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these birds have long legs, slender necks, elongated bills, 

 and feet fitted for wading or swimming. I'he geese, river- 

 ducks, sea-ducks, fishr ducks, swans, and screamers (Anseri- 

 formes) have webbed feet and are aquatic in their habits. 

 Hawks, eagles, vultures an4 secretary birds (Falconi- 

 formes) are the true birds of prey. The owls, which in the 

 popular mind are associated with them probably as much 

 because of their food habits as for any other reason belong 

 to a different order. All the birds of prey have very strong 

 talons and hooked beaks, which are used for catching and 

 killing animals for food. The owls, together with the 

 kingfishers, hummingbirds, goatsuckers, woodpeckers, and 

 a few other rare forms are placed together in the order 

 Coradiformes because of certain anatomical similarities. 

 Owls are generally nocturnal, but are able to see more or 

 less during the day. Their great expanse of wing, together 

 with a peculiar frilling of the feathers, enable them to. fly 

 with a quietness remarkable in such large birds. The 

 hummingbirds are the smallest of the class Aves, the largest 

 being less than eight inches long, and the smallest, two and 

 three-eighths inches. Over four hundred species are known 

 in America, but only one .is found throughout United States. 

 They are nearly all of gorgeous metallic colors, changing 

 in different lights. The woodpeckers are remarkable for 

 their peculiar beaks, extensible tongues; the stiff tail and 

 peculiarly arranged toes both function in climbing. ,. The 

 rails, cranes, and coots (Gruiformes) are marsh hkds_wjth 

 long legs for wading or with lobate feet for running over 

 aquatic -vegetation. Snipes, plovers, curlews, and jacanas 

 are related'to the gulls, terns, auks, and pigeons (Charadrii- 

 formes). The snipes and their near relatives are waders; 

 the gulls are strong flyers and live largely on fish ; the auks 

 are sea bi^ds with very heavy beaks, and nest in holes in 

 the ground; the gentle pigeons and doves are widely dis- 

 tributed, three hundred species being known. The cuckoo- 

 like birds (Cuculi/ormes) include the true cuckoos, parrots, 

 and a number of tropical birds. The cuckoos are insect 



