166 THE WADERS. 



in the sand, which, in the hottest climates they inhabit, 

 are said to be hatched entirely by the heat of the sun. 

 But in countries that are colder, the female sits upon 

 her eggs, and hatches them, like other birds. 



WATER BIRDS. 



We come now to a class of birds, which are quite 

 different in their manners, habits, and shapes, from 

 those already described. Instead of living among 

 mountains and in forests, or taking up their abodes in 

 cultivated fields, or about the habitations of men, they 

 are to be found out at sea, or along the shore, or in 

 marshes situated on the borders of lakes and rivers. 



The Water Birds may be divided into two kinds, 

 or orders, namely, the Waders and the Swimmers. 



THE WADERS. 



The Waders form a connecting link between the 

 Land Birds and the Swimmers. They do not, like 

 the Land Birds, wander among the mountains and 

 forests, nor, like the Swimmers, do they often venture 

 out at sea. They take the middle place, and reside in 

 the shallow water along the shore, and hence they are 

 sometimes found in company with both kinds. 



The Waders, like the Land Birds, have most of 

 them, their toes divided to the origin, or nearly so, 

 while the Swimmers have theirs connected by a web, 

 or membrane, which serves, instead of a paddle, to 



