MERSATRICES. 227 



neck of moderate length, or short, and rather thick ; the 

 head large, broadly ovate, anteriorly narrowed. The bill 

 of moderate length, generally stout, straight, compressed, 

 more or less decurved at the end, opening to beneath the 

 eyes. Mouth rather wide, tongue fleshy, rather narrow, 

 tapering, pointed, horny beneath at the end ; oesophagus 

 very wide throughout, with its walls thin ; proventriculus 

 dilated ; stomach small, muscular, with distinct lateral 

 muscles, large radiated tendons, and thick, dense, longi- 

 tudinally ridged epithelium ; intestine rather long, nar- 

 row ; coeca very small, cylindrical ; rectum with a large 

 globular dilatation. Nostrils rather large, elongated, 

 subbasal or medial, but various. Eyes rather small, eye- 

 lids feathered, with crenulate margins. Aperture of ear 

 of moderate size. ^Legs of moderate length, or short, ra- 

 ther slender ; tibia bare below ; tarsus little compressed, 

 anteriorly scutellate ; toes of moderate length, slender, 

 webbed, spreading, the first very small and elevated, or 

 wanting ; claws small, arcuate, rather obtuse. Plumage 

 very full, close, and soft ; feathers generally oblong and 

 rounded ; wings very long, rather narrow, imuch pointed ; 

 tail generally moderate. 



This order may be divided into STERNIN^E, LARIN^E, 

 and PROCELLARIN^E. There can be no difficulty in re- 

 ferring any one of the species to its order, as the general 

 characters are very distinctive. They are usually cla- 

 morous when engaged in searching for food. The smaller 

 species feed chiefly on small fishes and Crustacea ; the 

 larger are in a great measure omnivorous. They usually 

 nestle on the ground, laying from three to five eggs, 

 which are oval, and spotted ; but some which lay in holes, 

 have white eggs. The young, at first densely covered 

 with down, can walk and even run presently after emerg- 



