21>L' 



VERTEBUATA. 



THE BOAT-BILL. 



gated crest ; the back and the belly rusty-reddish ; the -wings gray ; the forehead and rest of the 

 plumage white; the bill, legs, and feet brown. This species inhabit Cayenne, Guiana, and Brazil, 

 and chiefly frequent such parts as are near the water. Here they perch on the trees which hang 

 over the streams, and like the kingfisher, drop down on the fish that swim beneath. They also 

 feed on reptiles and crabs, whence the French name of Crahier or Crah-Eater. Night is the 

 season of their activity. Their sight is acute, and their stroke surprisingly rapid. Their body is 

 light, their wings ample, and their flight lofty. 



Genus BALdlNICEPS : Bala'niccps. — Of this we know but a single species, B. rex, an ex- 

 traordinary bird, found along the borders of the White Nile, in Eastern Africa. Its height is 

 three feet nine inches ; its color is of an ashy-gray above, and light gray beneath. Its habits 

 are little known, but it is believed to live in marshes and to feed on moUusca and reptiles. 



THE CIIAKADEIIDiE OR PLOYEES. 



Of these birds there are several genera and numerous species, widely distributed throughout 

 the world. They are in general gregarious, feeding in flocks. They are less strictly aquatic in 

 their habits than the preceding families, some of them, indeed, frequenting the margins of rivers, 

 lakes, and ponds, or the sea-shores, while others are found upon moors and pastures, and even in 

 plowed fields. Most of them perform considerable migrations, visiting the high northern latitudes 

 during the summer for the purpose of breeding. They generallv lay their eggs in a mere cavity 

 in the sand or gravel, and the young run about soon after they are hatched. Several species are 

 well known in this country, and are among our most interesting game birds. 



OYSTER-CATCHERS AXD TURNSTONES. 



Ge7)ns H^EMATOPUS : Hcematopus. — This includes the Oyster-Catchers. In the European 

 Oyster-Catcher, H. ostraler/us, the hind toe is wanting ; the bill is much longer than the head, 



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