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VAGATRICES. 



TERRESTRIAL. These latter may be arranged under eight dis- 

 tinct orders, which differ from each other in various respects, 

 although generally very closely allied in structure. They 

 are all more or less insectivorous, most of them also frugi- 

 vorous, and some feed so promiscuously as to merit the name 

 of Omnivorae, given to them by some ornithologists. In all 

 the stomach is muscular, the intestine of moderate length, 

 and the cceca very small, or, in one group, wanting. 



ORDER VI. VAGATRICES. WANDERERS. 



Birds generally of moderate size, having the body com- 

 pact, the neck rather short, or of moderate length, the 

 head ovate or oblong. Bill stout, nearly straight, com- 

 pressed towards the end, tapering, pointed, sharp-edged ; 

 the upper mandible with a slight notch or sinus, on each 

 side, close to the tip. Mouth of moderate width ; tongue 

 oblong, emarginate and papillate at the base, horny to- 

 wards the end, thin-edged, with the point slit or lacerated ; 

 oesophagus rather wide, without dilatation ; stomach a giz- 

 zard of moderate power, having distinct lateral muscles, 

 the epithelium thin, dense, and longitudinally rugous ; 

 intestine of moderate length and width ; coeca very small, 

 cylindrical, adnate ; rectum with an oblong dilatation. 

 Nostrils small. Eyes of moderate size. Aperture of ear 

 rather large. Legs of moderate length, rather stout; 

 tarsus moderately long, with from seven to ten anterior 

 scutella ; toes four, the three anterior moderately spread- 

 ing, the first stout, and of the same length as the second 

 and fourth, the outer two united at the base ; claws arched, 

 stout, compressed, laterally grooved, acute. Wings of 

 moderate length, rather broad, much rounded, the prima- 



