness. 

 The wings are, in general, well developed, and 

 some of the genera are birds of soaring and power- 



