SCREAMERS. 273 



FAMILY IV. PALAMEDEAD^E. 



(Screamers.') 



Of this very limited, but widely distributed 

 Family, very little is known. Hence their true 

 affinities and their position in the natural system 

 is still matter of some uncertainty. We follow 

 Mr. G. R. Gray, who, in his " Genera of Birds," 

 elevates them, few as they are in number, to the 

 rank of a Family. Some of them seem modified 

 on the type of the Plovers, and manifest in their 

 anatomy and other points an approach to certain 

 Lapwings ; others, again, bear a resemblance to 

 the Gallinacea, with which they have been sup- 

 posed to connect themselves through the great- 

 footed Megapodidce. But their strongest affinities 

 are, we think, with the Rallidce, especially with 

 the genus Porphyrio, which they resemble in their 

 greatly developed toes, their spurred wings, and 

 their habits of walking upon aquatic plants. 



The beak is usually slender, rather short, more 

 or less compressed at the sides, and curved down- 

 wards at the point. The wing is armed at the 

 shoulder with one or more spurs, of a horny tex- 

 ture, and sharp pointed, which, where most de- 

 veloped, seem to be used as weapons of offence. 

 The feet are long, as are also the legs (tibia), the 

 lower portion of which is bare of feathers, and 

 scaled ; the toes are four, three before and one 

 behind, the latter resting on the ground; the 

 whole are greatly lengthened, and furnished with 

 exceedingly long, straight, and pointed claws, by 

 the expansion of which the birds are enabled to 



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