( 107 ) 



ORDER XV. LATITRICES. SKULKERS. 



Viewed collectively, the birds of this order bear a gene 

 ral modified resemblance to the Perdicinse, and some other 

 Gallinaceous birds. Our Corn Crake, for example, is 

 not very unlike some Quails and Partridges ; and our 

 Water-Hen has been so named, on account of its mani- 

 fest similarity to the female of the domestic fowl. The 

 genera of which it is composed, namely, Palamedea, 

 Opistolophus, Megapodius, Parra, Gallinula, Porphyrio, 

 Ortygometra, Rallus, and Aramus, may perhaps be ar- 

 ranged into several groups analogous to the families of 

 the preceding order. But the few species which occur in 

 Britain, although they differ greatly in the elongation of 

 the bill and claws, clearly belong to a single group, to 

 which the name of Gallinulinae may be given. The gene- 

 ral characters of the Latitrices are the following : Body 

 much compressed ; neck moderate ; head small, oblong, 

 much compressed. Bill compressed, rather strong, with 

 a rather large nasal sinus. Mouth narrow ; oesophagus 

 without crop ; stomach a very muscular gizzard ; intes- 

 tine of moderate length and width ; coeca rather large. 

 Trachea with a single pair of inferior laryngeal muscles. 

 Nostrils generally small, as are the eyes. Feet generally 

 very large ; the toes four, the first small, the anterior 

 very elongated, compressed, slender, scutellate, some- 

 times margined or even lobed ; claws slender, long, taper- 

 ing, little arched. Plumage firm ; wings short or mode- 

 rate ; tail very small. 



