2 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



covered with feathers and in some cases there is a dis- 

 tinct crest. 



The bill varies greatly, from short in some species to 

 long in others. In one species it turns up, in another 

 is bent to one side, often it is curved downward, and 

 sometimes it is oddly expanded at the end, or it may 

 be compressed to a knife shape. Usually it is covered 

 with a soft skin, is often much swollen and in some 

 cases is a very sensitive organ of touch. The nostrils 

 open above in a groove. They are never feathered. 



The sexes are usually alike, though they differ in the 

 phalaropes, the jacana and the European ruff. The 

 breeding dress is often quite different from that of the 

 autumn, and some species are extremely showy in their 

 spring plumage. 



Within this order are found two great families that 

 are peculiarly familiar to American gunners. These are 

 the Charadriidcu, or plover family, with a dozen or 

 fifteen species, and the Scolopacidcz, or snipe family, 

 which contains more than forty species, and in which 

 are found the only two here to be considered. Besides 

 these two great families, there are other smaller ones, 

 which include the oyster catchers and turnstones, the 

 avocet and stilt, and the phalaropes. 



Not very distantly related to this group is the bustard 

 family of the Old World, some of which reach a size 

 near that of the American wild turkey. This bustard 

 family, according to CXDUCS, perfectly connects the shore 

 birds with the Alectorides, or cranes, rails and their 

 allies. 



