154 AVES. 



RECURVIROSTRA, Linnaus, 



Or the Avosets, although their feet, which are webbed to near the ends of the 

 toes, almost entitle them to a situation among the Palmipedes ; their high 

 tarsi and half naked legs, their long, slender, pointed, smooth, and elastic bill, 

 together with the mode of life resulting from this conformation, equally 

 approximate them to the snipes. What particularly characterises, and even 

 distinguishes them from all other birds, is the strong upward curve of their 

 beak. Their legs are reticulated, and their thumb much too short to reach 

 the ground. 



9 



FAMILY V. 



MACRODACTYLI. 



THIS family is furnished with very long toes, fitted for walking on the grass 

 of marshes, and even for swimming, in those numerous 

 species, especially, in which they are bordered with a 

 membrane. There are no membranes, however, be- 

 tween the bases of their toes, not even between the 

 external ones. The beak, more or less compressed on 

 the sides, is lengthened or shortened according to the 



genus, never, however, becoming as slender or as weak 



as that of the preceding family. The body of these 



birds is also singularly compressed, a circumstance 



which is owing to the narrowness of the sternum ; their 



wings are moderate or short, and their flight feeble. 



They all have a long thumb. 



They have been divided into two tribes, according to the armature or non- 

 armature of their wings; but this character is liable to exceptions. 



JACANAS, Brisson. PARRA, Linnaus. 



The Jacanas are greatly distinguished from the other Grallatoriae by having 

 four very long toes, separated down to their root, the nails of which, that of 

 the thumb in particular, are also extremely long and pointed, from which 

 peculiarity they have received their vulgar name of Surgeons. The beak is 

 similar to that of the lapwings in its moderate length, and in the slight infla- 

 tion of its end. Their wing is armed with a spur. They are noisy and 

 quarrelsome birds, which inhabit marshes of hot climates, where they walk 

 with great facility by means of their long toes. 



PALAMKDEA, Linncens. 



The Kamichi resemble the Jacanas, but on a very large scale, in the two 

 strong spurs of each of their wings, in their long toes and strong nails, that of 

 the thumb in particular, which is long and straight as in the larks ; but their 

 beak, whose aperture is small, is but slightly compressed, and is not inflated ; 



