305 



CHAPTER XIV. 



Water Birds. Waders. Pressirostral ; Narrow-beaked. Water- 

 hens ; Anecdotes of; Nests of. Coots; Nests of. Jacanas ; 

 Singular Foot of. Horned Screamers. Rails. Oyster 

 Catchers ; Tamed. Cultrirostra ; Cutting-billed. Herons ; 

 Toothed-claw of; Voracity of. Storks and Cranes; Migra- 

 tions of; Respect paid to. Gigantic Crane; Particulars re- 

 specting. Jabiru. Anastomus ; Open-beaked. Tantalus. 



TABLE XXII. (See page 19.) 



OEDEE 5. WADEES. TEIBE 1. PEESSIBOSTEES, 



(Narrow- beaked.) 

 *, 



WE now come to a different class of birds from those 

 of which we have been hitherto treating, though still 

 with a connecting link between them, so fine as scarcely to 

 mark the point where the one begins, or the other ends ; a 

 numerous and widely- extended race, living and seeking their 

 food more or less amongst the waters. Some are fitted for 

 swimming, others are not : to make up for this deficiency, 

 the latter are furnished with long legs for wading, or long 

 bills for penetrating the mud, usually, though not always, 

 with both. 



The first of these to which we would allude is the Water- 

 Hen (Crallinula ckloropus). That pretty, smart, active 

 bird, which we may almost at any time see, if we peep 

 cautiously and silently through the bushes of an old marsh- 

 pit in a meadow, or a pond half choked up with rushes, or 

 well paved, if we may so express ourselves, with the broad 

 floating leaves of the water-lily, or persicaria (Polygonum 

 amphibium). In the middle of any such little open space 

 she may be usually detected swimming about with a joyous 

 sort of jerking motion, but on the least rustle exciting a 



