170 CHARACTERS OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS 



Order 8. BUSTARDS and CRANES (Alectorides) 



This is a somewhat artificial assemblage of forms which 

 agree in many respects with the game-birds, differing, however, 

 in minor anatomical characters. The young are precocious. 



Biistards are thick-set birds common in the open parts of 



Fig. 117. Skuas (Stercoranus lt Phalarope \Plialaropns], and Golden Plovers \Charadrius] (from left to right) 



the Old World, including Australia. The Great Bustard (Otis 

 tarda] was formerly abundant in Britain, but is now only an 

 occasional visitor. The male possesses curious white "whiskers" 

 made up of hair-like feathers. 



Cranes resemble herons and storks in their general appearance, 

 but are distinguished from them by a number of characters, one 

 being that the short first toe is raised a little off the ground. 

 Further, the young are precocious instead of being helpless. 

 The Common Crane (Grus cinerea) (fig. 118) is now only seen 

 wild in Britain as a rare visitor, but 300 years ago was common, 

 It ranges over most of Europe, North Africa, and Asia. 



