WADING BIRDS. 85 



LESSON VII. 



ORDER OP GRALLATORIAE. Zoological Characters. Habits. 



Division into eight Families. 

 FAMILY OF BREVIPPENNES. Ostrich. Organization. Habits. 



Cassowaries. 



FAMILY OF PRESSIROSTRES. Bustards. Plovers. Lapwings. 

 FAMILY OF CULTRIROSTRES. Cranes, (Common Crowe.) Herons, 



(Common Heron.) Storks, (Common Stork.) Spoonbills. 

 FAMILY OF LONGIROSTRES, Genus of Curlews. Ibis, ( Sacred 



Ibis.) Snipe, ( Woodcock, Common Snipe.) The Jlvosets. 

 FAMILY OF MACRODACTYLI. Rails. Water-Hens. 

 FAMILY OF FLAMINGOS. Common Flamingo Habits. 



ORDER OF GRALLATORIJE. 



1. The Order of Grallatoriae is composed of birds that have 

 the lower part of the leg naked like the tarsus, (Plate 5, fig. 

 5, to 11.) Almost all these birds are remarkable for the length 

 of their legs, and appear as if they were mounted on stilts. Their 

 feet, most generally, have a small palmate membrane betwixt 

 the external toes, and they sometimes are without a thumb. 

 Their form is ordinarily lank, and their neck is very long ; their 

 beak varies in its shape, but is also, in general, very long. 



2. Most of the Grallatoriae, which are also called Waders, or 

 beach birds, frequent watery places, and wade in shallow waters 

 to seek their food ; with some exceptions, they all feed on animal 

 substances, and seek fishes, reptiles, or worms and insects, accor- 

 ding as their beak is strong or weak ; a small number of them 

 feed on grains and herbage, and these only live remote from 

 water. And almost all these birds have very long wings ; they 

 fly well, and extend their legs behind them when they fly, 

 whereas, other birds, on the contrary, fold them under the belly. 



3. The Grallatoriae, which build their nests on trees, and in 

 elevated situations, are monogamous, and feed their young until 

 they are able to fly: almost all those that build on the ground 

 are polygamous, and their young seek their own food soon after 

 birth. 



1. What are the general characters of those birds that belong to the order 

 of Grallatoriae ? 



2. What are the general habits of the Grallatoriae or Waders ? Upon 

 what do they feed ? 



3. In what respect do the monogamous differ from the polygamous Gral- 

 latorice ? 



