ORDER XIII. CURSITRICES. RUNNERS. 



The species of this Order which occur in Britain are 

 so few, that, by examining them only, one cannot acquire 

 a comprehensive or even a correct idea of the series ; which 

 is composed of birds of all sizes, from the largest known, 

 the Ostriches and Cassowary, to the Pratincole, not much 

 larger than a Swift. The families which are considered as 

 entering into it are the STRUTHIONIN^E, GRUIN^E, OTIN^E, 

 and PLUVIALINJE. Of the first there are no representatives 

 in Europe, and therefore it is unnecessary to say more of 

 them here, than that they are distinguished among the 

 fissipede birds by having wings not adapted for flying, 

 just as the Penguins are among the palmipedes. Setting 

 aside these birds, then, we may consider the general cha- 

 racters of the Cursitrices to be somewhat as follows : 



Body ovate, more or less compressed ; neck generally 

 long and slender ; head rather small, ovaifce, rounded above. 

 Bill of moderate length, straight, or nearly so, compressed 

 toward the end, but rather wide at the base, and open- 

 ing under the eyes ; the nasal sinus large. Mouth of 

 moderate width ; tongue tapering, fleshy, acute ; oesopha- 

 gus moderately wide, with its walls thick ; proventriculus 

 bulbiform ; stomach a gizzard of considerable power, hav- 

 ing strong lateral muscles, dense and rugous epithelium ; 

 intestine of moderate length and width, with large or mo- 

 derate coeca ; the rectum with a globular dilatation. Nos- 

 trils linear or oblong, subbasal or medial. Eyes rather 

 large. Aperture of ear moderate. Legs generally long 



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