54? CURSORES. 



coloured with the red varnish, to which must be added a little 

 lake ; as also the comb of the Guinea fowl (Numida). The 

 particular passion of the animal at the time must also have to be 

 studied, and the colour of his head and throat, which is liable to 

 great change under different impulses. The male pinnated 

 Grouse has a large, skinny membrane on each side of its neck, 

 which it inflates during the season of love, and which is in size 

 and colour similar to a ripe orange. This must be coloured with 

 the red varnish, mixed with either gamboge, or chrome-yellow. 

 The general habits of these birds are familiar to most people. 



ORDER XL ALECTORIDES. 



The birds of this order frequent, some of them, open coun- 

 tries, while others inhabit the banks of streams. The former are 

 continually in search of serpents and lizards ; in which pursuit 

 they may be very appropriately preserved. Those of the latter 

 kind live principally on insects and worms. Little can be 

 said as to their attitudes : these must be left to the taste of the 

 operator. 



ORDER XIL CURSORES. 



The birds of this order live mostly in the fields, in desert 

 places remote from woods ; feeding on herbs and seeds. They 

 seldom fly, trusting to their speed of foot for safety. At the 

 head of it stands the Ostrich (Struthio Camelus). This 

 stupendous bird, the largest of the feathered kind, reaches 

 from eight to ten feet in height. It falls to the lot of few to 

 preserve this bird ; but as the frame-work for it must ne- 

 cessarily be commensurate with its size, the manner of con- 

 structing it we shall describe : 



A piece of wood eighteen inches long, and four inches in 

 circumference, is first taken, and a hole bored eight inches 

 from one of its ends, from which form a groove, to the shortest 

 end, both above and below ; four inches from the other ex- 

 tremity two holes are pierced, at four and six inches from the 

 end. The wire which is to support the head of the Ostrich is 



